RawShorts.com For The Win

Yay, another day closer to relaxation! This teacher is ready for Spring Break...I cannot believe I still have eight more days of school. Anyways, wishing it was Spring Break isn't actually the reason I'm writing this post. The real reason is to prove that I am still accomplishing a few tasks despite being completely burnt out to share my new animated promo video (which I made for free)!

Yay, RawShorts.com for the win!

Like most of the Internet, I love the animated/whiteboard video style. Creating one has been one of my work goals for a while but they are super pricey to produce (one website quoted $500-$1000/minute). I definitely didn't want to drop that kind of $$$. So I did a quick Google short and discovered RawShorts.com (my mom also suggested PowToon) and ta-da...

Yay! I am so excited to finally have this posted on my YouTube Channel and pinned to the top of my Facebook & Twitter feeds. Now I'm onto making my second video. But I thought I'd take a little break and give you the rundown on Raw Shorts. Just in case you were interested in making a video.

I'll start by saying that there is definitely a learning curve with Raw Shorts. At the beginning, I wanted to abandon the project a few times but for a free account, I couldn't really complain. So I kept working and once I figured out how to navigate the site the process became quite simple. However, I definitely won't be upgrading to a premium account until I see a few changes...

• A ruler/grid so I can see how text and graphics line up to one another
• The ability to zoom out/in
• Expand the graphics library, specifically some of the character graphics (there are a few choices that are only male) and make the database searchable
• More consistent and reliable copy/paste/undo functions
• Spell Check
• Autosave
• Ability to flip and change the color of graphics
• Color matching tool

Even though I listed a number of desired changes, I am planning on using the free option for as long as it meets my needs. And I would definitely encourage anyone interested to go for it! At free 99, there's nothing to lose.

Before I sign off, let me leave you with a few tips that I took away from my first video making experience (and getting some great feedback from an artist friend)!

• Write and record the script first (the recording doesn't have to be perfect), then add the graphics - I created my first video before writing and recording my script. It caused quite the struggle when it came time to merge the two. A lot of trial and error went into timing the animation.

• Don't use huge text boxes, especially if the voice over is reciting the same script (if you are using this in your classroom and you want to the kids to hear and read - just turn on the subtitles). Instead, use the graphics as a way to enhance and highlight the script.

• Keep it simple and concise! One of the benefits of only having 90 seconds is that you have to get to the point fast!

Well, that's it! Feel free to check out RawShorts.com or PowToon.com (up to five-minute video!) to start creating today!

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P.S. If you like this, check my post all about how selling on Teachers Pay Teachers gives me the freedom to work part-time!