Teacher Tips: Create a Cover Image by Faye Brown

1. Create a Cover Image: I have run. My name is Bank Brown. I've been teaching on skill share for a fair a few years now on in this short video, I'm gonna be sharing some top tips with you on creating your class cover image. So in this video, we will cover what is the cover image? Cover image styles, typography. I'm technical considerations. What's the cover image? Well, let's start at the beginning, shall we? Your cover image is the image that will appear with your class title. When people searching for your classes. Let's take a look at the creative classes on skill share on Actually concede there's a whole variety of styles used for the cover image. Some have the title of the class included. Some show an image of the teacher alongside of relevant image of what they will be teaching on. Some simply have one photograph to represent their class. First up, there's no right or wrong way. The most important thing to consider is that you cover image needs to one represent the content of your class to stand out for the right reasons, which will come back to, and three set the tone of how you present where's looking professional and high quality. If we take a quick look at the technology classes on the featured page, we might quickly get a good idea about what some of these classes air about. Andi, possibly the style. We can clearly see that if class by Daniel Scott is about Dreamweaver on this class by Rich Armstrong, looks super fun to take a little time to just look through the home page on scale. Share within each section to see the different styles and then go specifically into an area where your class would sit on. Imagine your cover image amongst these classes. There's a balance between fitting in, and yet standing out here is an example of what I mean. One of my classes from the freelancing guide Siri's is featured here in this section at moment. Now imagine if the cover image looked like this. It would stand out. You definitely notice it, but what was your first impression of the Class B? Would you actually click it and take it seriously for this subject matter? So that's what I mean by fitting in to a certain extent, there are ways to stand out which we will talk about throughout this video cover image styles. Getting your cover image right can help the success of your class. Over the years I've taught on scale share. I've used a variety of designs and styles, some of used for graphics. Some I've included a picture of me, some of used some objects to help illustrate the content of the class. Some have included the amount of minutes the class last or if there's some free downloadable items, some classes, a part of a series. So I've tried to make them all look like they belong to the same family. There are other teachers on scale share who make sure all their cover images are coherent and look on brand to them. For example, Omar's beautiful cover images all it like they belong to her. This helps create familiarity. If you've taken her class before and you get a newsletter with one of her new classes featured, there's a good chance you'd recognize her style straight away and be drawn to her cover image. I often think about doing something similar, but then maybe it's not the right thing for everyone. My class about designing a superhero logo is quite tongue in cheek and fun. And although it teaches you a lot about designing logos to style and content is a lot different to my class on managing your finances. For freelances, for example, the advice I would give is Think about your class. Is it likely to become a Siris of classes about a similar topic on? If so, bear that in mind when designing that first cover image. It needs to be adaptable to the next class for the branding your creative business class. I knew I wanted to make this into a syriza classes, so I kept the design easy enough to add a different strap line or change slightly, depending on the topic. Superhero logo design is a standalone class, other than making it into a series of princess logo designs or pirate logo designs. I won't be expanding on this topic of superhero so I could make that cover image a stand alone one. Some of my images have the number of minutes. I don't think this is necessary now. Thes classes were published a time where skill share promoted bite size classes, but now it's quite easy to see the length of a class under the image, so you might be debating about whether to use a photo of you or an action image of you work . I think this cannot personality to your class on if your class does have a lot of footage of you talking to camera or showing footage of you at work than having a cover image with you included, somewhere fits in with your class content. Some of my classes has hardly any footage of me talking to camera, whereas others there's more. If you do, use a photo on nature's great quality, remember that cover image needs to reflect the quality off your class typography. I want to talk a little bit about how to use text on your cover image. Personally, I like to add the class title on my cover images. But as we have seen no, everyone does. I think it happens. People easily read what your classes about. You can also include a tag line if you wish. This is also beneficial if you're using your cover image outside of skill share to promote it. If you promote it on Facebook or Instagram, for example, you want people to read the glass title and then you'll want the continuity when people get to go share to sign up. So you need to take into account the sizes that your cover image will need to work at its smallest on the recommended list section on the home page, the images seem very small, so better in mind when placing your text, you want the title to be easily read. The tagline might be a little bit harder to read at this size. Also take into account the image size When viewed on a smart phone. Use a typeface. It's easy to read when it seems smaller. It will retain its readability better than a detailed decorative typeface. So this brings us on nicely to technical considerations. I tend to prep all my cover images at HD size, which is 1920 by 10 80 pixels. This is just in case I ever need to used the image large any where it's harder to create something bigger than saving something down smaller. But just remember to bear in mind house more. Your image might need to go, so try not to make it overly busy or use text that's hard to read. You will then need to edit the cover image into the first frame of your entry video of your class. This is where the cover image gets picked up from. I tend to make it the first image for a few seconds, and also remember to replace the automatic image that gets selected. Once you've uploaded your video by clicking this link here, end up loading the stare you need. I make my cover images in photo shop for the Freelance and guide. I knew I wanted to make this into a Siris of glasses. So I keep all the assets is layers. And then when I do another class in that Siri's, I can easily go back into this file and change the images around. But the style stays consistent, and the text can easy be changed into a new class title, are then saved. A PST is layers and also save out with J. Peg for using as my cover image. So let's just recap the main points to consider. When designing your cover images, make sure it represents the content of your class. Are you a photographer? Make it look like this class is about photography? Are you doing a class on calligraphy, where you show lots of examples of writing. Make sure that comes across. Stand out for the right reasons. Remember that balance of fitting in but standing out and set the tone of how you present whilst looking professional and high quality. If your classes fun, make your cover image look fun. If your classes quite serious in nature, then you want not cover image to reflect that. I hope this little intro to cover images helps you and good luck with your class creation. 2. FilmingAndEditing WR: a little skill share. Teachers are aspiring teachers. My name is John Brahm. It and I predominantly teach classes on graphic design and illustration. In this video, I'm gonna be giving you my tips on how to make your costs is look more professional and polished. I didn't have any background and filming audio editing, lighting or production before I started. But through doing over 20 classes on skill share, I've learned a lot of tips that I'm going to share with you. So the goal is that it's not gonna take you 20 costs is to learn everything that I've learned. And through this little video, you're gonna be ableto skip the line and start making your classes look awesome right away . One of the most important factors for having a professional looking classes often overlooked because you cannot see it. And that is audio. It's really important to have clean, crisp, clear audio with very little background noise, and surprisingly, it doesn't cost much to get that audio. You can actually use a lapel mic simply made from a headphone that came with your smartphone is Liza has a little microphone on it. You just simply hook it over your collar, and you can basically just use it. Just don't put the ear in because you don't want to look a little bit silly, but you can hide it here, kind of clip it some way, and the audio will actually pretty good. But if you want to spend just a little bit of money and get a USB microphone, that's inexpensive. I recommend the blue microphones snowball. I've been using it for most of my classes now, and it sounds really good and it's quite an expensive, and you can get it anywhere When recording your classes. Be sure to turn off any audio distractions in the background. That is, You don't have any music. You don't want to have any fans. You may even want to turn off your refrigerator. If you're recording near it because you don't have that buzz, you'll be surprised at what a microphone can pick up. Just be sure to turn on your refrigerator when you're done. You don't want any spoiled milk. If you're using a USB microphone like I do, just make sure that it's very close to your face so that you get good, loud audio and make sure that you do a test before you start recording, because it could be very frustrating if you're corrida fairly long video, and when you start playing it back, the audio is very poor. I always keep my microphone, either on a table or on a tripod. That way it doesn't bump around and pick up any movements. And I try not to move your wiggle too much in my chair because it can make some squeaky sounds like that. Talking head videos, which is what I'm doing right now, are often the most difficult they can really make or break. The class will make some so difficult is that you need good audio, good video, good lighting, and you need to make sure that you don't have any distractions and that you appear kind of natural on the camera. And putting all of those things together could be really difficult. If you're new at doing these causes. Generally, your first priority for a good talking head video is lighting. You want to make sure that you have a lot of natural light, so that is that you want to film across or beside a big window, as much light as you can get is gonna make your video look more professional. I have purchased some lighting gear, but really nothing beats natural light. Make sure that you put your camera on a tripod. You can get quite inexpensively or even a table. You just want to really study smooth surface. Unless you're trying to go for some kind of documentary kind of style, it will definitely improve the video quality when recording your class. It's actually easy to use a smartphone these days. They have 10 80 p four k. They've got pretty good cameras and you're gonna get good quality so you don't have to spend a normal a getting a digital SLR. I do currently use a canon rebel if you want to make your cost look just a little bit more professional. But honestly, smartphones do a great job. The thing I like about getting into the digital SLR is you get a little more depth of field , although that's starting to come out and smartphones as well, depth of field being that I should be fairly clear and my background is slightly blurry. The great thing about that is that it focuses on me and it, make sure that you're not too distracted by my background. Speaking of background, that is your backdrop. When you're filming your class, it makes sense to have your backdrop match what your classes about. So if you're doing a class on cooking, your background might be a kitchen or dining room, something that makes sense. Same thing if you're doing drawing it should be where you draw. I film all of my classes in my home office. I've moved once or twice, so in my office has changed. But I like to have everything that surrounds me when I'm drawn when I'm doing my art and I try and get that on camera, so it gives the viewer a sense of who I am. Another important thing about your background is to make sure it's very clean, and it's not full of distractions. Also, if you have any pictures or frames or anything that's reflective, make sure that you don't have anything funny reflecting in the background. Believe it or not, you can kind of see over here the reflection on my drawing table is actually showing my cat laying on the ground. But I figured it was settled enough that you wouldn't be able to notice, and hopefully she doesn't move enough. But that's the kind of thing you need to pay a little bit of attention to, to make sure that you don't have anything too distracting. You don't want the viewer getting lost and not listening to you. Lastly, for your talking head videos, I highly suggest you prepare script. I've done many classes where I don't do that, because, frankly, I hate homework. But any of the classes where I've actually had a script, they've come out a lot more professional clean because everything I'm saying is really concise and well thought out. I just recommend not reading off a script. Some people will film by looking directly on the camera like I do. Some people will kind of look off slightly as if the camera or they're talking to someone over here. That's gonna be a decision for you as to the look that you like better. But I recommend don't read off any kind of script. Don't even read off bullet notes. We should try and do. It's kind of memorized what you want to say. Look at it. Have a sheet of paper. I'm using an iPad with my script and then just memorize the paragraph a time. Record it, You know, you might have to do with a bunch of times, but that way you're more comfortable. You're looking into the camera, You know what you're gonna say? And even if you stumble and say a few words wrong, it doesn't really matter because is more important that you come off natural. Otherwise, you might do something like this. Lastly, prepare script. I hate homework. So I've done many classes without a script. Yeah, it doesn't look very good. So we'll talk about editing. Editing is a really important part of making your class look good, and sometimes it can be daunting because you're gonna have to learn some software that you might not be comfortable with. But I recommend making an informed decision. You know, you could get a fairly inexpensive software and learn how to use it. Because editing is extremely important. Making your classes look more professional is definitely the key for retaining viewers and getting more students. And one good thing to do is cut out any hums and haws. Personally. When I'm doing screen recording, I do that a lot. I Because I don't have a script for those parts. It's easier to avoid them when you have a script. But if you don't, you definitely want toe edit out any of those things that make you seem a little unprofessional. Keeping the on one isn't gonna kill you. You're going to see more human. But most the time you do want to cut them out. Something I've been using in my more recent class and I'm finding really useful are slides . Now, you can do that with a still sort of PowerPoint style slide, or you can have a slightly animated slide. But I find that they actually do make the cost of professional. And what I've noticed is that most the time when you're watching a class, you're gonna be watching it straight through. So you're not going to see the video titles, So you may not necessarily know what this video that just started is gonna be about. So it's nice to have a slide. It keeps the viewers knowing exactly what they're doing and what you're gonna talk about. It's a little bit easier for them to remember and kind of just pay attention and know what's going on. Be careful when you're using your slides to pick a nice, clean, easy to read. Fond, you can, of course, you script Fonds. Just make sure they're large. You want to make sure that the viewer can actually read them and off course, make them stay up on the screen long enough that you can read it. So what you might want to do is try and read it yourself and then wait another couple second or two for maybe a slow reader and then that should be long enough for the slot. So next we're gonna talk about introductions. To me, this is the most important part of a skill share class. The idea is that you want to make sure that you give the viewer a reason why they're watching your video, what they're gonna learn and try and entice them to keep watching. Of course, that's how you're gonna make money is by having skill share students actually watch your costs is as important as it is to have a good class cover. It's more important to have a good intro. The reason is that if your classes slightly interesting to the person. If your video is great, they're going to definitely watch it. If it's poor, they're not gonna watch it at all. So that covers really important to get them to click. But then you really need to make sure that you hammer at home in that intro video in your intro videos. If you're talking about something, be sure to show it. You want to vary up your visuals and edit in some different shots, because if you keep it on one thing too often, it gets a little visually dull. That's not as important in your later videos, but the intro. Everything has to be kind of perfect. Same goes with music. You're probably gonna want music in your intro. It has a little bit of, you know, liveliness to it. It makes a little bit more interesting, but most the time. I don't keep it throughout the whole class because it gets a little bit too tiring and you really want them to pay attention to the information rather than music. And getting those levels could be tricky to. But having them in the intro could be really useful, because they will get a little more excitement. A lot of the time, I suggest that you don't have vocals because those could be even more distracted. So try and find instrumental songs. One of things I really recommend when you're doing an intro video is that you actually show yourself. I realize that could be uncomfortable. A lot of people don't like to be in front of the camera. It makes a trickier because you have to get the lighting and everything right. But it's really important that the students sees you, knows who you are and kind of feels like they get to know you. It's so important for building a following for having students come back, and I've seen some really great teachers do it without it. But a lot of the time I find it easier if they get to see you know you and they feel a little bit more engaged in your content that way. Another important thing for intro videos is that you actually record them last, so what you want to do is get all of your content recorded done. You don't have to edit it necessarily, but even anything it's great. And then you record your intro so you know exactly what you're talking about. You know exactly what your class is going to be about, because once in a while you record an intro, and then you record the class, and sometimes you'll realize that you needed edits things out. So you don't want to say those in your intro and then have them edit of the cost, so it's really important. I definitely recommend to record your intro last Azadeh. That May Sound of Your Beginning Teacher. That's it. This has been a little bit of a long video, but I hope you guys enjoyed it and you learn something. We've talked about video editing, talking head, having clear audio, good lighting, not distracted videos and, of course, slides. We've talked about so much stuff. I hope you learned lots. Of course, you can always follow me on all social media at John Brahma, and please check out my seal share classes. That is skill share dot com slash john Brahm it. If you want to know more about building a class, of course, there's lots of great classes on sale share, so just search filming, editing, lighting, things like that. You'll find lots of classes that go way more in depth than I have, and you'll be able to learn lots. Okay, that's it. Thank you so much for watching this video. And I look forward to seeing your class.