Video Production Company: What is a Training Video?
Training is a key part of any business, helping employees learn new skills, understand company policies, and perform better in their roles. However, delivering consistent training across teams—especially when they are remote or spread out—can be tricky. That is where training videos come in handy. A training video is a recorded resource designed to teach employees about a specific topic, process, or skill. It allows learners to access the material anytime and revisit it as needed, making training more flexible and accessible. A video production company plays an important role here, as they have the expertise to create training videos that are clear, well-structured, and suited to the audience’s needs. From planning and filming to editing and delivering the final product, they ensure the training video is both informative and easy to follow. In this article, we will explore what training videos are, why businesses use them, what makes them effective, and how video production companies approach their creation. We will also cover different types of training videos and how to measure their success.
What Is a Training Video?
A training video is a type of instructional content created to help employees learn new skills, understand processes, or get up to speed with company policies. It can be aimed at new hires, experienced staff, or entire departments. These videos usually cover topics that are important for job performance or compliance, and they are made to be watched on demand—either during onboarding or as part of continued professional development. A video production company can produce training videos in many different styles depending on the goals, audience, and subject matter.
Why Make a Training Video?
1. Make It Easier to Retain Information
People tend to remember visual information better than text. By combining images, spoken word, and sometimes interactivity, training videos allow viewers to absorb and retain more than they would from reading a document or sitting through a slide-heavy meeting. A good video production company will know how to combine visual design, pacing, and delivery in a way that improves how much people remember.
2. Get Higher Engagement
Videos hold people’s attention better than reading a manual or listening to a lecture. Training videos allow employees to pause, re-watch, or come back to them later. The right tone, pacing, and visuals can make even dry material feel easier to get through. This is where working with a professional video production company makes a real difference—getting the tone, structure and visuals just right to keep viewers watching until the end.
3. Keep the Training Costs Down
Hiring a trainer to repeat the same information over and over gets expensive. Training videos offer a cost-effective way to deliver consistent content to everyone who needs it—without paying each time. Once made, a training video can be reused as often as necessary. Production companies handle the upfront work—planning, filming, editing—so that companies can save time and money in the long term.
4. Create On-Demand Training
With training videos, staff can learn at their own pace, whenever it suits them. Whether someone is working remotely, changing roles, or joining the team mid-year, they can access the same consistent training as everyone else. Video production companies often build video packages designed to integrate with an LMS (learning management system), like the one we have built from the ground up for our eLearning clients.
5. Make Your Training More Visual
Not everyone learns best by reading. Training videos give you the chance to show what you mean. Whether it is a software demo or a scenario-based clip, videos make it easier to explain things that would otherwise take pages to describe.
Why Are Training Videos More Effective?
1. Video Delivers a Higher Training ROI
When compared to traditional training sessions, videos usually provide better value for money. Once produced, they can be shared repeatedly, ensuring each new employee or team member receives the same level of instruction. For many businesses, that adds up to a good return on investment.
2. Video Helps Explain Complex Ideas More Clearly
Visuals help explain ideas that might be difficult to understand through words alone. Whether that is a walkthrough of software features or a set of step-by-step instructions, a well-produced video makes it all feel much more straightforward. A professional video production company can help make these concepts clearer through things like screen recordings, animations, or structured presentations.
3. Video Builds Expertise and Authority
Employees are more likely to trust and absorb content that looks and sounds professional. A poorly produced video can feel like an afterthought. A clean, clear training video shows the business takes staff learning seriously. That is why companies often rely on video production experts to help set the right tone and quality from the start.
What Makes a Good Training Video?
1. Learning Outcomes Are Identified
Every training video needs a clear purpose. What do you want the viewer to learn? Before filming begins, this should be mapped out. This guides the format, tone, and content. A video production company works closely with clients to define these goals early in the process.
2. The Video Speaks to the Intended Audience
A video made for new starters should look and sound different from one made for senior staff. Language, style, and length all depend on who will be watching.
3. The Format and Style Fit the Goals
A software tutorial will look very different from a message from leadership. From face-to-camera interviews to animated explainers, the style should match what the video needs to do. Choosing the right format is something a good video production company helps decide.
4. Clear Narration, Pacing, and Structure
The content should move at the right pace—not too fast, not too slow. The narrator should sound natural and easy to understand. Clear scripting and planning are essential here.
5. Technical Quality Is High
Grainy visuals and muffled audio are distracting. A professional video production company will ensure proper lighting, microphones, and editing are used to produce a clean, clear final product.
6. The Video Keeps the Viewer Interested
Even the most informative video is no good if people stop watching. It is important to include moments of variety—different angles, visuals, graphics, and relevant examples.
7. The Video Is the Right Length
Too short, and it might feel rushed. Too long, and attention drops off. A good training video is long enough to explain the subject but short enough to hold attention.
Types of Training Videos
There are many ways to approach a training video, depending on what your business needs to communicate and who the intended audience is. Here are some of the most commonly used formats video production companies work with:
1. Presenter-Style Training Videos
These involve a person—often a subject-matter expert or trainer—speaking directly to the camera. They are great for delivering structured information in a clear, human way, often with slides or visuals added in post-production. A presenter-style video works well when introducing new procedures, walking through policies, or explaining company values.
2. Tutorial Videos
Tutorials are designed to teach viewers how to complete a task or use a specific product or software. These videos usually include step-by-step screen recordings, voiceovers, or on-screen text instructions. A video production company can structure the flow carefully so the viewer is not overwhelmed and can follow each step easily.
3. Corporate Training Videos
These cover internal training topics like health and safety, compliance, or employee conduct. The tone can vary depending on the subject, but clarity and professionalism are always a priority. Video production companies often work closely with HR departments to make sure the content aligns with official policies and communicates expectations clearly.
4. On-Site Training Videos
Filmed on location, these videos are useful for demonstrating physical tasks or procedures that happen in specific settings—factories, warehouses, kitchens, or labs, for instance. They show the environment as it actually is, which helps employees visualise what is expected of them in that setting.
5. Motion Graphics Training Videos
Motion graphics can explain things that are difficult to film in real life—like systems, data flows, or abstract processes. This style combines animation with narration to break information into easy-to-understand segments. A video production company can design these from scratch to fit your brand and learning objectives.
6. Stock Footage Montage & Text-Based Training Videos
Using curated clips and animated text overlays, these videos are often used for quick explainers or policy refreshers. They can be produced efficiently and still get a strong message across if the scripting and pacing are done well. When budgets or turnaround times are tight, this format can be a practical solution for internal comms and reminders.
7. Interactive Training Videos
These videos let viewers make decisions, answer questions, or explore different learning paths as they go. Interactive training is especially effective when the subject requires active engagement, like customer service, compliance, or soft skills training. A video production company can structure the logic and flow behind these interactions to ensure the experience is coherent and helpful for the learner.
More Training Video Options
Of course, the list does not end there. The possibilities for training videos are extensive and adaptable to many use cases. A few more examples include onboarding welcome videos to help new hires settle in, company policy videos that break down internal procedures, department overview videos to explain how teams operate, and scenario-based videos that play out real-life situations for learners to analyse. Video interviews with subject-matter experts or company leaders also make for informative content that communicates authority and internal culture in a relatable way.
How to Make a Great Training Video
This is where a video production company does most of the work. Here is how the process usually goes:
- Set Goals and Objectives: Understand what the video needs to achieve before anything else.
- Build a Learner Profile: Who is the video for? What are their job roles? What knowledge do they already have?
- Choose the Topics: Decide what needs to be covered and what can be left out.
- Pick the Right Format: Match the style of video to the topic and audience.
- Write the Script and Storyboard: Plan everything that will be said and shown, scene by scene.
- Begin Filming: Use the right location, equipment, and setup to suit the video’s goals.
- Focus on Audio and Visual Clarity: Sound and picture quality must be clean and professional.
- Edit the Footage: Trim the unnecessary parts, arrange the visuals, and add titles or graphics.
- Gather Feedback: Review the video with internal stakeholders to make any final tweaks.
- Share the Video: Upload it to your LMS or share it directly with teams. We often help clients integrate training content into our own LMS.
Examples of Effective Corporate Training Videos
Examples from well-known companies can help show how training videos work in practice and why they matter. These are not just well-produced, they are thoughtful in how they communicate, inform, and support the people watching them. Below are a few that highlight different approaches, depending on the purpose of the video.
PwC’s “Diversity and Inclusion” Training Video
PwC’s diversity and inclusion video is a clear example of how video can support cultural awareness in the workplace. By using personal stories and direct messaging, it encourages employees to think more openly while outlining expectations in a respectful and practical way. A video production company working on content like this would need to ensure the tone is both genuine and informative, helping audiences connect with the subject matter while keeping the message clear.
Google’s Intern Welcome Video
Google’s video for new interns offers an overview of what the first week at the company looks like. It blends real employee experiences with helpful guidance, giving newcomers a realistic and reassuring introduction. It is a good example of how onboarding videos can ease new employees into a company’s culture.
Grubhub’s New Driver Onboarding Video
Grubhub’s training video for new drivers takes a more straightforward approach. It explains how to use the delivery app, pick up orders, and interact with customers. The step-by-step format helps new drivers get started quickly and confidently. This kind of training video benefits from simple visuals, clear narration, and a pace that allows viewers to absorb key instructions.
Measuring the Impact of Training Videos
Once your training videos are live, the next step is understanding whether they are actually helping people learn. Measuring impact is not just about ticking a box—it helps shape future content, improve effectiveness, and ensure the training stays relevant.
Feedback Mechanisms
Collecting feedback from employees gives insight into how the video is received. Are the instructions clear? Was the content useful? Did anything feel confusing or rushed? Asking these kinds of questions helps refine future videos and shows employees that their input matters. Many companies collect this feedback through surveys, comments, or informal check-ins. Video production companies often work closely with clients to build feedback loops into the process, especially for content delivered through eLearning systems.
Tracking Engagement and Learning Outcomes
It is also helpful to track viewing data. Metrics like video completions, drop-off points, and quiz scores (for interactive formats) can tell you a lot. If most viewers stop watching halfway through, something likely needs adjusting—whether it is pacing, clarity, or relevance.
For companies using a learning management system (LMS), this data can be tracked automatically. As a video production company that also specialises in eLearning production, we not only create the training content but also deliver it through our own custom-built LMS—designed to help organisations track how well their training is working. Understanding what the data says gives both clients and production teams a clearer view of whether the training is meeting its objectives.
FAQs About Video Production Companies
A video production company handles everything from planning, scripting, filming, editing, and post-production. They work closely with clients to make sure the training video meets specific goals and speaks to the intended audience.
For many businesses, yes. Training videos can be reused, accessed anytime, and offer consistency across the board.
Everything from onboarding and compliance videos to hands-on tutorials, software demos, and leadership messages.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on the content, but generally, 5 to 10 minutes works well for most topics.
Closing Thoughts
Training videos make information easier to understand, remember, and apply. They help businesses stay consistent, save money, and keep people interested. A video production company does not just shoot and edit, they work with you to plan, structure, and deliver video content that suits your training needs. From helping new employees settle in to rolling out new policies across global teams, training videos offer a smart and flexible way to share knowledge. If you want to make training easier for your teams, video is one of the most effective ways to do it, when it is done well.
Training videos don’t have to be complicated. At Sound Idea Digital, we help create clear, easy-to-follow videos that support your learning goals. Get in touch to see how we can assist.
We are a full-service Web Development and Content Production Agency in Gauteng specialising in Video Production, Animation, eLearning Content Development, Learning Management Systems, and Content Production.
Contact us for a quote. | enquiries@soundidea.co.za | https://www.soundideavideoproduction.co.za| +27 82 491 5824 |
Looking for More Insights?
If you want to explore this topic further, here are a few additional articles that offer more useful information to help you deepen your understanding:
Video Production Firm: Types of Training Videos