How to Make an Instructional Video With Screen Recording or Slides (Using AI Tools)

An instructional video is a short teaching experience that helps someone do something, with clear steps and just enough context to prevent confusion. The easiest way to start is to use what you already have. Maybe that’s a slide deck you’ve presented before. Maybe it’s a screen recording you’ve already made. Or maybe it’s just an idea.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to turn your starting point into a clear lesson, then use Synthesia to generate and polish the script, add an avatar, create voiceover, update scenes without re-recording, and localize the video for different languages and regions.

Turn your starting point into a lesson

You can start from slides, a screen recording, or a blank page. The workflow is the same: define the outcome, shape the steps into a short lesson, and use AI tools to speed up scripting, production, and updates.

If you want the simplest way to get moving, start with a tutorial template. A good template gives you a proven structure for video so you can focus on the lesson, not the layout. Click Edit to explore how it works.

Now that you have a structure, let’s fill it in step by step. Follow this workflow to create an instructional video with a clear goal, clean steps, and an easy-to-update structure.

We’ll use one illustrative: setting up two-factor authentication (2FA). Not the most exciting topic, but it’s familiar, step-by-step, and the menus change often, which makes it a great instructional-video test.

1) Turn your content into video

Start by choosing a structure you can reuse, then turn your content into a simple teaching flow: goal, steps, and recap. A template helps because it prevents you from improvising the format and keeps your lesson tight from the first scene.

Example: Use a tutorial template to map “Enable 2FA” into a goal scene, a short step list, and a recap.

2) Choose an avatar and voice

Add a presenter and narration so viewers feel guided, not dumped into a process mid-click. An avatar works especially well for the intro and recap, where tone and clarity matter more than showing the interface.

Example: Use an avatar to introduce what 2FA is and close by repeating the steps in plain language.

3) Design your scenes

Break the lesson into scenes that each do one job, and keep the viewer oriented with clear titles and consistent pacing. This is where you reduce cognitive load by keeping on-screen text minimal and making the “thing that matters” obvious in every moment.

Example: Create one scene per 2FA step, like “Open Settings,” “Go to Security,” and “Save backup codes.”

4) Add interactivity

Interactivity turns watching into doing, which boosts follow-through and recall. Use it to route people to the right path, check understanding, or reinforce a key decision point without making the video longer.

Example: Add a choice that asks “Authenticator app or SMS?” and only show the next steps for the option they picked.

5) Localize and scale

Make one strong lesson, then create versions for different languages or regions without rebuilding the entire video. Localization works best when your scenes are modular and your wording is consistent, because changes stay contained.

Example: Publish the same 2FA tutorial in English and Spanish with localized voice and subtitles.

6) Preview and refine

Do a clarity pass like a beginner: check pacing, make sure every click or decision is visible, and confirm the video still makes sense with sound off. Tight edits here remove confusion without adding new content.

Example: Rewatch the 2FA video and slow down the moment where viewers must find “Security,” then emphasize saving backup codes.

7) Generate and share

Render the final version and distribute it where people will actually look for help, not where it’s easiest to upload. A good instructional video becomes a reusable answer you can share in seconds.‍

Example: Generate the 2FA video and share a link whenever someone asks how to set it up.

♻︎ Update anytime

Design your video so change is easy: keep scenes short, avoid long single-take recordings, and treat the script as the source of truth. That way, when something shifts, you update the affected scene instead of starting over.‍

Example: If the app moves “Security” into a new menu, replace that one scene and regenerate the video.

What to include in an instructional video

Start with the outcome

Open with one sentence that makes success obvious. If the viewer can’t tell what they’ll be able to do by the end, the rest of the video feels harder than it is.

Example: “By the end of this video, you’ll have two-factor authentication enabled on your account.”

Name what they need before they start

A quick prerequisite prevents the most common frustration: viewers pausing because they’re in the wrong place, using the wrong device, or missing access.

Example: “You’ll need to be logged in, and you may want your phone nearby for the verification step.”

Teach one step at a time

Keep each step to one action, in the order it happens. Use the same words the interface uses so there’s no translation burden for the viewer.

Example: “Open Settings, then go to Security.”

Call out the easy-to-miss moment

Every task has one step people mess up. Slow down there, zoom in, and say the thing you wish someone had told you.

Example: “Don’t skip saving your backup codes. This is what helps you get back in if you lose your phone.”

Recap the steps in plain language

A quick recap is where learning sticks. Repeat the sequence once, without extra commentary, then tell viewers what to do next.

Example: “Settings, Security, choose your method, confirm, then save your backup codes.”

Make it usable without sound

Captions and clean on-screen cues help everyone, especially when people are watching quietly or multitasking.

Example: Add captions and keep on-screen text to short labels like “Settings” and “Security,” not full sentences.

Design for updates

Assume the UI will change. Keep scenes modular so you can replace one step without rebuilding the whole lesson.

Example: If “Security” moves in the menu, you only need to swap that one scene and regenerate.

Measuring success

Views are easy to count, but they don’t tell you if the video taught anything. A better test is behavior: after watching, can someone complete the task correctly, with fewer mistakes, or without needing extra help?

Start by naming the behavior you want to change, then pick one or two signals that reflect it. Use completion and drop-off to spot where confusion starts, then tighten that moment by shortening the intro, slowing down a key step, or adding a clearer callout. Research on video-based learning highlights that learning effectiveness depends on design and viewer activity, and behavioral traces are commonly used to understand engagement.

If you include a knowledge check, treat it as a diagnostic. When many viewers miss the same question, that’s your cue to clarify the step and reinforce it in the recap. Retrieval practice research supports that actively recalling information improves learning, which is why a quick check can help when it’s used thoughtfully.

Finally, look at what happens after the video: fewer repeat questions, fewer failed attempts, fewer support requests, or faster time-to-first-success. That’s the outcome that tells you whether the lesson worked.

Example (2FA): If viewers drop off right before saving backup codes, add a brief callout and repeat “save your backup codes” in the recap, then watch whether completion and successful setup improve.