The Visual Lounge

TechSmith Corporation
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  • How To
  • Updated Weekly

Visuals and videos are powerful, but creating them can feel overwhelming. Yet they are essential to creating content that impacts understanding, helps improve communication, and can save you and the viewers time and money.  The Visual Lounge is a place where we talk about creating and using visuals and videos for all sorts of communication. Whether you’re creating a course to help your organization roll out new software, an educator learning to better communicate with  your students, or a marketer helping your customers see the impact of your product, our conversations will help see how visuals can impact your work.  Listen in as Matt Pierce, Learning & Video Ambassador, leads you through a variety of conversations with industry guests and experts. You’ll get practical advice and insights to help you to create better and more impactful images and videos.

  1. 16h ago

    What Educators Can Learn from Filmmakers

    Is it time to move beyond the old pedagogical framework? Anybody over a certain age will conjure the same image with the phrase ‘educational film’ - death by talking head + PowerPoint. In this episode Matt was joined by Tiia Grøn, Senior Counselor and Video Producer, Nathalie Blomstereng, Senior Advisor and Learning Designer and Terje Bergli, Senior Tech Advisor, all joining him from UiT The Arctic University of Norway where the Tromsø Educational Film Festival was created. They talk about how the new generation of educators are redefining the framework through educator/filmmaker partnerships and how the diversity of formats, inspirational subject matter and international reach showcased at the festival illustrates that shift. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 02:24 Intro02:24 – 05:26 What is T.R.E.F.F and how did it begin05:26 – 06:54 The challenges of bringing film and learning together06:54 – 11:59 What lessons should educators take away11:59 – 15:22 What can filmmakers do to stand out at festivals15:22 – 17:39 What's next for T.R.E.F.F17:39 – 21:35 The T.R.E.F.F submission process21:35 – 27:22 Inspirations from this year's festival27:22 – 28:40 How to find out more about T.R.E.F.F28:40 – 31:26 Final takes31:26 – 32:22 Outro Important links and mentions: Submit your film in early 2027: Tromsø Educational Film Festival - FilmFreewayKeep up to date with this year’s results and next year’s submission: https://result.uit.no/treff/Follow T.R.E.F.F on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tromso.educational.film.festivalFollow T.R.E.F.F on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tr.e.f.f/Take a look at the University: UiT The Arctic University of Norway | UiT

    32 min

  2. Jun 10

    Why Your Videos Aren’t Hooking People

    You don't need better gear, a better location, or a better idea. You need to get out of your own way. In this revisited episode, Matt sits down with Aaron King, DeepSnap content creator, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and former professional athlete to talk about what it really takes to grab someone's attention before you've said a word. Aaron gets into why the things most creators obsess over are usually the last things that matter, and what to focus on instead. He also talks about his journey to content creation, including overcoming injury as a professional sports player and the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Detailing what led him to move into his car and begin driving around taking pictures and creating. He emphasises the power of connection and manifesting creativity. Going on to explain how ‘just showing people’ gave him a new career path. Aaron's main take is to stop overthinking your content, just put something out there. Finished is always better than perfect. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:38 Intro01:38 – 03:08 Aaron’s key tip to improving your video content03:08 – 06:14 Creating good hooks and engaging opening clips06:14 – 11:16 Working with your environment for your backdrop11:16 – 15:11 How to use sound for relatability and brand identity15:11 – 16:17 Paying attention to your comments section16:17 – 24:23 Aaron’s journey to content creation24:23 – 25:30 Why finished is better than perfect25:30 – 28:39 Speed round questions28:39 – 29:25 Where to find Aaron29:25 – 30:28 Aaron’s final take30:28 – 31:26 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Aaron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepsnap/Keep up to date with DeepSnap: https://deepsnap.comSubscribe to the DeepSnap channel: https://www.youtube.com/@deepsnapFollow Aaron on TikTok: DeepSnap (@deepsnap) | TikTok

    31 min

  3. Jun 3

    Building Educational Videos for YouTube That Work

    When you solve your own learning problems, you can accidentally build the resource everyone else was missing. In this episode, Matt sits down with Taim Dawod, a medical doctor from Norway who started a medical education YouTube channel in his first year of med school. Taim gets into his background studying anatomy and the problems he faced with the delivery of the learning. He goes on to explain the techniques he developed to solve those problems and how that led him to becoming a full-time content creator. He also talks about his view on the traditional lecture format in university teaching, and where it falls short for many students. He points out the gaps that are created through disjointed delivery and the importance of ‘the why’ when communicating complex topics. Taim’s main take is that everybody has something valuable to teach. There is someone out there that will benefit from what you have to say, and you will continue to sharpen your own knowledge along the way. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:42 Intro01:42 – 05:42 Taim’s medical background and journey to content creation05:42 – 08:14 Outsourcing vs. the journey of doing everything yourself08:14 – 11:13 The benefits of keeping consistent11:13 – 15:11 Communicating complex topics15:11 – 17:59 Visual mediums and the art of being concise17:59 – 19:10 The importance of ‘the why’19:10 – 21:34 Open education award and why learning should be free21:34 – 23:28 Helpful take away from Tromsø23:28 – 24:43 Taim’s final piece of wisdom24:43 – 26:50 Where to connect with Taim and upcoming book release26:50 – 27:35 Taim’s final take27:35 – 28:51 Outro Important links and mentions: Subscribe to Taim Talks Med: https://www.youtube.com/@TaimTalksMedFollow Taim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taimtalksmed/Taim’s video on Sepsis and Septic Shock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVy_7shA3RM&t=117srb.gy/uoikzb

    29 min

  4. May 20

    The Real Role of Instructional Designers After AI

    When content generation becomes fast and frictionless, do learning specialists need to be involved at all? In this episode, Matt sits down with Tim Slade, Speaker, Author and Founder of The eLearning Designer's Academy who discusses the human vs. the automated in instructional design today. Tim acknowledges that as content generation has become easier and faster, audiences are developing digital media fatigue and how as creators we can aim to overcome this. Tim emphasizes that 'the human’ exists in ensuring that what we are ‘churning out’ is the right thing to solve the problem - should we make this? Why? What changes if we do? He argues that one part of the work still can't be automated, sound judgment. The conversation also gets into how most people tend to use AI for practical reasons, and how the online discourse leads audiences to believe they are somehow ‘behind the curve’ in their AI skills. Tim dubs AI a ‘replication tool’ and discusses the issues that arise from getting carried away with the capabilities available to us. The Instructional Design Handbook by Tim Slade is available for pre-order through May 29th. Pre-orders include a hardcover signed edition with a dust jacket. 10% off when you use TECHSMITH as the coupon code. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:03 Intro01:03 – 03:13 Latest book release: The Instructional Design Handbook by Tim Slade03:13 – 05:55 Becoming an intentional Instructional Designer05:55 – 07:56 What Instructional Designers need to know for success07:56 – 10:55 Improving the human piece10:55 – 13:20 Connecting theory to practical application13:20 – 14:30 What can ID professionals take away from the book14:30 – 18:25 Why AI doesn’t fit into everything we do and content fatigue18:45 – 20:57 AI as a replication tool and the problems in getting carried away20:57 – 24:22 Practical uses of AI24:22 – 25:48 AI skills are having a clear vision that you can explain25:48 – 27:51 Book release details and where to find Tim27:51 – 29:15 Tim’s final take29:15 – 30:21 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sladetim/Join The eLearning Designer's Academy: https://community.elearningacademy.io/welcomeCheck out Tim’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2CE3YBPX53oeKVsiTbhX2w?sub_confirmation=1

    30 min

  5. May 13

    Why Video Still Feels Hard (and How Small Teams Make It Work)

    Most small teams want to do more video. The hard part is doing it every week, without the crew, the hours, or the budget to make it happen. In this revisited episode, Matt sits down with Megan Torrance, Founder and CEO of Torrance Learning, to explore what it takes to make video work as a small team, and why the system she built years ago still holds up today. Megan’s team rebuilt their studio so one person could walk in, flip a few switches, load up a teleprompter, and start recording. That setup is now the engine behind Megan’s marketing videos and her stand-in client course (and the occasional goofy internal update, of course). It’s also why her team can go from ‘a client needs this course updated’ to published in a week. In the conversation, Megan also gets into why a quick video beats a memo or email for tone and authenticity, the shot lists she uses to keep editing under control, and how Camtasia’s review workflow keeps feedback on the timeline instead of in email threads. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:09 Introduction01:09 – 01:31 Megan’s background and Torrance Learning01:31 – 02:46 Outgrowing the four-person shoot02:46 – 03:29 Building a one-person studio with green tape03:29 – 04:20 The videos the new setup unlocks04:20 – 05:26 Why a quick video beats a memo, email, or Slack message05:26 – 06:11 Shot lists, single takes, and keeping post-production manageable06:11 – 06:50 Megan’s preferred tools: Camtasia’s review workflow06:50 – 09:09 From a week-long course update to more authentic marketing video09:09 – 09:58 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Megan Torrance on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megantorrance/Visit Torrance Learning: https://www.torrancelearning.com/Learn more about Camtasia: https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/Listen to Megan’s first appearance on The Visual Lounge in episode 219: https://the-visual-lounge.captivate.fm/episode/making-video-production-doable-as-a-small-business

    10 min

  6. May 6

    Turn Zoom Recordings Into Training Videos That Work

    Most teams are sitting on a stack of Zoom recordings (webinars, customer trainings, all-hands sessions) that nobody ever turns into anything. Doing anything with them seems too... messy, and a lot of people don’t realize that there’s an asset there in the first place. In this episode, Matt sits down with Carson Vestergaard, Instructional Designer at TechSmith, who breaks down why the easiest training video you'll ever ship is often one that already exists in your meeting recordings folder, and how Camtasia's new Zoom integration is making that possible. Carson’s team on TechSmith’s customer education side runs this workflow every week. They pull a Zoom recording into Camtasia, and the integration automatically splits the speaker from the screen. From there, Audiate's text-based editing changes how the cleanup feels. What used to be an afternoon of manual work becomes a read-through. Beyond the Zoom integration, the conversation gets into Sync Audio (Camtasia’s new feature that auto-aligns multi-mic recordings without the manual clap-and-spike trick), AI noise removal that handles the leaf blower outside the window without breaking voice clarity, and the screenshot-overlay trick Carson leans on to keep tutorials current long after the original UI has moved on. Carson also shares a few insider tricks for keeping the viewer's eye where you want it, from cursor zooms to on-screen highlights. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 00:57 Intro00:57 – 02:34 Carson’s career path:02:34 – 03:54 The most underrated editing skill03:54 – 06:47 Inside Camtasia’s new Zoom integration06:47 – 10:12 Cleaning up a webinar with Audiate’s text-based editing10:12 – 14:18 Layouts, the cursor caveat, and why this is Zoom-only14:18 – 17:38 Sync Audio and AI noise removal in loud rooms17:38 – 20:43 Multi-take editing and why videos are easier to update than you think20:43 – 22:30 Carson’s favorite tools22:30 – 23:02 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with TechSmith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techsmith/Learn more about Camtasia: https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/Explore Snagit: https://www.techsmith.com/snagit/Learn more about Audiate: https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/audiate/

    23 min

  7. Apr 29

    From Order Taker to Strategic Partner with Tracie Cantu

    The business is your customer. The learner is your consumer. If you’ve been thinking about it the other way round, this episode will make you think a little differently. Tracie Cantu, Senior Learning Leader and author of Running L&D Like a Business, opens with the idea that when L&D designs for the wrong “customer,” teams end up busy, but not necessarily effective. The result is often more content with outcomes that don’t match. Think learning needs to be formal? Think again. A post-it note on a monitor can be learning if it helps someone do their job, because in some cases, the best L&D output is a job aid, not a course. Governance comes up as well, which Tracie describes it as bowling alley bumper guards. The structure helps teams make decisions without waiting for approval at every step. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:06 Introduction01:06 – 03:29 Tracie’s book and why she wrote it03:29 – 07:05 The difference between a customer and consumer07:05 – 09:07 Choosing the right format for the right moment09:07 – 13:41 AI, job loss, and the rise of L&D business partners13:41 – 20:59 Letting go of the wheel and empowering others to self-serve20:59 – 24:41 Governance, intake management, and treating learning like a portfolio24:41 – 27:11 The 72% onboarding data and proving learning impact27:11 – 29:15 Brag like the sales team29:15 – 30:37 Where to find Tracie30:37 – 32:22 Outro Important links and mentions: Buy Tracie’s book: https://traciewroteabook.com Visit Tracie’s consulting firm: https://yourclo.netConnect with Tracie Cantu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciemcantu/Learn more about Camtasia: https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/

    33 min

  8. Apr 15

    How to Tell Better Visual Stories (That Actually Connect) with Stuart Cohen

    What if the most powerful thing in your video has nothing to do with your camera, your software, or your budget? In this episode, Matt sits down with Stuart Cohen, a filmmaker and photographer whose work spans brands like Coca-Cola, AT&T, and Gatorade, to explore what it really takes to tell a visual story that resonates. Stuart does a lot marketing work, where 30 seconds is sometimes all you get. But he thinks that constraint can actually be one of the best creative teachers. When every cut has to earn its place, you stop overthinking and start being clear. Stuart talks through how he draws authentic moments out of people on camera. and why pre-production is often where the real work happens. He’s also talks through something most experienced filmmakers hesitate to say out loud. Sometimes you have to spoon-feed your story to make sure it lands. He also gets into what virtual production is already making possible, including a music video that looked like it was shot across five continents, wrapped in a single day. And he shares his take on where AI fits into all of this, even when that means handing off a project entirely. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 00:47 Intro 00:47 – 02:46 Stuart’s background and career in commercial filmmaking 02:46 – 05:07 Asking the right questions and finding everyone’s story 05:07 – 07:09 Using constraints to sharpen your storytelling 07:09 – 10:01 Stuart’s mental checklist for location scouting and building a shooting board 10:01 – 11:34 Why visual quality matters and holding viewer attention 11:34 – 16:48 Working with stakeholders and getting aligned before shoot day 16:48 – 17:51 AI’s growing role in filmmaking 17:51 – 19:31 Spoon-feeding your story — don’t assume viewers will follow 19:31 – 23:09 Virtual production walls, budgets, and how technology is changing filmmaking 23:09 – 25:24 Advice for everyday video creators 25:24 – 27:21 Speed round 27:21 – 27:56 How to connect with Stuart 27:56 – 28:48 Stuart’s final take 28:48 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartcohen/ Visit Stuart’s website: https://www.stewartcohen.com/ Find Stuart on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scpictures/

    30 min
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4.8
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Visuals and videos are powerful, but creating them can feel overwhelming. Yet they are essential to creating content that impacts understanding, helps improve communication, and can save you and the viewers time and money.  The Visual Lounge is a place where we talk about creating and using visuals and videos for all sorts of communication. Whether you’re creating a course to help your organization roll out new software, an educator learning to better communicate with  your students, or a marketer helping your customers see the impact of your product, our conversations will help see how visuals can impact your work.  Listen in as Matt Pierce, Learning & Video Ambassador, leads you through a variety of conversations with industry guests and experts. You’ll get practical advice and insights to help you to create better and more impactful images and videos.

Information

  • Creator
    TechSmith Corporation
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    290
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 TechSmith Corporation
  • Show Website
    The Visual Lounge

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