Common Craft

04/24/2024

Our new free course at the Explainer Academy is a great place to start if you're curious about developing your explanation skills. It contains highlights from our paid courses and is full of helpful videos, downloadable docs, and explanation tips. Enroll for free:

Lee LeFever is your guide to clarifying your message and sharing with an animated video

04/19/2024

My first interview with Eofire.com was way back in 2013. It was a blast to catch up with John and discuss the big ideas from my book Big Enough. https://www.eofire.com/podcast/leelefever/

Here's a clip for your listening pleasure.

03/20/2024

Part 2: what subject will we explain?

03/19/2024

Do you have a policy, product, or service you need to explain? It's easier than you may think, and you already have the tools to do it: Powerpoint or Keynote.
I'm hosting a ​new workshop​ starting April 17th. We'll meet on Wednesday afternoons (Pacific time).

I will be your guide through every step of creating an animated video that clearly explains your idea. This workshop, our third, has a limit of five participants so I can be a personal resource for you.
https://www.commoncraft.com/new-explainer-video-workshop-spring-2024

03/05/2024

I love new tools and innovations. But you know what I'm excited about right now? PowerPoint and Keynote. Your eyes are rolling. I get it.

I'm excited because I also love democratization. Since 2015, I've taught professionals how to explain ideas using simple video animations, and often, expensive and complicated tools got in the way.

That's all changed because animated videos can now be created using ONLY PowerPoint or Keynote. Storyboards, visuals, animations, voice-over, editing, etc. It's all possible with a tool you probably have right now. I broke it down here:

https://www.commoncraft.com/all-about-riff-raff

Yet, PowerPoint and Keynote are incredibly powerful for our use case: creating simple animated videos. These are videos that explain a new policy, a process, or a complicated idea. They solve problems and bring ideas to life. And here’s the thing: PowerPoint or Keynote is all you need. Both produc...

02/20/2024

Our new video is for tech educators. It explains why chatbots matter and how they work. It covers the basic ideas of Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models. https://www.commoncraft.com/video/chatbots-and-ai

01/18/2024

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) can create original media based on simple text prompts. It's both powerful and a source of concern for many. This video explains what it is, how it works, why it matters, and what to know about using it.

With simple text commands, we can ask Artificial intelligence to create original media in the form of text, images, music, code, videos, and more. This is called generative AI and it's becoming a major part of our online world. This video explains how it works and what’s possible.

12/27/2023

Our next Explainer Video Workshop kicks off on Tuesday, January 9th.

https://explaineracademy.com/p/workshop-winter

Here are a few people from the fall workshop to tell you about it...

"One of my favorite things about this workshop was its hands-on approach. We learned by watching Lee apply tips and ideas during the session, then we applied the concepts to our own explainer videos. Lee provided personalized feedback and kept sessions fun and very interactive. I highly recommend this workshop!"
- Luisa Molina

"Lee introduces the framework in general terms before diving into specific tasks. After explaining the task, Lee zooms out to provide a broader understanding. This consistent pattern occurs during each one-hour session. Lee demonstrates the relationship between storytelling and effectively expressing your message. The lectures are taught with exceptional clarity, reflecting Lee's mission to make things easily understandable, but they leave you wanting more from a master craftsman."
- Anil Menon, Ph.D

"Unlike the book (The Art of Explanation) the workshop puts you on the spot to deliver your explanation. I found that it's the practical aspect of actually doing it that matters. That's what the workshop does. It lays out the process in a nice structure and takes you through the steps, makes sure you are thinking about it in the right way, and presents it in manageable pieces. The workshop was excellent!"
- Clyde Johnson

Learn more here: https://explaineracademy.com/p/workshop-winter

Join Lee LeFever for live, online workshops for creating animated explainer videos

12/13/2023

We just opened registration for a new Explainer Video Workshop.

Join Lee LeFever, author of The Art of Explanation, to learn every step to creating your own animated explainer video. Five 1-hour sessions (Zoom) over five weeks, starting on January 9th. https://explaineracademy.com/p/workshop-winter

11/20/2023

We're having a pretty sweet Black Friday Sale that goes until November 28th. There are discounts on Common Craft memberships, courses, and Cut-outs:

Black Friday is almost here, and we’re offering sweet deals and discounts.

11/15/2023

We've published a new video that will help Common Craft members teach artificial intelligence. This video explains Large Language Models. It's the first in a series that will cover the most important and transformational ideas in AI. More videos are coming soon.
Watch in full:

Artificial intelligence tools, like ChatGPT, can generate original responses to human questions and commands. Behind the scenes, these tools depend on a Large Language Model or LLM. This video explains how LLMs help AI generate responses with human-like qualities.

10/30/2023

Enrollment is now open for my Explainer Video Workshop. I'll be your guide to creating your own animated explainer video using common tools like presentation software. The workshop happens over four 1-hour online sessions (and a bit of homework). Enrollees also receive a pack of 2,200 Common Craft Cut-outs and access to three Explainer Academy online courses. 10 seats only. More here: https://explaineracademy.com/p/workshop

10/24/2023

A long time Common Craft member recently retired and I asked her how she used our videos. Congrats on retirement Patty!

10/19/2023

A few years back, I created a bunch of Halloween-inspired Cut-outs (digital PNGs) that can transform a person or pet into a digital "creature". They make for a fun Halloween art project for the family, or whatever you want to do with them. Free download here:

A few years back, I was inspired to create digital visuals that turn ordinary photos into "Creatures" for Halloween. In all, there are 124 Creature Cut-outs (PNG), and you can use them however you'd like, for free:

10/04/2023

Each time we produce a custom video for a client, I draw new Common Craft-style visuals. The animation below is a collection of rough draft drawings for an upcoming video. Between now and video production, the images will be vectorized and colored to look nice and clean.

09/19/2023

The web is becoming more readable via captions, subtitles, and on-screen text. Now anyone can make animated videos that work in similar ways.
That's why we created an online course on creating readable animated videos. The method we teach uses ONLY presentation software (Google Slides, PowerPoint). No special software, no equipment, and no complicated editing.
From now until Friday, Sept. 22, you can save $30 on the course using this link:

Learn a simple and efficient method of creating animated videos using common tools.

06/21/2023

I recently worked with Robby Macdonell on his language learning project: https://comprehension.club He describes it like this: "Comprehension club is an easy way for language learners to experience real people speaking their native language, talking about things that matter to them."

Robby's idea was to build on the idea of language exchange, which is a well-known process for learning a new language. We decided that the concept of language exchange may be a perfect introduction to Comprehension Club.

Over a few hours of coaching, Robby was set up to create his own animated explainer video and I think it's pretty awesome. You can see it here: https://youtu.be/AwM31_2On-k

A language exchange is a fun and effective way to learn another language by taking turns speaking with a native speaker who wants to learn your language.This...

06/08/2023

Like many of you, I've been wondering if AI and ChatGPT will eventually eat my lunch. Being an explainer and media creator, the risk is real.
I've spent a few weeks using ChatGPT to propose ideas, write scripts, and suggest visuals for explainer videos. It's incredibly powerful, especially at the beginning of a project when a creative direction is being established.
But there is plenty AI can't do. As a project comes together, the audience looms large. Crafting an explanation for a specific audience depends on empathy and human connections. I believe that AI has a productive role to play, but remarkable explanations will always require humans to take the spark and turn it into a flame.

As I wrote in the post linked below:
- AI can help you do research and generate ideas for a conference presentation, but it can’t know the people in the audience, or what they need.
- AI can help teachers develop lesson plans and find creative activities, but it can’t know what will delight that specific group of students.
- AI can help an architect develop designs for a home, but it can’t know the homeowner’s attitudes and desires.

Note: I created the Readable Video below to explain this idea and turned it into an animated GIF.

05/10/2023

Our online course: "How to Create Readable Animated Videos" just launched. 🚀
We teach a production method that requires ONLY PowerPoint or Keynote. No special equipment, No expensive software, No complicated editing.
You can make animated videos in hours using tools you already have. Start for free: https://explaineracademy.com/p/readable-videos

05/04/2023

A goal of Common Craft explainer videos is to answer the question: why should I care? I've applied this question to the idea of Readable Videos and provided a tour of videos in the course. There are over 40 videos and 5 hours of video instruction. https://www.commoncraft.com/why-should-you-care-about-readable-videos

Unlike normal videos, Readable Videos can be created in hours vs days or weeks. All you need is presentation software. However, Readable Videos require know-how. I've spent years perfecting the method and learning what works. You'll discover a new world of simple video production.

05/02/2023

We're hosting a free, 30-minute webinar to launch our new online course "How to Create Readable Videos" on May 9th (11am PT 2pm ET)
Learn how Readable Videos can help you create animated videos in hours vs days. https://www.crowdcast.io/c/readable

05/01/2023

We're launching our new course on "How to Create Readable Videos" next week. This video explains the concept in the form of a : https://youtu.be/bhHNNpoe2CU

This video is an example of a Readable Video that explains the concept and provides multiple examples. Learn more at https://ReadableVideos.com. Need ready-m...

03/08/2023

We're getting back to our roots and explaining new forms of social media.
Mastodon is known as an alternative to Twitter. But that's not the full picture. Mastodon is an example of a different class of social media tools that are powered by people instead of companies. This video uses a rich analogy to explain why that matters and what people can expect in using Mastodon.

You can find me on Mastodon at https://sanjuans.life/

02/22/2023

Are you interested in personalized training by Lee LeFever for creating your own explainer video scripts, storyboards, and videos? Take our brief survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSck3kKfsB0CvF5TQkf7t4LYQFhuAZHXDgCFuPvtXnPUgpr4sA/viewform

We're planning to develop training programs that include personalized instruction by Lee LeFever. The programs will focus on explanation skills and creation of explainer videos. Please help us understand what would be most useful to you.