Chalk talks are great content assets. They are simple to create, make for great educational content, are easy for people to consume, and very cost-effective to produce. A chalk talk, for those that don’t know what it means, is a video where the product manager talks about his product and its key differentiators by using illustrations on a white board.
So, how do you create great chalk talks? What are some of the guidelines that you need to keep in mind. Here are a few tips and ideas:
1. Get the right topic: You don’t want to make too many of them as that will kill the efficacy of the content vehicle. So choose the right topics that you want to create a chalk talk about. Ideally, it should highlight key product differentiators – such as a different technical approach that you use to solve a problem, a business model innovation that you drive, a technical use case or best practice that you want to share. It should also be something that you can easily illustrate with a diagram that is not too complex – and to which you can make small modifications during the chalk talk itself
2. Watch other chalk talks: Watch chalk talks that others have produced to see how they work. See what you find works and does not work when it comes to chalk talks. Which ones did you watch to the end; where did you zone off; what did you take away from the chalk talk. Make notes for yourself so that you don’t repeat the same mistakes that put you off.
3. Plan the diagram: The diagram is best hand drawn. This is, after all, a chalk talk. Practice drawing on a white board. As easy as it seems, getting a great diagram on the board actually takes time and effort. Make sure that the thickness of the lines is just right so that it can be seen on the cameras. Don’t worry if the lines are not absolutely straight or if the diagrams don’t look impeccable. However, make sure that the diagram fits within the screen, is legible, and can be seen clearly on the camera screen.
4. Build a script: If you have never made a professional video, you don’t know how difficult it can be to get in front of a camera and come across as confident, knowledgeable, and effective. Even if you are the most eloquent speaker, you may still need a script for a chalk talk. You will need to coordinate your actions between drawing on the whiteboard, speaking to the camera, and making sure that you are covering off all the main points that you want to address. That can be a daunting task. Therefore, having a script can be very advantageous
5. Plan breaker slides, if necessary: If there are multiple key points or issues that you want to highlight, it may be a good idea to break the video into multiple sections by using a breaker slide or visual. This helps keep the various sections short and reinforces messages. However, this is not a must and can be dispensed with if there is only one main idea that you want to convey or if you think that it will increase the length of the video
6. Keep it to the right length: In today’s world of short attention spans, nobody has the patience to listen to a single person who goes on forever about a technical topic or use case. So keep it short and sweet. The ideal chalk talk is between 2 to 3 minutes long. Remember, if it is longer than that, it is both tough to produce and will not get you the results that you want when it is consumed. So, for a win-win situation, it is critical to get it to the right length.
7. Practice, Practice, practice: Doing a chalk talk calls for a lot of practice. You need to get a number of things right – from the posture and body language, the topic delivery, the diagram, the lighting, the sound, the camera…I could go on. Therefore, make sure you have practiced this at least once before you shoot the video. That will help you do a good job on the videos and have a good content asset that people want to watch.
8. Dress right: Dressing right is critical as you don’t want to distract the viewer and take his attention away from the topic that you are presenting. Dress formal. You may or may not choose to have a jacket on. Wear a plain formal shirt – stripes tend to distract viewers. Also make sure that you have no cuts, bruises, or hairstyles that can take the attention away from the point that you are trying to make
9. Use the help of professional video editors: We did not have the budget for professional video capture or editing. However, if you can afford it, get a professional firm to help you with the shooting and the final production of the chalk talk. Professional camerapersons know the right distances, lighting, and can pull off some really neat tricks when it comes to the capture and editing of professional videos. So, if you have the budget, do not hesitate to use them
I hope this simple guide was helpful. If you have any more questions, comments, or ideas, please feel free to drop me a comment. I’ll be glad to provide you my thoughts.
