PDT Global speeds up learning production and saves $20K per video with Vyond

Summary of success

• Saved up to $20,000 per video by using Vyond instead of making live-action videos with production crews.
• Created videos more quickly since Vyond allows PDT Global to create storyboards and videos from the same interface.
• Increased engagement from clients in training materials that include Vyond animations.

Take a look at one of PDT Global‘s videos on Imposter Phenomenon: 

Background

Founded in 1998, PDT Global is an award-winning diversity and inclusion training consultancy that delivers training solutions to clients around the world. The company offers both in-person and virtual learning services, and its headquarters are located in Ware, Hertfordshire in the UK.

The challenge

In 2017, PDT wasn’t using animation as a learning solution for clients. Instead, the consultancy was creating live-action videos as workplace training materials. Their clients used these videos to teach their employees how to interact with each other in an inclusive way and embrace inclusion in the workplace.

The live-action videos, however, were challenging for PDT to produce. When the company translated videos for their global clients — covering 27 languages — it was difficult to dub actors in a way that felt seamless and authentic. Beyond dubbing, the cost of creating live-action video was high. It cost roughly $20,000 to hire a production crew and create a twelve-minute video.

Nic Girvan, PDT’s Global head of digital, knew that there was a more engaging and affordable learning solution — animation. She understood the benefits of animation after using Vyond in her previous work as an organisational development consultant at the National Health Service.

Experimenting with animation

“Using animation is much easier than getting a full crew each time you want to produce a video,” said Nic. “It’s more affordable, and lip-syncing animated characters looks more realistic than dubbing in live-action videos.”

With this knowledge, Nic felt confident that offering animated videos to clients at PDT as a part of their training materials would save the company money and time and create a more seamless viewing experience. She explained her idea to her directors at PDT, and they allowed her to test animation in their market. Using Vyond, she created animated videos for a small group of PDT’s clients.

“We have a few really good clients that we work incredibly closely with, so we sent them animations in different formats and styles to see how they would respond,” said Nic.

Contact [email protected] for information about selling Vyond video services.

Creative implementation

The clients who received test animations responded positively with feedback about how great the videos were.

“They like the fact that animation has more of an informal style, and it gets that information across in a really friendly way,” said Nic. “One client has chosen animation over any other approach because they can address serious topics, like inclusion, without sounding too preachy.”

With this positive reception, PDT was ready to expand its use of Vyond and create more animation for clients. In order to create more animated videos, Nic needed the help of her team members. She taught her colleagues how to use Vyond by giving a brief lesson on setting up scenes and then directing them to Vyond’s tutorials and webinars online.

“To be honest, it made sense quite quickly,” said Nic. “One of my team members used Vyond for the first time last week and was able to make a video within two hours. It’s a really simple system to use.”

Across their videos, PDT values how Vyond’s different styles allow them to achieve the appropriate tone for their workplace training content.

“In a video about accommodation and making reasonable adjustments for employees, the contemporary style worked really well” said Nic. “The colourful yet relevant design made the content easy to follow and provided a challenging topic in a way that feels safe and inclusive.”

PDT produces all types of animated videos with Vyond for their clients. Specifically, PDT likes to create behavioral “nudge” videos, which are 30 to 60 second clips that appear on users’ screens within the workplace during times when they are most relevant to the user’s activity.

“A nudge, for example, might remind a user how to be more inclusive when completing a workplace task such as a performance review,” said Nic. “They’re a branch of microlearning videos.” Here’s an example of a nudge on talent acquisition:

The consultancy also uses Vyond to create augmented reality learning courses where students in a classroom can scan posters to watch videos.

“Participants download the learning app Zappar, they scan the posters in the classroom, and that pulls up Vyond videos we’ve created on the app,” said Nic. “Students love it–they can start learning right away, even if the class hasn’t started.”

The results

According to Nic, switching to Vyond saved PDT time and money and increased global engagement for worldwide organisations.

Before using Vyond, creating a twelve-minute live video with a full crew cost PDT $20,000. With Vyond, the cost is minimal.

“To create Vyond animations in English, we manage the development and voiceover work internally, so the costs are only tied to existing salaries,” said Nic.

Beyond costs, Vyond saves PDT time. It’s much quicker to produce a Vyond animation than a live-action video. Here’s an example about non-binary identity:

“The animation process tends to be fast because the storyboarding process also happens in Vyond,” said Nic. “Not to mention, you don’t need to spend time on live production logistics—waiting on a venue’s availability, booking background actors—and it’s much faster to dub with animation.”

The PDT team is excited to see how using Vyond in their training materials has improved clients’ learning results and helped the company save both time and money.

“Our team loves Vyond,” said Nic. “Our clients are really happy with the animations we’ve created and compared to most animation software, it’s just so easy for anyone to pick up.” 

Create your own videos

Interested in creating Vyond videos to sell? Contact [email protected] for information.

Visit PDT Global to learn more about their services.