"FRIENDLY GREETINGS!"
Like so many things of value in my life that ultimately produce great happiness, my Second Life video tutorials were borne from anger and frustration. It was roughly mid-2006, and I was writing Knowledge Base articles during a period of support staff transition at Linden Lab — shortly before our formal Documentation Team (currently Jon & Jeremy Linden) came to be.
I've long been good with words. It wasn't always this way, but sometimes, the most blasé adages are true, and it has been true in my experience that the more you do something, the better you get: provided your mind is receptive to learning and improving yourself, and you're passionate about the material. Some, like Coding Horror, will emphasize you need to "get it", and once you do, you're on your way.
So, here I was buried in words, and I'll tell you upfront that there are many times when having a searchable text reference with supplemental imagery is important. Making videos does not exclude their worth at all. Yet, one of the most formidable challenges of learning Second Life is that so much is in motion. From animated avatars to scrolling through Inventory, writing about it, or putting up still pictures isn't as memorable nor effective as showing what actually happens. And what better way to do this than record SL itself, then play it back?
COME TOGETHER
There's a branch in the tale here: like many good ideas that come to fruition, convergence proves invaluable. Being able to synthesize the common into something uncommon (at least initially), fresh, and exciting. Parallel to my documentation-writing, I was also working on educating Residents (our Second Life community) about reporting bugs. One of the most important parts of a bug report is a solid repro, a series of steps to make the problem happen reliably, over and over. Not all bugs have 'em, but most do, and they should provided whenever possible.
Dan Linden ("Linden" being the shared surname used for Linden Lab employees) had recorded some videos of bugs that were difficult to explain in words, and Brent Linden invented the very useful template for which I've based my bug reports on since. Taking a cue from these helpful Quality Assurance engineers (Brent has since transitioned to the Resident Experience Team) I put the two together, and started uploading videos to YouTube like the "Folder expansion during inventory streaming bug" one. I had also previously done a few pieces of so-called "machinima", so my efforts weren't starting from 0 (and my video editing chops date years back further), but this was nevertheless a new frontier. Some of you may recall "Watermelon Glow Grow Flex-Ability", produced in Windows Movie Maker after being inspired by Ben Linden (currently not with the company) showing off new features in video.
A central idea blossomed: the power of video to communicate Second Life. This isn't new at all, and whether it's Lynda's extensive repository of online training or the Video Professor hawking his wares, multimedia — showing how to do something in action — can be extremely fun, engaging, and valuable. It's also obvious, and if Microsoft Word can have vidtuts showing how to use it, Second Life, on its path to being an established platform, needs them too!
EARLY STAGES
The first video tutorials (later to be termed "vidtuts" for short) I crafted were included with The Second Opinion official newsletter, which isn't being published anymore. I was really happy to do these tips 'n' tricks after Robin & Jeska Linden encouraged me, and later vidtuts would be included in the Knowledge Base. Thanx again to Jon & Jeremy for being supportive and using my materials to supplement their fine prose.
I remember late nights of finagling with Sony Vegas (still my editing program of choice) and coming up with, then gelling the styles which are still in use today: the black subtitles with yellow glow, the intro and outro bumper matter-of-factly showing what topic I'm covering, and the camera zooms which I get asked "How did you do that?" about many times over. There've been variations, of course, but these general guidelines have served me well, and I've saved them as a template which I continue to refine as changes come. And there'll definitely be more changes in store.
It's funny what lateral reasons prompt action: I do the zoom-ins to focus on specific parts of the screen, yes, but I initially needed to do them because YouTube's video quality is blurry and destroys text and details at small sizes! A similar principle was behind illuminating the black, 40-pt. text with yellow glows. I wanted to make it easy to read, simple as that.
Over time, as I gained viewership, I received a lot of beloved feedback, and implemented some suggestions. For example, when suitable, I let text linger on the screen for more than the previously-standard 2 seconds, so it can be read without going by too fast. Also, I've settled on a standard zoom speed for the most part, and consistencized on its smoothness: too many zooms are nausea-inducing, and varying their speeds (instead of a familiar tempo) compounds that problem. A side benefit is that standardizing zoom speed also makes the vidtuts quicker to produce. 
How about the graphic I use at the beginning, end, and occasionally, section callouts (you see it zoom in with a summary of what I'm teaching next)?
Well, this originates from a raw snapshot I took inworld near the yin-yang of snowy Zermatt region. The vertical line is the beacon, with the "shockwave" in effect because I enabled the "Cheesy Beacon" animation which Runitai Linden came up with via Client menu. I then post-processed it lightly. It works nicely on a number of levels: being illuminated by knowledge, the water (near the bottom) providing a visual of "breaking the ice", clouds atop signifying hope, the meditatively peaceful (and almost patriotic) palette, and the fact that the cheesy beacon can't be enabled without knowing how to get to the Client menu — which is a host of useful features great for plucking and putting in the Tip of the Week! (It also reminds me of classic video games with vector graphics, but that's just a bonus.)
LET IT ALL OUT
There've been a lot of other conventions which were once "wild" and "untested": early on, I became upset with the copious amount of bugs I'd run across while filming. I won't hide that Second Life has a lot of bugs, or that this isn't a problem particular to SL. But just like the human body is a thing of wonder yet is prone to sickness and decay, the existence of troubles doesn't mean we should shrink in the face of them — quite the contrary!
In midstream while thinking, "Should I leave these bugs in or keep reshooting until I get a pristine take?", I made a self-executive decision and opted for the former. This, in turn, fostered the off-the-cuff, candid avatar-on-the-street feel which has vastly dominated my video tutorials, and I believe now gives me enough experience and perspective to confidently say they've been better because of it.
It also serves a dual purpose of letting me refer to our Issue Tracker.
I'm not in the conspiracy or coverup business, and think it's severely important to acknowledge problems and what's being done about them. Especially for someone who uses Second Life regularly and casually, a "small" bug will feel many times more irritating if it affects a frequently-used part of the experience. I know this all too well, having graduated from being a Resi who helped report bugs to working for Linden Lab. And what we do is wonderful across many shades, and I hope we never have to hide our flaws like bad acne, but continue to deal with them proactively.
I don't pre-script my video tutorials. I think that would lose the improvisatory and spontaneous nature. I do jot down a list of key points I want to cover, but I'm not reading off a TelePrompTer. This may especially be evident when I flub lines (that were never scripted to begin with, ha!), goof up, or can't get participation from bystanders. In response to the "Text chat macros" ep, romanali1 on YouTube commented (I read my comments, even if I can't reply to all of them):
haha - no responses. One would think the mere presence of a Linden, let alone Torley making a video would make people all excitable.
Impressed at your honesty Torley, not staging a set of actors with fake enthusiasm.
Thanxies, and I thrive on being earnest. Above all, I survive on being human.
THE TAO OF VIDEO
I love efficiency, hate wasted time. I loathe lost productivity and burned cycles (and meetings that drag on without an agenda), and altho I continued to write text articles for the KB in 2006, whenever I spotted opportunities for things that'd best be shown through a video tutorial, I'd do it. I'd take requests, both from fellow Lindens and Resis, leading to what is currently a long-and-overflowing queue of stuff that needs to be prioritized, including the "Vidtut ideas" public page. This is good!
Being able to save time explaining something over and over is one of the greatest joys I feel. Cheesy? Heck yeah, but it's damn true. It's even greater being able to share this info via the Internet, and empower our volunteer helpers with easy links to knowhow which has been prepared with gusto for their enjoyment.
I originally started posting vidtuts on YouTube because despite the crap resolution, it's cheap and cheerful. It's also effective for getting Second Life out to people who've never heard of it before, encouraging their curiosity. In this regard, and with 1+ million views, I'm an ambassador and evangelist: I may very well be the first Linden employee they ever literally hear, so I want to be my best.
And what about my narration, the voice behind the video tutorials? I was a shy kid who, true to the Asperger Syndrome stereotype, alternated between stretches of silence and crazy rants about my obsessions. Years later, I studied many incredible public speakers and their respective styles, including Steve Jobs and Adobe maven Russell Brown (who's like the Babe Ruth of vidtuts). I highly recommend the TED Talks site for engaging presentations, and sent them an application to be considered as a future speaker. I drew diverse influences + inspiration, and pooled them into my own uniqueness. I watched many recordings on my MacBook Pro, and drifted off to sleep, some subconscious process of oratory digestion permeating my dreams.
If you wonder if how I speak in the videos is how I talk everyday, your answer is YES. I approach my first and Second Life with such energy despite the problems, because without that focused zeal, how are we going to handle adversity? And really, if I had a droney monotone, you'd be bored and stop the vid. That's the last thing I want.
Also if you're wondering… YES, I really like saying "FRIENDLY GREETINGS!" In its repetition and delivery, it's become, along with "YAYZERAMA!", one of my catchphrases. If you think I say it well, you should hear my wife… she's so adorable and supportive, and a number of the ideas originated from her, including the gift box episode.
As of this writing, I've published 36 video tutorials, inspired many more, and this is just the beginning. I'm in no way on some elevated plateau, and I continue to see myself as an "everyavatar" just getting the word out to the people. It keeps my head from turning into a Macy's Day parade float, and makes me hungry to share more.
There're many yarns to be unspun, footage to be edited, adventures to be had — and there's certainly ample excitement on the horizon: video tutorials covering exciting new features, in addition to the most elementary Second Life skills, are coming. Throughout it all, I've grown as a resource here at LL, getting to work with some very kewl colleagues on enticing projects.
I don't intend to always be the lone Linden video tutorial creator either, and am open to teaching rising stars and spreading the wealth. Unsecret processes are key to the advancement of a cultured civilization. For what Toffler philosophy teaches is true:
"Knowledge is promiscuous. It mates and gives birth to more knowledge."
BREED KNOWLEDGE, RAISE HAPPINESS
Everyone has dreams, and perhaps what's noticeable about me is that I declare my dreams out loud in such vibrant color that they come true through the very act of proclamation. Teaching is among my favorite things to do, and here I am, living the dream in a community I care so much about. Online worlds are here, and Second Life is the prism through which I show you my visions.
If you've ever watched one or more of my video tutorials, I thank you graciously. If you've ever shared my vidtuts with friends & family because you got goodness out of it and hoped they would too, I thank you beyond that.
