2008-09-17-thinking-about-an-stc-proposal-to-submit.html

---
layout: post
title: Thinking About an STC Proposal to Submit
date: 2008-09-17 23:26:15.000000000 -07:00
categories:
- technical-writing
- screencasting
- video
tags:
- atlanta
- audio
- proposals
- stc conference
status: publish

published: true
---

{% include toc.html %}

<p>Did you see the <a href="http://www.stc.org/announce/cfp.asp" target="_blank">STC's call for proposals</a> for the next annual conference in Atlanta? Last year I presented on podcasting. The 55 people who commented on my session rated it higher than average (the rating was around 4.6 as opposed to the 4.3 average). I think my presentation was good, but most people wanted me to connect it more to technical communication.  They wanted to see how technical material could be presented as a podcast, I believe.  </p>
<p>I admit that was a hole in my presentation. I'm still not entirely clear how to pull that one off. Podcasts are mostly vehicles for conceptual information, and help material often consists of nitty-gritty how to content.</p>
<p>At work I do create voice-based video tutorials that users watch, but not a half hour of pure how-to audio (though I do keep meaning to create one on WordPress). At any rate, I really appreciated the feedback. It's a direction I'm moving to but haven't quite reached yet.</p>
<p>This year I'm thinking of submitting a proposal about Voice in video tutorials. I've watched countless video tutorials where the voice sounded as if someone used a Fisher Price microphone, or where the tone was monotone and boring, or simply unengaging. I want to present on ways to make the voice in your video tutorials sound fresh and spontaneous, natural, friendly. Like someone was sitting right there next to you. Talking to <em>you. </em></p>
<p>I'd also like to present some comparative research on voice-based tutorials versus caption-based tutorials (e.g., for example, which is better and why).</p>
<p>Creating a video tutorial also requires some knowledge of audio -- which file format to use, the bit rate, the hertz, and so on, as well as how to clean it up, enrich the sound, add in music and other effects.</p>
<p>I think the video tutorial lives or dies based on the voice. If you're warm and engaging, people keep listening. If you sound nasal, stiff, and staticky, the tutorial plummets.</p>
<p>What do you think? Would this be an interesting topic? Has someone presented on this before? Do you know of any resources that would be helpful to me?</p>
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