Common Craft - Common Craft - Our Product is Explanation

Video: Cloud Computing in Plain English

leelefever — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:36:31 +0000

Today we published a new video called Cloud Computing in Plain English:

This title has been one of our most requested and for good reason. Cloud Computing is a subject that has an explanation problem - people have a hard time understanding it because it's difficult to explain quickly. Like Social Media, it's a subject that is very broad and lacks broad consensus in terms of clear explanations. Our hope with this video is to lay bit of groundwork so people can see the big ideas.

We asked a number of people for input on the video and I want to thank: Tony Wright, Chris Savage, Uri Budnick, Jeff Dickey and lots of others who I bugged over the last year.

Lastly, this video is available for embedding with a monthly subscription fee. If you're interested, learn more or contact us.

Cloud Computing in Plain English

leelefever — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:56:05 +0000

Cloud Computing in Plain English Cloud Computing in Plain English

Libraries and Online Video - Free Online Seminar with TechSoup

leelefever — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:37:15 +0000

I'm excited to be participating in a free online seminar with TechSoup, an organization that helps non-profits with technology. Details below:

Tech Training Made Simple with Online Videos

Wednesday, November 18, 11 a.m. Pacific time

Wouldn’t it be great if complicated technology concepts were explained in a simple way that’s easy to understand? Imagine how something like this could assist you in training sessions for patrons or staff. Well look no further, Common Craft creates explanatory videos “In Plain English” that cover topics like green, money, society and technology.

In this free webinar, Stephanie Gerding from TechSoup will interview Lee LeFever, from Common Craft to learn more about their videos and how they are created. We will also hear how librarians are using these videos to support the needs of their community.

I hope you'll be able to come and ask questions! Sign up here.

Video Licensing: The Business of Permission

leelefever — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:18:09 +0000

Almost anyone can make a video and put it online, but there are relatively few good models for earning a living from online videos. We've been experimenting over a couple of years and believe more than ever that video licensing is a model that has huge potential.

The Current Options

Of course there's the advertising model. A video is made, it attracts eyeballs, eyeballs are distracted by ads. A tiny percentage of people click the ads and the video host and video owner make a bit of money. It can certainly work and we've experimented with it, but it can be a long, hard slog.

For video producers, it's certainly possible to make a living by creating custom videos. This market is alive, well and growing. More and more businesses are looking for ways to introduce their product or service with a short online video. Some companies are doing very well with it, but it isn't easily scalable for a small company like ours.

Licensing at Common Craft

At Common Craft, we've been working on a model that's used across the media industry, but hasn't caught on in the online video world - yet. I'm talking about licensing, the business of permission.

Here's an example. Think about a video game that needs awesome songs for an upcoming release. There are bands (or labels) that own awesome songs. The video game company is happy to pay to use the songs in the game. This is a licensing relationship. The owners of the songs give the game company permission to use the songs in exchange for licensing fees. It's a tried and true business relationship.

The same is true for stock photos. You can view them for free (with a watermark), but to use them professionally or commercially, you usually have to pay a licensing fee.

Now, let's apply this model to Common Craft. Like songs on the radio, our videos are available on our website. You can watch them for free and they help us build awareness and brand recognition. We don't earn money from permission to watch the video. Instead, we've tailored our licenses for organizations and individuals who want to use our videos to accomplish their professional goals, like adding a catchy song in a video game. These organizations are happy to purchase licensed versions because they're high quality and come with explicit permission for use.

Some examples:

1. A large company needs videos for teaching social media across the organization. Our "Site License" fits the bill.
2. An individual needs videos for workshops and presentations. We have an "Individual License" for them.
3. A company needs useful and compelling content to educate visitors to their website. We have a Commercial "Web License" for these sites.

But it's not always that simple. Thanks to YouTube, which has been helpful in spreading the word about our videos, the assumption for most is that online videos are always free. In offering licenses for our videos, our challenge is education - helping people understand the difference between watching a free video and licensing a higher-quality version for professional use.

It will take time, but the last couple of years have shown us that it's possible to make a living by licensing videos.

Creative Commons

This post would be incomplete without a mention of Creative Commons licenses. Like any license, Creative Commons is about permission, but these licenses are often used to encourage free use. By using a Creative Commons license, the owner is encouraging others to share, remix, reuse the work as long as a few requirements are met. The requirements are up to the owner and focus on attribution, commercial use, alterations, etc.

While we've decided that Creative Commons is not a good fit for our business, it can be a great resource for video producers who are hoping to get their work in front of more people and be discovered.

Get the Ball Rolling

If you're a video producer, it's time to think about the business of permission! Here are a few things to consider:

Do you own video content? If so, it can probably be licensed.
Have you ever been contacted for permission to use your videos? If so, that's a licensing opportunity.
If you haven't been contacted, identify the potential uses for your videos and look for opportunities.
Look for ways to create a premium version of your videos for licensing.

From our perspective, the licensing side of online video has huge potential. It's great to see companies like Vidvend experimenting with a similar model. Services like e-junkie make digital downloads easy to manage. The tools are there - now it'll just take time for more talented producers to experiment and find how licensing can fit into their future.

2010 Census "Count on Change" - Explained by Say It Visually

leelefever — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:57:53 +0000

Say It Visually!, a member of the Common Craft Explainer Network, recently published this video that explains the impact of the 2010 Census on communities and focuses on encouraging participation among people of color.

This format is a new one for Say It Visually and it's great to see them taking video explanation in new directions. I think the hand-painted style fits really well with the voice-over and music by Keb'-Mo'. It has a heart-felt feel that may have been hard with animation. What do you think?

A Simple Index Card Says it All

leelefever — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:30:17 +0000

Jessica Hagy at Indexed, says it perfectly:

Where Goldfish Come From

leelefever — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:17:29 +0000

A couple of months ago, I presented a 5 minute presentation at Ignite Seattle called "Where Goldfish Come From" that is based on my experience growing up as a son of a goldfish farmer in North Carolina. The Ignite series happens around the globe and each presenter has 20 slides that display for 15 seconds each, and auto-advance. It's a challenge to make it work, but I enjoy it.

Here's the video:

Learn more at BlueRidgeKoi.com

Zombies in Plain English - Protect Your Brain this Halloween

leelefever — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:12:28 +0000

It's that time again folks. If you're worried about your brain this Halloween, Zombies in Plain English can help!

Financial Basics Video Pack (6 videos, 15% off)

leelefever — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:54:45 +0000

Videos in our "Money" category have been a focus for us this year and we're excited to announce a new pack of six video called the "Financial Basics Pack." Packs are groups of Common Craft videos that can be purchased together for a 15% discount.

The Financial Basics Pack includes videos on the topics below. You can watch them all on this page.

This video pack is for educators and influencers who need better ways to teach financial responsibility. The videos can be licensed for use in classrooms, in learning management systems (LMS), on public-facing websites, etc. If you see an opportunity to use these videos for your school, business or website, learn more about licensing here, or contact us

Other packs include:

$8,000 First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit - Explained By Switch Web Video

leelefever — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:44:32 +0000

Switch Web Video, a member of the Common Craft Explainer Network, recently published a new and timely video about the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit.

Here's what Andrew Angus, Principal of Switch, had to say about the project:

Working with Washington REALTORS on this video about the $8000 First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit was a dream. Steve was an excellent client. He knew what he wanted but he also gave our team the room do work their creative magic. The video has been a huge success with custom versions created for over 40 REALTOR Associations in the past couple weeks. Steve has generously offered to allow anyone to download and use the $8000 First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit Video for free.

The Common Craft Explainer Network is a group of video producers that specialize in making custom explanatory videos. The Network currently has six members that represent a number of skills, styles and formats. If that chunk of text on your home page just isn't doing the trick anymore, contact an Explainer Network member.

Book Review- Friends with Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook

leelefever — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:55:24 +0000

I'd like to start with a disclaimer. Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo, the authors of Friends with Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook, are friends. While I may be biased, knowing them for years also means I know the depth of the their knowledge and experience. And that's the big point of my review of their book - these people know what they're talking about because they live in social media every day and have for years. I've asked myself in the past - What would Darren and Julie do?

Friends with Benefits is very much a handbook. It provides direct, actionable and easy-to-understand advice on getting started with social media marketing. And that's one of the aspects of the book that I think is most valuable. They don't speak in generalizations, like you should blog "often." They say business bloggers should to try to blog 3 times a week. They don't say it takes significant time to do social media, they say to plan on at least 25% of your marketing time. This kind of directness takes away some of the anxiety that people feel about getting started and readers will appreciate it.

Along with in-depth introductions to the Twitters and Facebooks of the world, the book comes with a healthy dose of the realities of social media. The online world brims with supposed "social media experts" who will have you believe that anything and everything is possible. Darren and Julie know better because they've been there. The truth is, social media marketing can be amazingly valuable, but comes with real risks. I was happy to see that along with strategies for achieving the very real benefits, the book is clear about the reality of social media: it's difficult, it takes time and the results can vary widely. This book will keep you from looking foolish online.

If you're ready to get off the sidelines and get serious about social media marketing, you must read this book first. Friends with Benefits is tactical, practical and above all, useful.

Financial Basics Pack

leelefever — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:27:16 +0000

Video: Saving for Retirement (401ks) in Plain English

leelefever — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:31:41 +0000

Today we've published a new video "Saving for Retirement in Plain English".

Since we first considered making the series of videos on Money, we've had our eyes on retirement savings. Not just our retirement, but yours. Too many people start saving too late and/or don't know the basics of why retirement accounts like 401ks and IRAs make sense. This video is aimed at helping people see the long term benefits of retirement accounts.

Who is it for? Along with use in schools, we see this video being a tool for companies who offer retirement programs. This video can be licensed for use by HR (or financial organizations) that have the goal of increasing awareness and adoption of the programs.

This video will join the other Money videos in a forthcoming "Financial Basics Pack" of 6 videos:

The release of this video also marks a break for our recent focus on money and a return to technology. More coming soon!

Saving for Retirement in Plain English

leelefever — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:39:31 +0000

Saving for Retirement in Plain English Saving for Retirement in Plain English

R.I.P Amos, Our Faithful Mascot

leelefever — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:59:07 +0000

It's a sad day at Common Craft headquarters. Our 15-year-old dog Amos passed away today.

I picked him from a litter of puppies in the back of a pickup truck in Boone, NC in 1994. Since then he was a constant source of love in our lives. They don't make 'em better than him - we were lucky have him for so long.

Amos, September 4th, 2009

See Having an Old Dog for a bit more about Amos.

Welcoming Two New Members of the Explainer Network

leelefever — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:21:51 +0000

We're so excited to have two new members of our Explainer Network of custom video producers.

Lilipip is a Seattle-based company that has been making videos for years. They're seeing new opportunities in the world of animated video explanations and we think they'll be a great fit for the Network. From their listing:

We make animated videos about your product, service, or concept. We’re an “Open-Source Creative” team with transparent pricing and processes – featuring global artists with a wide range of styles. Follow Lilipip on Twitter.

Here is one of Lilipip's most recent videos:

Animated Explanations is based in Brussels, Belgium and focuses on the European (and global) market for explanatory videos. They have extensive experience in making complex ideas easy to understand in video form and we're happy to have them in the Network. We're especially excited to have European representation in the Network. Follow them on Twitter @instruxion. From their listing:

Animated movies, interactive tutorials and instructional videos in attractive formats and any language.

Here's a sample:

How to find a new job using LinkedIn? - Animated Explanations

Video: Stock Markets in Plain English

leelefever — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:20:41 +0000

Today we've published a new video: Stock Markets in Plain English

This video is one of our most requested and focuses on a few basic ideas:

Why companies offer their stock to the public
Why people buy and sell stocks
What makes stock prices change
How we measure stock markets using indices

This video is part of our Money series and one of the first to touch on markets. It was also one of the toughest to make. Economic forces like supply and demand can quickly turn into rabbit holes. Keeping it short and sweet was a challenge. We're so excited to share it with the world.

We expect this video to be useful to teachers, but also organizations related to investing, particularly ones focused on educating those new to the market.

Stock Markets in Plain English

leelefever — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:25:38 +0000

Stock Markets in Plain English Stock Markets in Plain English

Common Craft's Wikipedia Page

leelefever — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:05:43 +0000

Yaay! We have a page on Wikipedia. Now what?

As you may know, Wikipedia pages tend to evolve over time as users contribute new information and we're excited to see the Common Craft page evolve. But first we're hoping to build on a solid foundation - and we need your help. The information that's there is a good start, but it can be better.

As the owners, it's not kosher for us to edit the page, so we'll be adding suggestions to the "talk" section over time (a few are there now). If a Wikipedian deems the information verifiable, unbiased, accurate, etc. they should feel free to update the article. Of course, the hope is that information in the article grows organically. We hope you'll consider lending a hand!

If you don't know what a wiki is, you might check out Wikis in Plain English.

Healthcare Reform Explained by Dan Roam

leelefever — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:12:32 +0000

We often get requests to make a video about healthcare reform. Unfortunately, it's a subject that's very fluid - by the time finished a video, it may be out of date.

Thankfully, our friend Dan Roam (who wrote the book Back of the Napkin) has stepped up to the challenge and created a simple way to explain healthcare/insurance reform. Check it out:

Healthcare Napkins

View more documents from Dan Roam.

Custom Video: SharePoint in Plain English

leelefever — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:42:54 +0000

While licensing our videos is still the focus of our business, we have taken on a few custom projects this summer. The first to be published is a video we were hired to produce called "SharePoint in Plain English," about Microsoft's enterprise collaboration tool. The focus of the video is to introduce Sharepoint and illustrate the old way (project info exists on multiple computers) vs. new way (project info lives in SharePoint).

Updated: Microsoft has made this video available for download so you can share it easily on Intranets, presentations, etc.

One of the things that attracted us to this project was the potential to expose our work to SharePoint users. We were so happy to work with the SharePoint team, who was flexible and very open to our interpretations. It was one of the smoothest projects we've completed to date and we appreciate their focus and dedication. Plus, it's always nice to work with local organizations.

New Explainer Network Member: 1/29 Explainers

leelefever — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:43:50 +0000

We're excited to announce a new member of the Common Craft Explainer Network, 1/29 Explainers. Executive producer Nick Seuser and the 1/29 team have ton of experience in the film and video world.

Our introduction to 1/29 was through the "Behind the Logic" series of videos they did for Pandora. You can watch them on the 1/29 Explainers home page. We were impressed with the entertaining creative way they explain the logic that connects the music that plays via Pandora. Here's an example:

1/29 Explainers, like all members of the Explainer Network, are available for creating custom explanatory videos for your product or service. We created the Network to help organizations in need of videos find talented video producers. Other members include: SayItVisually, Switch Web Video and 'Splainers.

Explainer Tip: Remember the Curse of Knowledge

leelefever — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:33:58 +0000

The following post is a part of a series called "Explainer Tips" where we share lessons we've learned in crafting explanations.

One of the books that I read just before creating our first videos was Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. More than almost any other, this book helped me see new opportunities to present ideas in a unique way. One idea from the book really stands out - it's The Curse of Knowledge <insert scary music.>

We've all experienced it - in talking to a doctor, an engineer or academic, we get lost. Despite their best efforts, they explain a topic using words and examples that don't make sense to a beginner. These people are suffering from the Curse.

The idea behind the curse of knowledge is that the more we know about something, the harder it is for us to explain it to someone who knows nothing. We have a hard time being able to imagine what it's like not to know. For example, think about a lawyer who spent his life reading and writing legal documents, talking to lawyers all day every day, etc. When you ask this lawyer about tort reform, you're likely to get an explanation that confuses you more. This person knows too much to answer your question in a language you understand.

We're all guilty of having the curse. We all have something in our life that we know very well - perhaps too well to explain easily. The key is know that the curse exists. To be able to recognize the challenge before you. Here's how:

Consider every word. Sometimes a word that is completely natural to you can doom an explanation. For example, let's say you're a financial planner and you sit down with a young couple and they seem to get everything you're saying. Then you mention "amortization" as if it were any other word. You use it every day and the people around you do too. It may seem that amortization is perfectly normal. But it's not - their eyes glaze over and the explanation takes a turn for the worst. You have the curse.

The Remedy

Part of the problem with the curse of knowledge is that we assume too much. We make assumptions about what people do and don't know. The stronger the curse, the easier it is to assume. To get around the curse, you can either start with the basics, or get a feeling from your audience about what they know. Don't assume they speak your language or have your perspective. If explanation is your goal, impressing them with big words and details are going to work against you. Your time is better spent accounting for their level of understanding and their context.

Here's a great interview with the Heath brothers by Guy Kawasaki from 2007.

Previous Explainer Tips:

Make People Care

Stop Talking About Technology

Next Up: Put the WHY Before the HOW

Clarity on the Common Craft Business Model

leelefever — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:25:56 +0000

Through going to conferences and talking with people about Common Craft, it's apparent that people have no idea how Common Craft could be a successful business. From their perspective, they can watch the videos for free, so how does it work?

I want to answer this question because I think it's important context for understanding why we make the decisions we do.

In business terms, we are a "B2B" company, which means business-to-business. We make videos that are focused on helping businesses, schools, and other organizations accomplish their goals. These customers buy the licensed, high quality versions of our videos to educate employees, students, and website visitors. Our revenue comes from organizations and individuals who want the better versions, but also the permission that comes with licensing.

Now let's talk about the alternative: B2C or business-to-consumer. Being B2C means making products for use by everyday people. In which case, we might charge for viewing a Common Craft video, perhaps through a membership service or pay-per-view. Our revenue would come from individuals who pay to watch and learn from our videos. We decided not to be a B2C company.

Here's one way to look at why this makes sense: In the B2C model, it's more difficult to build brand awareness. Only paying customers would see the videos. We decided early-on that we would give our products to consumers via sites like YouTube to help spread the word. These versions of the videos would educate, but also have ads for Common Craft. Over millions of views, this helped build brand awareness and lots of links to our website. A percentage of these viewers might think "Man, I love that video, but I need a version that's more appropriate for the workplace" or "I'd love to show this in my presentation, but I need a downloadable file." These needs illustrate demand on the B2B side that comes as a result of giving our products to consumers.

Our challenge is to find ways to continue to provide free videos to consumers while increasing the awareness and demand for the licensed versions for workplace/professional use. From this perspective, I hope you'll see why we're making videos on things like Insurance. Our focus is not making something cool for You Tube, it's making something valuable for individuals and organizations with specific goals.

A note on custom videos: Making custom videos is a part of the Common Craft business model, but is not our focus and more easily understood than licensing. This article on Read Write Web explains our move away from custom work.

Speaking at Ignite Seattle August 3rd

leelefever — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:07:16 +0000

If you live near Seattle, you should come out to Ignite Seattle 7 on August 3rd at the King Cat Theater, 7-11pm. I'll be doing a talk that night called "Where Goldfish Come From." Ignite Seattle (like other Ignite events) is a night for speakers to present for 5 minutes using 20 slides that display for 15 seconds each. It's similar to the Pecha Kucha format. I'll be one of over 10 speakers that night.

You might ask - goldfish? Why goldfish? Well, goldfish happen to be a very important part of my life. Here's a quick description from the Ignite website:

Everyone knows goldfish and koi, but very few have ever thought about where they come from – how they are bred, raised, transported, etc. I know these things like the back of my hand. Since 1968, my family in North Carolina has owned and operated one of the largest fish hatcheries in the US. Blue Ridge Fish Hatchery raises and sells goldfish and Koi – millions of fish a year.

I hope we'll see you at Ignite!