Producing a Video on a Technical Subject: A Guide

When creating an overview of a sophisticated product, such as a complex computer system, one medium that many writers are considering is video. Video, with its multisensory appeal, makes information readily accessible and quickly transferable, and can filter out many low‐level details by substituting metaphors that explain them conceptually. This chapter acts as a guide to those who are in a similar situation: technical writers familiar with the print medium who are considering the option of using video to give an overview of a technical subject. It shows how to team up to produce a technical video. It explains this process methodically, taking the reader from the planning stages, to writing the script, to the actual production, editing, and distribution process. Videos range in price depending on how spectacular we wish to make them. The chapter explains the nuances of producing a video with in‐house resources and videotaping live presentations.