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Friday, February 27th, 2009

Create a Video Three Times as Fast?

Create a Video Three Times as Fast?

mindmap 150x150 Create a Video Three Times as Fast?Whether you are creating blog content, a sales pitch, or a product, the fastest way to create content is with video — no writing required!

If you want to create a fancy-shmancy video like Michel and Sylvie, create a PowerPoint slide and record your screen as you talk. This is my preferred way of recording video, but if I’m in a hurry, I can whip up a mindmap presentation in one-third of the time as a PowerPoint.

The easiest kind of video to create is screen capture video. This is where a program records your desktop and you talk into a microphone. Use Camtasia if you’re working in Windows, or ScreenFlow if you’re on a Mac.

Both come with 30-day trials and there is a free version called Jing which is limited to five-minute recordings, so nothing is standing in the way of you creating screen capture videos.

Size your resolution down to the smallest possible (I reduce to 640×480), start a PowerPoint slide show, record the screen, and start talking. (If you can’t afford $79 for Microsoft Office, use OpenOffice.) That’s all there is to it.

Pretend you’re recording live at a seminar in front of a crowd and explain what you have to say in one take. No one says it has to be anything near perfect.

The only problem with recording those presentations is it sometimes takes a while to make them. For a 20-minute presentation, I have to make about 15 slides with a headline on each slide and three bullet points. That can take a while! So when I want to whip up an interview quickly, I create what’s called a “mindmap.”

What’s a mindmap? It’s basically a brainstorm with thought bubbles, like you use to draw in grade school when you took notes or outlined essays. You have the root “node”… or thought bubble, which is the title of your presentation, and other children “nodes” (thought bubbles) under them, thought bubbles under those, and so on.

Because it’s on a computer, you can expand or contract mindmaps to only show the one subject you’re talking about. It’s a perfect way to quickly organize your thoughts, and makes it perfect for audio interviews, webinars, or standalone videos.

Unlike a PowerPoint presentation, you can present items in any order and skip over items if you run out of time. You can also export your mindmaps into PDF or HTML form so your attendees get the exact notes you used to present.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Grab a mindmapping tool. I prefer FreeMind because it’s free and works on both Windows and Mac. (Go to that link and find the “Download” area.)
  2. Get an idea for your 10 to 90 minute presentation, rename the root node to the title of your presentation.
  3. Right click and choose “New child” to create a child node under the root node. Use this as your subpoint and create other children under the root node for additional subpoints.
  4. For each subpoint, create a child node under that to provide details… usually a couple of keywords or some VERY concise sentences.

It’s not rocket science. Once you’ve created your nodes, you can drag them above or below other nodes to rearrange them in the map. You can drag nodes into other nodes, and so on.

I recommend you move all nodes to the RIGHT side of the root so they all appear as a “list”… and limit yourself to 2 to 5 children per node to keep the map from getting messy. Never go more than three levels deep.

I can whip up a mindmap presentation in just a couple of minutes this way. Using mindmaps, I use several keyboard shortcuts like the Insert key to add new child nodes, the Enter key to add a bunch of “sibling” nodes at once, the F2 key to rename nodes and the arrow keys and spacebar to navigate between nodes.

For a well thought out but easy to create presentation for videos, webinars and interviews… create a mindmap and expand on each point you’re trying to make one at a time as you present. Combine this with desktop recording software or built-in webinar screen capture software… and you’ve got yourself an instant product, blog post, or interview.

About the Author


Category: Productivity
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  • http://reubenrock.com/ Reuben D. Rock

    Very nice. I knew powerpoint/keynote slides were a quick way to do vids, but the mindmap idea is great. And since I already use mindmaps regularly, it should be easy to get started. Thanks for the idea, dude.

    -Reuben

  • http://reubenrock.com Reuben D. Rock

    Very nice. I knew powerpoint/keynote slides were a quick way to do vids, but the mindmap idea is great. And since I already use mindmaps regularly, it should be easy to get started. Thanks for the idea, dude.

    -Reuben

  • http://Www.alexisrodrigo.com/ Lexi Rodrigo

    Thanks for these helpful tips! I can tell that you always over deliver. Btw a cool alternative to Powerpoint is Apple Keynote. It’s amazing and reasonably priced.

  • http://Www.alexisrodrigo.com Lexi Rodrigo

    Thanks for these helpful tips! I can tell that you always over deliver. Btw a cool alternative to Powerpoint is Apple Keynote. It’s amazing and reasonably priced.

  • http://www.GMoneyProfits.com/ Hamant

    Hi Micheal.

    That was a great idea –
    I have Mindmap myself but never thought of using it for creating quick videos.
    Many thanks for the “lateral thinking”

    I have a few of Roberts products and they are great

    Thanks again for the little gem!

    Hamant

  • http://www.GMoneyProfits.com Hamant

    Hi Micheal.

    That was a great idea –
    I have Mindmap myself but never thought of using it for creating quick videos.
    Many thanks for the “lateral thinking”

    I have a few of Roberts products and they are great

    Thanks again for the little gem!

    Hamant

  • http://mygasandgrocery.com/ Don Deller

    Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I am eager to try it! Your explanation was very simple and easy to follow.

  • http://mygasandgrocery.com Don Deller

    Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I am eager to try it! Your explanation was very simple and easy to follow.

  • http://www.forrestbivens.com/ Forrest Bivens

    I am so ALL OVER THIS! Thanks a ton Robert…just saved me a bunch of time w/ this PPT alternative.

  • http://www.forrestbivens.com Forrest Bivens

    I am so ALL OVER THIS! Thanks a ton Robert…just saved me a bunch of time w/ this PPT alternative.

  • Joe Bossuyt

    This is wonderful information! Thank you Robert, and Michael for sharing it. I’m on my way to your blog for more info.

    Kind Regards,

    Joe

  • Joe Bossuyt

    This is wonderful information! Thank you Robert, and Michael for sharing it. I’m on my way to your blog for more info.

    Kind Regards,

    Joe

  • http://www.computertrainingsolutions.co.uk/ Claire Jarrett

    Fantastic idea, perfect for our industry (training) so am definitely going to look into this. Thanks!

  • http://www.computertrainingsolutions.co.uk Claire Jarrett

    Fantastic idea, perfect for our industry (training) so am definitely going to look into this. Thanks!

  • http://WordsIntoMoney.com/ Doug at Words Into Money

    Awesome information, Robert! Thank you for sharing.

    I love mind-maps and use them all the time. But I’ve always done them by hand for my own purposes.

    But this is a great technique for creating videos fast or for any content that you want to sure.

  • http://WordsIntoMoney.com Doug at Words Into Money

    Awesome information, Robert! Thank you for sharing.

    I love mind-maps and use them all the time. But I’ve always done them by hand for my own purposes.

    But this is a great technique for creating videos fast or for any content that you want to sure.

  • http://www.101diettips.com/ Diet Tips

    Great “outside of the box” video idea using mind map software. Jing Pro is only $14.95 a year so you can eliminate the 5 minute restriction and have highly optimized video files for Youtube… A great low cost way of breaking into video.

  • http://www.101diettips.com Diet Tips

    Great “outside of the box” video idea using mind map software. Jing Pro is only $14.95 a year so you can eliminate the 5 minute restriction and have highly optimized video files for Youtube… A great low cost way of breaking into video.

  • http://www.essential-nutrition-plus.com/health/blog/ Gerald S.

    Robert,
    I enjoyed your presentation very much. I certainly will consider using a mindmap approach for future videos. Thanks for showing us how simple this approach really is.

    Gerald

  • http://www.essential-nutrition-plus.com/health/blog/ Gerald S.

    Robert,
    I enjoyed your presentation very much. I certainly will consider using a mindmap approach for future videos. Thanks for showing us how simple this approach really is.

    Gerald

  • http://www.peterbutler.com.au/ Peter B Butler

    Damn good timing, I was about to start reworking a presentation I do – brilliant, thanks mate.

  • http://www.peterbutler.com.au Peter B Butler

    Damn good timing, I was about to start reworking a presentation I do – brilliant, thanks mate.

  • http://www.gettingunstuckllc.com/ Terrie Wurzbacher

    Another winner presentation and right to the point Robert! My week has been filled with you – you’re all over the web this week especially. This is ANOTHER great idea from you and one that I intend to implement this weekend in my 30 day video challenge.

    Thanks for an extremely motivational week!!

    Terrie Wurzbacher

  • http://www.gettingunstuckllc.com Terrie Wurzbacher

    Another winner presentation and right to the point Robert! My week has been filled with you – you’re all over the web this week especially. This is ANOTHER great idea from you and one that I intend to implement this weekend in my 30 day video challenge.

    Thanks for an extremely motivational week!!

    Terrie Wurzbacher

  • Larry Pelley

    Hi Robert

    Thanks for this information about creating video by way of:
    your mindmap system.

    I have not created or used video at all yet, but will give
    your system a try.

    Best regards
    Larry

  • Larry Pelley

    Hi Robert

    Thanks for this information about creating video by way of:
    your mindmap system.

    I have not created or used video at all yet, but will give
    your system a try.

    Best regards
    Larry

  • http://www.simplenomics.com/ Mike

    Thanks Robert.

    That just made “product creation” about 300 times faster !

    These will also be great content for our membership sites.

    I owe you one ;-)

  • http://www.simplenomics.com Mike

    Thanks Robert.

    That just made “product creation” about 300 times faster !

    These will also be great content for our membership sites.

    I owe you one ;-)

  • http://www.marketingbestpractices.com/ David Frey

    Great idea Robert! Thank you.

  • http://www.marketingbestpractices.com David Frey

    Great idea Robert! Thank you.

  • http://www.stuartastirling.com/ Stuart Stirling

    awesome video…always learn something new at websites
    that Michael Fortin is a part of….Robert Plank puts it very
    clearly..Thanks. will have to look into getting that screen
    capture video software and freeminds.

    Cheers,
    Stuart Stirling

  • http://www.stuartastirling.com/ Stuart Stirling

    awesome video…always learn something new at websites
    that Michael Fortin is a part of….Robert Plank puts it very
    clearly..Thanks. will have to look into getting that screen
    capture video software and freeminds.

    Cheers,
    Stuart Stirling

  • Karen

    The downloaded Jing app has made a mess of my Mac – any suggestions?

  • Karen

    The downloaded Jing app has made a mess of my Mac – any suggestions?

  • http://www.whatsmyspin.com/ Rob Metras

    Thank you for such simplicity and step by step. Sometimes that just the kick in the pants one needs in showing how easy it is.

  • http://www.whatsmyspin.com Rob Metras

    Thank you for such simplicity and step by step. Sometimes that just the kick in the pants one needs in showing how easy it is.

  • http://www.webcopy-writing.com/blog/ Ray Edwads

    I have used mindmaps before but never thought of going the video route. I will try this in my next webinar for my copywriting coaching students for sure!

    Thanks,

    Ray Edwards

  • http://www.webcopy-writing.com/blog/ Ray Edwads

    I have used mindmaps before but never thought of going the video route. I will try this in my next webinar for my copywriting coaching students for sure!

    Thanks,

    Ray Edwards

  • http://ThomasJohnFisher.com/ Thomas John Fisher

    Hi Robert,

    Thanks for the lesson. I was in need of it. I had seen others who have used this method, and thought it would be good to do, but I had not learn enough of “How To Use Mindmaps”.

    I’ve had Freemind for a few months, and was wanting to learn. You’ve given me enough to start to use it.

    Your presentation was well done too.

    Thanks,
    Thomas John Fisher
    http://ThomasJohnFisher.com

  • http://ThomasJohnFisher.com Thomas John Fisher

    Hi Robert,

    Thanks for the lesson. I was in need of it. I had seen others who have used this method, and thought it would be good to do, but I had not learn enough of “How To Use Mindmaps”.

    I’ve had Freemind for a few months, and was wanting to learn. You’ve given me enough to start to use it.

    Your presentation was well done too.

    Thanks,
    Thomas John Fisher
    http://ThomasJohnFisher.com

  • http://www.professionelle-werbetexte.de/ Martina Roters

    Thank you Robert,
    I just got a booth in a virtual fair and was searching for ways to fill in great content without costing me an arm and a leg.
    This IS the best tipp and I will try to make such a video today!

    PS: I just hope I wll be able to speak as relaxed and fluently as You did.

  • http://www.professionelle-werbetexte.de Martina Roters

    Thank you Robert,
    I just got a booth in a virtual fair and was searching for ways to fill in great content without costing me an arm and a leg.
    This IS the best tipp and I will try to make such a video today!

    PS: I just hope I wll be able to speak as relaxed and fluently as You did.

  • Ted

    Yikes! I really hate to be a downer on this (really, I’m usually very upbeat and not a faultfinder by nature), but using this “mindmap” system is destined to help people create the most boring videos ever.

    PPoint has already done enough damage, but as an educator, I say that in the wrong hands (the average person), so many poor online videos will be created that no one will want to watch them anymore… even those few that may be good.

    Take a tip from YouTube–the most watched videos are cute animals, the sexually provocative and stunts of various kinds. No one is going to want to watch someone click on an outline as they talk. It is the worst audio/visual imagineable.

    Please Robert, give us a quick method for presenting visually interesting content that helps rivit viewers to the screen. An outline may be quick, but it is boring.

  • Ted

    Yikes! I really hate to be a downer on this (really, I’m usually very upbeat and not a faultfinder by nature), but using this “mindmap” system is destined to help people create the most boring videos ever.

    PPoint has already done enough damage, but as an educator, I say that in the wrong hands (the average person), so many poor online videos will be created that no one will want to watch them anymore… even those few that may be good.

    Take a tip from YouTube–the most watched videos are cute animals, the sexually provocative and stunts of various kinds. No one is going to want to watch someone click on an outline as they talk. It is the worst audio/visual imagineable.

    Please Robert, give us a quick method for presenting visually interesting content that helps rivit viewers to the screen. An outline may be quick, but it is boring.

  • http://twitter.com/davidweiman davidweiman

    Nice blog post by Michel Fortin on a quick way to create effective videos: http://bit.ly/ZP6aB
    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • http://twitter.com/BevsJewelry BevsJewelry

    @davidweiman Agree Michael Fortin on a quick way to create effective videos: http://bit.ly/ZP6aB is a great post.
    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • http://www.myfsboasheville.com/ Jeff Link

    Ted, get a picture and a website then give advice. Video's like this are making a lot of people a lot of money. A power point video recorded is an instant product to sell. Not every one puts their video on youtube for free.

  • http://www.myfsboasheville.com/ Jeff Link

    Ted, get a picture and a website then give advice. Video's like this are making a lot of people a lot of money. A power point video recorded is an instant product to sell. Not every one puts their video on youtube for free.

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