eLearning Video Production: The Complete Guide (2026)

It's Friday afternoon, and the Product team releases an update, changing the interface for Sales reps. By Monday morning, your inbox is full of messages. Your training video, which is live in Salesforce, shows the old steps, and managers have been fielding "where did that button go?" questions.

By the time you're able to produce a new training video with the updated workflow, it's too late. People have already figured it out for themselves, and you've lost their trust in your content.

That's the real challenge with eLearning videos: being able to keep them up-to-date when things inevitably change, so they remain a useful resource.

So whether you're looking to learn the complete process for producing eLearning videos, you're weighing different production options, or you're wondering if eLearning videos are even the right investment for your organization, this guide will help you make an informed decision.

What is an eLearning video? 

First, let me clarify what I mean by an eLearning video.

An eLearning is any learning experience delivered digitally, meaning through a learning management system (LMS), learning experience platform (LXP), or knowledge base. eLearnings come in a variety of formats, including videos. Most importantly, an eLearning should be tied to a measurable outcome.

An eLearning video is a short-form video designed to support job performance. It can show an employee how to follow a process, use a tool, make a decision, or comply with a requirement. It's often used interchangeably with training videos.

Common use cases for eLearning videos include:

• Onboarding
• Compliance training
• Software and systems training 
• Scenario-based training 

If you're wondering what separates a video from an eLearning video, there's a quick litmus test: after watching the video, can they do something they couldn't before? If yes, it's an eLearning video.

I share more on what makes video training effective, and when to use it, in this post.

Types of eLearning videos 

There's one more thing I'd like to clarify before we dive into producing eLearning videos.

If you've been reading up on this subject, you've likely seen a reference to types of eLearning videos, followed by a list including things like: screencasts, explainers, animations, avatar-based video, and more.

Here's the problem. Those lists conflate two things: production methods (how the video is made) and instructional approaches (how it teaches or trains).

If this is your first time working with eLearning videos, you'll want to separate these out. Just know that eLearning videos often mix and match production methods and instructional approaches.

Microlearning often shows up as an instructional approach, but it is really more of a design constraint. It references the length and scope of the learning experience, and importantly, isn't limited to video.

Producing your eLearning video 

Now that you have all the context you need, you can successfully produce an eLearning video. I will walk you through the process at a high-level. These steps work whether you use traditional video software, an AI-video platform, or outsource production.

Start by identifying who the video is for, what they need to do after watching, and which workflow the video needs to support. Essentially a learning objective with a performance outcome.

I recommend something like this:

This video is for [specific role] who currently [context or gap]. After watching, [specific role] should be able to [observable action] so that [business outcome].

This statement will be your baseline for success and ensure your training video is measurable. Once you have it drafted follow these five steps:

Step 1: Write your script ‍

Write a focused script with a clear hook, outcome statement, minimum steps needed, common pitfalls, and a next action. Remember, focused videos are effective videos.

Step 2: Plan your scenes

Focus on the big pieces needed to accomplish your objective. One idea per scene. If you end up working with a production partner, this is where you'll share your finalized script, supporting materials, brand assets, and any relevant documentation.

At this stage, you'll also plan for localization by standardizing components that are universal (like terminology), and identifying parts that will vary by region.

Step 3: Select your tool or outsource production

Decide how you'll actually produce the video. Are you using AI? Recording yourself? Hiring a production partner? This decision shapes what setup and resources you'll need. (More on how to make that decision in the next section.)

Step 4: Build your video

Follow the tool or production process you're using. Be ruthless about cutting anything tangential to your learning outcome. Keep videos no more than 5 minutes so employees can easily return to them as reference.

Step 5: Publish and iterate

Plan where your video will live and how you'll manage revisions. That means deciding where it lives (LMS, knowledge base, etc.), who has access, and how you'll handle updates when things change.

For more detailed step-by-step guidance on creating training videos (with or without AI) see my how-to guide.

Deciding when to outsource production

Now that you understand what goes into producing an eLearning video, you can make a more informed decision about whether you can produce this in-house or not. 

That decision comes down to four factors: 

1. Capacity
   Do you have the time and people to produce the video(s)? 
2. Skills
   Does your team have skills needed to create well-designed video training? 
3. Tools
   Do you already have access to the tools you need to create the video? 
4. Resources
   ‍What resources do you have available for this project (whether for a vendor, tool, or contractor)?

Because this is so dependent on your organizational context, it is hard for me to give you specifics that will help you make a more informed decision. For instance, the cost of tools or outsourcing can vary widely depending on the number of licenses, users, or the project's scope, so promising you any ranges wouldn't be realistic.

Instead, I prefer to illustrate how I might make the decision through several scenarios.

If you decide to outsource, here's a shortlist of recommended companies (based primarily in North America). If you want a detailed framework for evaluating vendors, read this guide.

What comes next

When you've created the video, the work doesn't stop there (I know, you know). If this is your first time developing eLearning videos, I highly recommend planning for measuring and maintaining your videos.

Even if your stakeholders only care about completion rates, figure out what good measurement actually looks like in your context. That's usually a mix of snapshot metrics (completion rates, views) plus signals of behavioral change (fewer errors, faster time-to-first-success, fewer support tickets). Go back to your learning objective and identify what signals matter.

Whatever you track, make sure it's repeatable. You need data you can collect consistently over time so you can see whether the video is working and know when to update it.

Without measurement and maintenance, you're just building a library that sits unused.