Many of you may have seen the math lesson videos (e.g., by Khan Academy), which employ an electronic blackboard where the teacher works through a math problem, drawing onscreen, step by step (not sure what the Queen of England has to do with math, but whatever….).
Or you may have seen science videos that employed an electronic whiteboard, and the narrator draws text or images on screen while talking. The video below illustrates this approach, which can be effective at getting a science concept across in an entertaining manner.
Why do videos done with electronic blackboards or whiteboards work so well?
They engage the viewer. Seeing someone drawing or writing on screen makes the viewer feel as if there is more of a connection with the narrator, and the experience feels somewhat participatory. It’s almost as if we are looking over their shoulder as they explain the material to us.
They have constant movement. The continual movement of the electronic pen draws the eye and makes the viewer feel that something new is being revealed in a relatively rapid manner (which as we’ve discussed previously, is a key ingredient for a successful video).
They focus the viewer’s attention on the information being discussed. When the narrator appears on screen, the viewer may be distracted from what is being described. The viewer may be looking at how the person is dressed or their mannerisms, instead of the focus of the video. With the electronic white/black board, there is nothing to distract from the information, at least visually.
They are different from the traditional video. Not that many people have figured out how to do these or have decided they are worth the effort. Consequently, those who use this approach have a better chance of creating something unique.
I find the experience of watching such videos strangely satisfying….but then, I was always an attentive student who hung on every word my teachers spoke. The video narrator is anonymous (we can’t see them), yet the experience is very intimate, as if the narrator is talking only to us and showing us something really cool.
For the scientist videographer, doing a video with an electronic white board has several advantages, in addition to the one mentioned above about allowing you to create something different and that will stand out from other science videos.
One big advantage is the huge flexibility it provides in creating content for your video. You don’t need to worry about finding a public domain image or footage of the earth, the moon, and the sun to talk about tides, for example. Just draw three spheres on the white board and label them “earth” “moon”, and “sun”. You don’t have to travel to a seashore to film the tide moving in and out of a bay; just draw a shoreline and waterline on your white board. As the video above shows, it’s possible to illustrate a very complex topic drawing simple stick figures. So if that is the level of your drawing ability; never fear; you can still use a white board.
Another advantage is not having to find people for your film or convince them to appear on camera. Just draw a stick figure and label it. The viewer will accept it, as we saw in a previous post (Bully Triangles and Terrified Circles). If you have some talent at drawing (and many scientists do), then this technique can be really useful to you. Those of you who are professors or instructors are already accustomed to drawing on a real blackboard, even drawing elaborate illustrations of organisms and other biological objects. Engineers are especially capable of drawing diagrams, models, and other illustrations.
The electronic white board also allows you to remain off camera while narrating. Some of you may be reluctant to appear on camera or have a fear of the camera. Don’t let this stop you from participating in your own video. With a bit of practice, you can learn to narrate while drawing, especially if you have a script at hand (although I’ve found that once you get started, you stop relying on notes and simply become immersed in explaining your material). When you don’t appear on camera, you don’t have to worry about your appearance when creating your videos. You can do a video in your pajamas if you want.
The biggest drawback to the electronic white/black board technique is that it takes a bit more planning and practice at drawing and narrating at the same time. However, like everything else in videography, once you work out the method and apply it a couple of times, it becomes second nature. You may also need some software (Photoshop, Screenflow) and an electronic drawing tablet to make this method work smoothly.
The electronic white/black board approach won’t work for all science videos, but is just another tool in the scientist videographer’s toolbox. Even if your project can’t be done entirely with this approach, you might employ it to illustrate a specific concept within a larger video.
So exactly how do people create videos using a white/black board? In an upcoming tutorial, I’ll show a relatively easy way to do this.