My mom once told me that I wouldn’t learn anything if I didn’t get off my phone…

…I’m happy to report that, like 20 years later, she’s finally wrong. (sorry mom)

I was recently contracted by a long-term client, Prositions, to work on a catalog overview for their mobile-first eLearning brand, EZPZ Videos. EZPZ Videos is a mobile-first eLearning platform designed to reach people exactly where they are, no matter where their work takes them.

I’ve been working with Prositions since my jump to working full-time for my video production business in Little Rock, Arkansas and love the different projects they call me in for. There’s always a chance to try new things, cook up some fun motion graphics, and even add my voice into the mix.

This project was no different. EZPZ’s president, Tommy, approached me about creating a dynamic way to showcase their extensive course topics while emphasizing that the platform is built for modern, mobile-first users.

So, if you want to know how a meeting turns into an animated overview video, keep reading.

Key Takeaways

• Pre-production: Reading your script out loud is the best way to know if it holds up.

• Production: Creating and leveraging templates speed up the animation process.

• Post-Production: Setting yourself up for success during production makes for a smoother editing experience.

Pre-Production

The EZPZ catalog has eight different categories: Business Skills, HR and Compliance, Motivation, Health and Wellness, Sales and Customer Service, Safety, Leadership and Management Development, and Technical Skills. The plan was to highlight each of these by writing a script that weaves them all together.

Easier said than done.

I went back and forth on this script a lot, because it’s tough to hit everything in a sixty-second motion graphics promotional video. So, I used the best tool for scriptwriting on the market.

And no, it’s not ChatGPT.

It’s your voice.

Writing things down is easy. Writing things that are meant to be spoken is hard. That’s why it’s crucial to read your voiceovers out loud before you enter production. You can write the most elegant, put-together sentence in the world and it’ll still suck if it’s hard to say.

So, I spent a couple hours just muttering to myself. That’s not any more than I usually do, but this time it had a purpose, at least. In the end, I was able to storyboard and script the video, which set me up for success during production.

Pre-production document for the EZPZ Catalog Video

Production

The production for this video was fairly standard. I wanted to emphasize EZPZ’s mobile-first mission, so I downloaded a phone application announcement template off Motion Array and customized it to suit my needs.

When it comes to motion graphics, I’m big on creating templates. I took an animation of the phone flying in from the left side, saved that, then mirrored it so that each one would come in from the opposite side. Everything should have worked perfectly after that, but Adobe After Effects is weird about duplication.

I duplicated the pre-compositions, but that’s not enough. You see, After Effects essentially duplicates the “wrapper,” but everything inside remained the same. That means that, even if I adjusted the template, it would adjust it across everything.

I ended up going to Claude for help and generated a “DeepDuplicate” script. This script makes a copy of the entire pre comp, not just the wrapper. Then, I exported everything as a Quicktime file with a transparent background, so that I could have more control in the edit.

Once that was finished, it was smooth sailing, meaning that post-production was a breeze.

Post-Production

There’s really nothing quite like setting yourself up for success. By being intentional with the voice over and mograph assets, I was able to fly through the edit in Adobe Premiere Pro. I selected a white background to match EZPZ’s website and overlaid all the animations on top of it.

I know that reading your script out loud and naming your layers isn’t exactly the sexy side of video creation, but they are necessary nonetheless. Plus, there’s nothing sexier than a clean editing timeline.

At least, that’s what I tell myself in the wee hours of the morning to make myself feel better.

A clean, SEXY timeline

The Wrap Up

Working in video is all about creating systems that empower you and the people you work with. When I can build a solid foundation from the very beginning, it allows me to deliver the engaging, high-quality content my clients expect.

At the end of the day, that is exactly what zeedubyah creative is all about. We partner with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and commercial clients to craft amazing video content that elevates your brand and connects with your audience.

If you’ve got some animated ideas you want to turn into a reality, I’d love to chat. Book a discovery call today and let’s make something awesome together.