Deirdré Straughan discusses using video for technical communication. Video allows for efficient information transfer through visual stimulation and body language cues that increase learning and personal connection. Some tips include framing shots from the hips up with room for gestures, using video insets or slide overlays to include slides, and interviewing technical "shy geeks" in familiar environments. The future of video will continue enabling new forms of sharing ideas as technology improves.

1. Using Video to
Communicate
Technology
Deirdré Straughan
Community Manager, SmartOS and illumos
Joyent

2. About Me
• Technical communicator:
• Book, articles, documentation
• Web sites since 1995
• Videoblogging since 2004
• Joined Sun Microsystems 2007,
began using video for technical
communication
• Spoke at FISL 2009 about video
• Now employed by Joyent as SmartOS and illumos
community manager - itʼs still about communication!

3. Why Video?
• Efficient information transfer
• Effective learning
• Getting to “know” people

4. Efficient Information Transfer
• Engineers are too busy to write!

5. Effective Learning

6. Getting to “Know” People

7. Whatʼs Important in Video
• Body language
• Facial expression
• Visual stimulation
These elements result in:
• Increased learning bandwidth
• Increased attention

8. Body Language

9. Facial Expression

10. Visual Stimulation

11. Tips & Techniques

12. Filming Conference Talks
Constraints:
• limits on what you can carry
• limits on where you can set up
• the lighting is terrible
• you only get one take
The big question:
• how to capture all the action,
both slides and presenter?

13. During Filming: The Wide Angle Shot

14. Framing Your Shot
• “Medium” shot: frame the speaker from the hips up
• leave ample room for gestures
• ...but then how do you get the slides in?

15. Post-Production Solution: Video Inset

16. Post-Production Solution: Slide Overlays

17. You Donʼt Always Need the Slides!

18. Shooting a Live Video Stream

19. Beyond the Conference Presentation

20. Show Floor Interviews

21. Screencasts

22. Screencast + Speaker

23. Projection + Whiteboard

24. Wildlife Photography: Filming Shy Geeks
Problems:
• may not have been in front of a camera before
• may be intimidated by professional studio
Solutions:
• use a familiar
environment
• take your time
• arrange an interview
eg by a tech writer

25. Interview Format

26. On the Street

27. In My Living Room

28. Team Introductions

29. Technical Product Launches

30. Historic Opportunities

31. Shouting in the Datacenter

32. Professional Video vs What I Do
Professional What I Do
planned/scripted unscripted (by me)
controlled location/studio at event site
recorded in takes recorded live, in real time
camera close to the action camera may be far away
intrusive unintrusive
large, expensive equipment small, cheap equipment
production team one person
strangers community member
slow post-production,distribution published very quickly
expensive cheap

33. What Are Others Doing with Video?

34. Whatʼs the Future?
The technology of creating and publishing video will
continue to get better and cheaper and easier to
use.
It will be used in ways we canʼt even imagine right
now.
As Chris Anderson of TED says:
“the rise of online video could turn out to be as
significant as the invention of print... online video
is driving astonishing innovation in thousands of
different fields ranging from the ultra-niche to the
sharing of truly world-changing ideas.”

35. Where to See More
•wiki.smartos.org
•youtube.com/user/deirdres
•my blog: beginningwithi.com
•search for “Videoblogging Manual”
•@deirdres

36. The Faces of Sun

37. Appendices

38. Equipment
• Camera: Canon Vixia HV30
• Rode Videomic
• Tripod
• Electric adapters
• Firewire cable