WeMOV’s Instructional Guide on Planning Training Videos That Work

Planning a training video starts with what your audience already knows and what they need to learn. Bridging that gap is the goal of every scene, cut, and caption that follows.

This guide covers how to define clear goals, understand your audience, and structure content that stays engaging and interactive. We’ll also cover how to break down complex information, use graphics for clarity, and add interactivity that reinforces learning.

How do you start planning a training video?

A well-thought-out training video plan includes pinpointing your goal, understanding your audience, and organising your content.

Define your training goal

You can address the ‘how’ once you know the ‘why.’ Here’s how to pinpoint that goal:

Start with the end in mind. Identify what your employees should be able to do differently after watching the training video, and clearly define the desired outcomes.
Be specific and measurable. Vague goals are hard to measure. ‘Improve safety awareness’ is a start, but ‘Reduce workplace accidents by 85%’ is far more actionable and measurable.
Consult with stakeholders. Talk to managers, team leaders, and potential trainees. Understanding their expectations and needs provides useful insight. If you’ve run training sessions before, that feedback is a valuable resource. Learn what worked, what didn’t, and how you can improve.

Understand your audience

Put yourself in your audience’s position to understand their perspective. Recognise their challenges and the gaps in their training, rather than assuming what those gaps are. Consider their current level of understanding and build from there: are they new to the topic, or do they have a base level of knowledge you can expand on?

Feedback is also a valuable source of insight. Are there common questions or difficulties your audience faces? Take the time to review feedback or conduct surveys to gain these insights.

Align with business objectives

Your training video should support your broader training strategy and align with the company’s overall goals.

Get your content sorted

Brainstorm a list of points you need to cover; don’t worry about the order yet; just get them down.
Check that these points fill the gaps between what your audience knows now and what they need to learn.
Choose the most essential information from this list. A useful test: what’s the one thing you’d say if you could only say one?
Reorder the remaining points from highest to lowest priority.

With the audience, goal, and main points defined, you now have a video brief to share with your production company.

Consider compliance and regulations

In some industries, training goals must align with regulatory requirements. And because regulations are updated regularly, videos may need more frequent updates to stay current.

How to make your training video easy to understand

A training video is easy to understand when it balances depth of content with clear, simple delivery. This section covers strategies to help your training video stay engaging and easy to follow.

Keep it simple

Avoid overcomplicating the message or making it longer than necessary. If a concept can be communicated more simply, do it. Avoid jargon and acronyms, and explain terms as if your audience has no prior knowledge of the subject.

Structure your content logically

Structure your video so it’s easy to follow. Start with a brief introduction to what the viewer will learn, move into the core content, and summarise the key takeaways at the end. This recap reinforces the material and solidifies learning.

Break down complex ideas

Break the training into digestible chunks when delivering complex concepts or detailed guidelines. Treat this as a series of mini-lessons, each covering a different aspect. This makes the information more manageable for your audience and helps them retain it.

Use storytelling to boost recall

Our brains remember information better when it’s connected to emotions or situations, which is why storytelling in a training video can significantly boost its impact and retention. Framing training modules within a story or real-world scenario helps learners connect the dots. This approach, known as contextual learning, anchors new knowledge in a familiar setting, making it more relatable and memorable.

Use supporting graphics

Charts, diagrams, infographics, animations, and titles reinforce narration, particularly when explaining complex systems or processes. They add context and clarity and reinforce learning.

Edit ruthlessly

If content doesn’t directly contribute to the viewer’s understanding of the learning objective, cut it. Attention spans are short, so a training video should stay engaging, concise, and free of unnecessary information. Following these principles creates a training video that’s sharp, effective, and easy for your audience to understand.

What does a training video script look like?

A training video script is divided into three columns and multiple rows, with each scene occupying its own row.

The small left column is for scene numbers. These identify scenes during filming and make it easy to reference a section when reviewing the script or requesting a change.
The larger left column covers everything visual: scene ideas, titles, graphics, and logos.
The right column covers everything audio. Anything audio-related is noted here, including:
Interview questions
A narrated voiceover
A mix of narration and interviews
A presenter speaking to camera
Sound effects
Music: if a video is music-only, this column links to the suggested music.

If there’s a narrated voiceover, breaking it into small chunks across separate rows keeps only one scene’s worth of vision against each piece of narration.

Word count and video length

Writing to a specific video length, say two minutes, brings the word count to approximately 240 words, based on an average reading pace of two words per second.

Scriptwriting tips

Expand on your main points

If you’re writing the script yourself, start with your list of main points. Flesh out each point with detailed explanations, examples, and key takeaways.

Consider the flow too. It should move logically from one point to the next to keep the audience engaged. Don’t worry about the vision yet; get the words down first.

Add elements that make your script more relatable

Consider what can be added to reinforce each point:

Will a graphic or animation make a challenging idea easier to understand?
Could a real-life scenario or case study make the content more relevant and actionable?
Can testimonials or interviews with people who’ve successfully implemented the training add authenticity?

This storytelling shows the real-world impact of the training and makes the content relatable and memorable.

Keep your language simple and direct

A script should connect with the audience, so use a conversational tone. Avoid jargon, technical terms, and overly complicated language; if you must use specialised terms, define them clearly. If there’s a shorter or simpler word, use it:

Instead of ‘utilise,’ use ‘use.’
Instead of ‘facilitate,’ use ‘help.’

These small changes make the script more accessible and relatable.

Go easy on adjectives

Compare these two sentences:

‘This comprehensive, advanced training module is designed to significantly enhance your technical skills.’

versus:

‘This training module will enhance your technical skills.’

Review each sentence for what can be cut. Stripping the language back to essentials creates a script that’s easier to follow and understand.

End with key takeaways

Add critical takeaways at the end of the video, or at the end of each section in a video series. This summary reinforces the crucial points you want the audience to remember. You could also encourage viewers to reflect on what they’ve learned by posing a question or suggesting a quick activity related to the key takeaways.

Write for the spoken word

A training video script is written for the spoken word, so use contractions, like ‘you’re’ instead of ‘you are,’ and keep sentences short and punchy. This makes the script sound more natural and conversational.

Rhetorical questions can also help involve the viewer. Phrases like ‘Have you ever wondered?’ or ‘Let’s try this together’ create a more interactive experience.

A conversational tone, simple language, and engaging delivery help a script convey information effectively and connect with the audience.

Test your narration

Once the words are down, read the script aloud. This is the only way to catch confusing sentences and unnecessary word clutter. Listen for phrases that sound awkward or are tricky to pronounce. The goal is a script that flows as smoothly as a normal conversation.

What is the ideal length for a training video?

The ideal length for a training video depends on the topic’s complexity and the audience’s needs, rather than a single fixed number. Simple topics can generally sustain a slightly longer video, since attention tends to hold up better with straightforward content.

Shorter lengths for complex topics

The more information a video packs in, the shorter it needs to be for better comprehension. Break complex subjects into shorter segments of five minutes or less, and keep videos heavy with facts and figures short too, to avoid overwhelming viewers.

Series vs. standalone

A large amount of material is often better delivered as a series of short videos, each under five minutes, rather than one long one. A series breaks content into manageable chunks, giving the audience time to absorb each part before moving on to the next.

Tailor length to the audience

Consider the audience’s prior knowledge and experience level. Beginners tend to benefit from shorter, more focused videos, while advanced learners can engage with longer, more detailed content.

Account for self-paced learning

Offering the ability to pause, rewind, and rewatch parts of a video enables longer content, as viewers can learn at their own pace.

Consider the microlearning trend

There’s a growing trend towards microlearning: short, focused videos covering a single topic or concept. These typically run two to five minutes and reinforce specific skills or knowledge.

Prioritise engagement over duration

Engagement matters more than duration. A well-made, engaging 15-minute video can be more effective than a dull five-minute clip. The focus should always be on delivering the material in the most effective and digestible way.

In short: there’s no single answer to the ideal length for a training video. Aim for concise, engaging, audience-specific content instead.

How WeMOV Produces Enterprise Training Suites

We’ve collaborated with government bodies, utilities, and enterprise organisations such as AEMO, the Queensland Government, and Siemens to produce comprehensive corporate training libraries.

Our process covers the entire pipeline, from instructional design and scripting through to filming and LMS-ready export, for everything from interactive health & safety inductions to software explainer animations and leadership training videos.

Explore our production services across Australia:

Get a free quick quote for your training video suite. Organise yours today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ideal length for an employee training video?

Most corporate training videos run between 2 and 5 minutes, though the right length depends on the topic’s complexity: simple content can run a little longer, while dense or technical material works best when broken into shorter, focused segments.

What are the most common types of corporate training videos?

The most common training videos include new employee onboarding, workplace health and safety (WHS) inductions, software and systems walkthroughs, customer service standards, and compliance procedures.

Should we use real employees or professional actors for training videos?

Real team members add authenticity and relatability, making them well suited to cultural onboarding and on-site demonstrations. Professional actors or voiceover talent work better when the script involves complex terminology, technical detail, or fast teleprompter pacing.