The Visual Lounge TechSmith Corporation

With over two decades of experience at the crossroads of education and technology, Instructional Designer Ephraim Ross provides invaluable insights on the significance of craftsmanship in your work during his appearance on The Visual Lounge.
Hosted by Matt Pierce, this episode dives deep into tips and best practices for creators, focusing on visual efficiency, the innovative use of AI tools, and enhancing video and audio quality. Ephraim emphasizes the need for continuous learning and making time to hone your craft despite busy schedules. From the benefits of teleprompter technology and camera streaming apps to advanced features in Snagit and Camtasia, this episode is packed with practical advice for L&D professionals and marketers alike.
Learning points from the episode include:
00:00 - 02:15 Introduction02:15 - 05:02 First tip: make time to take time05:02 - 05:42 Tools, tips and temperaments 05:42 - 14:41 Camera streaming apps and AI tools14:41 - 17:44 Snagit tips and tricks17:44 - 22:13 Camtasia tips and tricks22:13 - 28:52 Speed round questions28:52 - 32:46 Final take and conclusion
Important links and mentions:
Connect with Ephraim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ephraimross/Email The Visual Lounge on: thevisuallounge@techsmith.com

How can we create videos that people pay attention to? With many in the content world claiming that attention spans are shrinking, The Visual Lounge host, Matthew Pierce, has a different take…
In this episode, Matt explains why he believes that attention spans aren’t the problem. It’s just that there’s so much content battling for our attention (never mind our busy daily lives!)
Matt explores why you need to know the fundamentals of what makes a good video and how to tell a story with your content to keep people watching. He explains why it’s often the first five seconds of a video that determines whether someone will stick around and why you may need to make the effort to re-engage viewers for longer videos.
AI is a big topic in the content creation world. But while AI spells opportunity for video creators, it doesn’t mean we can get away with not knowing the basics. You need to know how to tell a story and what your audience is looking for to maintain viewer interest.
Learning points from the episode include:
00:00 - 01:21 Introduction 01:21 - 02:50 Reflecting on past guests and the lessons they’ve shared 02:50 - 04:11 The fundamentals of video creation04:11 - 07:51 Why attention spans aren’t shrinking07:51 - 08:58 How to keep audiences engaged past the first five seconds 08:58 - 13:26 Why you need to know your audience 13:26 - 16:51 Why video creation is a learnable skill16:51 - 19:03 AI may help but you still need to know the fundamentals 19:03 - 20:16 Outro and final thoughts
Important links and mentions:
Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrpierce/

Today’s global businesses want to make sure their messages are heard far and wide. But sometimes, that means crossing a language barrier. Whether it’s marketing content or training content, getting your message across quickly and effectively is critical.
Poorly translated materials could put a spanner in the works of what you’re trying to achieve. But even if the translation is word-for-word perfect, without intentional efforts to localize that content, it’s easy for your message to get lost in translation.
In this episode, we sit down with Roberto Aiello, the Senior Learning Experience Designer at Personio, about realities, challenges, and his tips for localizing content effectively. He explains why localization is about much more than just translation. For the message of your content to be translated and absorbed by your audience, it needs to feel native to that person.
Roberto talks about the common difficulties that can come up while localizing content including cultural references and phrases that don’t translate well into other languages. He shares some examples he’s come across as a native Italian speaker now living in Dublin. Roberto has some great advice for anyone involved in localizing content, and explores what to watch out for and why you need to know your audience well.
Learning points from the episode include:
00:00 - 01:56 Introduction01:56 - 02:55 Roberto’s tip for using images and video02:55 - 04:30 Roberto’s background as a non-native English speaker04:30 - 08:36 What it means to localize content and why it’s more than just translation08:36 - 11:29 How you can begin translating and localizing content 11:29 - 13:19 Common issues that cause translation difficulties 13:19 - 17:20 How to find balance in a localization project17:20 - 19:39 Things to be aware of when localizing 19:39 - 23:26 Why you need to understand your audience well23:26 - 27:28 Speed round questions 27:28 - 28:00 Roberto’s final take28:00 - 29:08 Outro
Important links and mentions:
Connect with Roberto on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertoaiello/

On this podcast, we talk about creating video. We talk about editing video. But then there's the art of distributing your video and getting it out there so people can find it.
And having your audience find it is a critical piece of the puzzle!
Of course, we’re referring to search engine optimization (SEO). In this episode, we welcome SEO coach and entrepreneur Samantha North. She talks about the importance of SEO in video distribution, the interplay between written content and video for better SEO, and how to start and succeed in SEO. Samantha shares insights from her extensive background in digital marketing and her journey toward mastering video SEO.
She also provides practical tips on keyword research, video optimization, and leveraging AI tools. The episode rounds out with Samantha’s advice on building a diverse online presence to enrich your brand and safeguard against algorithm changes.
Learning points from the episode include:
00:00 - 01:14 Introduction 01:14 - 04:40 Tips for using video to enhance your SEO 04:40 - 07:10 The basics and the importance of understanding SEO 07:10 - 10:14 Practical steps and tools for starting with SEO 10:14 - 17:00 Creating SEO-optimized content17:00 - 21:47 The power of video in SEO and content strategy21:47 - 24:26 Building an online brand universe24:26 - 29:27 Speed round questions29:27 - 30:55 Final thoughts and takeaways
Important links and mentions:
Connect with Samantha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/northsamantha/Connect with Samantha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sjnrth/Visit Samantha’s Website: https://samanthanorth.com/Find Samantha on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaOtpoJyMj18q31bdHqP-Ug/

Is AI really coming for your job… or will it enhance it?
In this episode of The Visual Lounge, host Matt Pierce discusses the importance and practical uses of AI with Brian Sykes, the founder of AdJourney, plus a seasoned branding and marketing strategist and expert in generative AI.
They cover ways to integrate AI into everyday tasks, explore various AI tools, and address common concerns about AI, such as job displacement and copyright issues. Brian emphasizes the significance of AI as an amplifier for human capabilities and shares advice for leveraging AI effectively. The conversation also touches on the rapid advancements in AI technology and its potential positive impact on various industries.
Learning points from the episode include:
00:00 - 01:39: Introduction01:39 - 02:48 Brian’s advice for creatives using images or video02:48 - 03:46 Brian’s journey with AI 03:46 - 07:29 What AI is best at doing right now07:29 - 12:08 The questions people should be asking AI now to get it to do the best job 13:20 - 22:41 Some of the concerns with AI around copyright, creativity, and the future of work 22:41 - 27:28 Speed round Q&A 27:28 - 28:17 How to connect with Brian 28:17 - 29:00 Brian’s final take29:00 - 29:49 Outro
Important links and mentions:
Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianwsykes/Follow Brian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theBrianSykesAI Explore’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AI.ExploreVisit Brian’s Website: https://thebriansykes.com/A.I. Explore: https://www.aiexplore.co/A.I. Lab: the-AI-Lab.com

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The legendary quote from Maya Angelou sums up the take-home message of this episode nicely.
In this episode of The Visual Lounge, we welcome Anastasia McCune, Instructional Designer for ChalkDust Consulting and eLearning Media Consulting, to talk about interactive videos and instructional design.
Videos are a fantastic tool for training and development, but interactive scenarios can take things one step further. Anastasia discusses where regular videos shine, but also where interactive videos can help viewers put those lessons into practice. She talks about how interactive videos that prompt the viewer to do something can help the message stick far better in your viewers’ minds than regular videos.
She explains her process for designing interactive eLearning experiences with the use of storyboards and shares some examples of her favorite projects, including Deloitte’s interactive recruitment experience (linked below!)
Learning points from the episode include:
00:00 – 02:22 Introduction02:22 – 04:14 One tip Anastasia has for improving how you make videos04:14 – 06:13 Where video shines as the best medium06:07 – 07:03 Why interactive learning methods help viewers practice the lessons they learn07:03 – 09:31 How making and planning interactive videos is different from regular content09:31 – 15:55 How often Anastasia uses interactive videos and when it works best15:55 – 21:42 Weighing up when to use interactive elements vs. regular training videos 21:42 – 23:54 Advice for making better screen-recorded content 23:54 – 28:26 Speed round questions 28:26 – 29:18 Anastasia’s final take 29:18 – 30:02 Outro
Important links and mentions:
Connect with Anastasia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-mccune/Anastasia’s website: http://anastasiamccune.com/
Interactive Examples:
Deloitte’s Interactive Recruitment Experience: Will You Fit In at Deloitte?https://corp.kaltura.com/resources/videos/interactive-video-example-recruiting-for-deloitte/Broken Co-Worker: https://www.elearningsecrets.com/broken-coworker - about 10 minutes to completeLife Saver: https://life-saver.org.uk/ - multiple scenarios about 10 minutes eacha...