Rapid Eye Digital has produced over 300 training videos, and during that time, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t work. We thought we’d take a moment to share a little bit of what we learned.
– Part 3: Distribution –
The Challenge
So you’ve shot and edited your first training video series – now what? Whether you intend to sell your instructional videos or show them internally as a part of company training, distribution is important to consider before production even begins. How you intend your video to be displayed can impact how the video is shot – the placement of subjects in the frame, HD or SD video, frame rate, lighting, and many other technical aspects. It can also impact editing – title or text placement, video size, output formats and settings. If selling your video series, distribution can make or break the success of your product.
Solution 1: The Web
Everyone knows the web has limitless possibilities for delivering your product to the world. If producing a company or school training series, the web may be the cheapest form of distribution. We recommend a hosted or internal server to store your videos that is accessible from the web. It is important to consider storage and bandwidth as videos take up a lot of space and can overload the server if traffic is heavy. If distributing on the web with many users, it is a good idea to consult an IT or web hosting specialist for solutions specific to your needs. You can password-protect your videos and give access only to internal staff or students. If videos need to be updated, they can simply be replaced at the source and then instantly accessible anywhere in the world.
Alternatively, selling your training video series on the web can be tricky. We’ve tested many options for distribution on the web. Selling access to videos on the web almost NEVER worked in our tests. Customers simply want something physical for their money. In this way, DVD’s were a much more successful option -as we’ll discuss next. The web can be an excellent tool to sell DVD’s of your video series however. You can have a web company develop a storefront to sell your product or use Ebay, Yahoo, or other prefabricated storefronts that typically charge a fee for sales made. Marketing your product on the web can be most effective if targeting a niche group of customers at a time. So instead of selling your exercise video to all athletes, try marketing as “exercise instruction for mountain climbers”, as an example. This is a whole discussion in itself.
Advantages
– Accessible 24/7 anywhere in the world
– Easily updated with new videos or updated information
– Great marketing tool
Disadvantages
– Not good for selling access to videos
– Internet access required
– Initial server setup and monthly charges can be costly
Solution 2: DVD
DVD is the best method of distribution if selling your training video series. It can also be a good method if showing internally at venues where the web may not be accessible or fast enough for proper display. Your video professional will need to take extra steps if preparing for output to DVD. These technical steps can include color correcting, sizing, and formatting for TV. DVD duplication is cheapest if done in runs of 1000 discs or more at a time. The more you have produced at once, the cheaper per disc. Most duplication companies will keep a Master copy of your video on file so if more copies are needed later, the process is faster and sometimes cheaper.
As there are disc storage size constraints, you’ll want to consider how to break up your video or series into separate discs. This may also be a useful sales tool to consider – you can sell each disc separately or a disc set perhaps at a discount. A video professional can add menus on each disc to separate and organize portions of your video. Again, careful planning before starting your training video production can aid in this process.
Advantages
– Best for selling
– Good when no internet is available
Disadvantages
– Costly to duplicate – large numbers at a time
– Must be replaced when information needs updating
– Shipping
The R.E.D. Team
www.rapideyedigital.com
www.rapideyedigital.com/blog
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