Recently, Alex and I joined Carers Wales for a day of hands-on mobile video training for teams, where we set out to equip the team with the skills and confidence to plan, shoot, edit and publish their own video content.
If you don’t know, Carers Wales is the Welsh arm of Carers UK, an organisation that supports unpaid carers (of which there are more than 370,000 in Wales alone). Part of their role is to keep these carers up-to-date on policy, news and guidance that affects them - and how better to do that than with face-to-camera videos?
They’d toyed with the idea of making video content before but knew it was finally time to take the plunge! One barrier that organisations sometimes face is the idea that making good video requires (a) an expensive studio setup and (b) elaborate production, plus the costs associated with both.
Well, you don’t need either - and that was partially what we set out to show Rob and the Carers Wales team during our training day.
Why video matters for organisations like Carers Wales
Beyond useful updates regarding policy and government, video allows organisations to share a wider range of content their audiences will find valuable; personal stories from other carers, for example, or information about support services they could be using. It can also help break down complex information into something easier to understand.
Like many third sector organisations, Carers Wales' audience spans a huge range of ages and demographics. Video is a brilliant way to communicate with people quickly and directly, particularly on social media, where audiences are already spending their time.
A short video that appears in someone's Facebook feed and shares key information in less than a minute can be a great way to reach people who might not otherwise visit your website or read a lengthy article.
Of course, video isn't a replacement for written information, and accessibility is important. But as part of a wider communications strategy, it can make useful information easier to discover, understand and engage with.
That's why we're strong proponents of using video – and why learning to do it yourself, in-house, is a brilliant move!
From planning to production: What our training covered
Planning purposeful content
First things first - we looked at understanding their audiences and choosing video formats. We talked about identifying useful content opportunities, made specific for Carers Wales - everything from carer FAQs to wellbeing tips and listicles or guides.
One of the key messages we shared was to think outcome, not output. Before pressing record, it's important to ask yourself who the video is for, what you want people to know or do after watching it, and where they're likely to see it.
Because, it's not just about making videos. It's about creating content people actually want to see, that serves a purpose and supports your wider strategy.
Video training with Carers Wales
Filming with confidence
Most of us are walking around with an amazingly capable video camera in our pocket - it’s important we learn how to get the most out of it. We walked through key smartphone settings, plus production essentials like framing, lighting and sound.
We looked at 3 core subjects: interviews, talking to camera yourself, and capturing supporting footage (B-roll).
Editing and sharing
We broke away from production for an afternoon session focused entirely on editing. We walked through how to use accessible editing tools to cut footage together, add captions, incorporate B-roll and adapt content for different social platforms.
Plus, we explored how to develop an efficient workflow, making it easier to turn raw footage into something ready to share.
We even talked about thumbnail covers for video – nothing's off limits!
Let’s get stuck in… Practical workshop time!
You learn best by doing, so all our training includes ample time for putting new skills and lessons into practice.
Rob and the team split into pairs and set about filming, experimenting by interviewing each other in landscape and portrait formats. A nice, easy icebreaker question ('Your favourite TV show or book at the moment?') helped focus the answers and take some of the pressure off being on camera.
They explored lighting setups and captured B-roll using different shots and camera movements. It was all about developing their confidence using their phones in this new way, with Alex and I on hand to answer questions at any point.
The idea is never to get everything perfect on the first take. It was to give everyone the opportunity to experiment, make mistakes, try different approaches and see just how much they could achieve with the equipment they already had.
Making video content achievable for teams
We love the practicality that comes with video production, so our training also covered how to batch-produce videos, repurpose existing footage for different uses and make creating content part of a manageable routine for the team.
We also provided handy cheat sheets for the team to refer back to, so they could continue putting everything they'd learnt into practice long after the training day.
It's not about making Hollywood-level productions or trying to copy TikTok trends that look fun but don't serve a purpose. It's about sharing useful information from your organisation in a way that's achievable for your team and accessible to your audiences.
With the right knowledge, even a small team can create useful, engaging content in-house – without needing to outsource every video 🙂
What Carers Wales thought
We were really pleased to hear that the team came away feeling inspired and full of ideas. Here's what Rob had to say following the training:
"I just wanted to say a huge thanks for your time, effort and expertise yesterday. The team were all buzzing about the place afterwards with ideas!
We've been keen for a while to step up some of our video content and I think the training yesterday and cheat sheets will be exactly what we need to give a bit of a confidence boost and work smarter with the kit we have available.
The training was great, was able to cater to varying levels of experience and confidence within the team and has definitely shown us what we're capable of producing on a limited budget and with limited time. I have every confidence it'll help us transform our output and be a more engaging, creative and communicative organisation…thank you again so much, it's some of the best and most interesting training I've been on!"
Rob Simkins
Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Wales
Carers UK
Want to create better video content in-house?
If you’re interested in bespoke mobile video training for your organisation, take a look at our training info - or feel free to get in touch for a chat. We'll help you develop the skills and confidence to make video content that works for your team and your audience.