You might not think of best practices in eLearning and public awareness when you think of public utilities. But that’s exactly what Cleveland Public Utilities should be known for thanks in part to the talents of Peter Mercado, a Desktop Publishing Specialist.
We were able to grab a few moments of Peter’s time to ask him a bit about his job and his journey to incorporate fun and informative video into public awareness campaigns for Cleveland Water, Cleveland Public Power, and Water Pollution Control.
How long have you been working with Cleveland Public Utilities and what is your role?
Mercado: I’ve been working for Cleveland Public Utilities for three years. My role is to create annual reports, brochures, internal signage and posters, flyers, and forms. I create social media images to support Cleveland Public Utilities’ Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. I also capture and edit video using a DSLR camera and Adobe Premiere Pro and create short animations for public awareness and education utilizing Vyond’s software.
How long have you been working with video?
Mercado: I have only been working with video for a year or so and am learning new techniques daily.
How do you use it in your role?
Mercado: I use it to educate and inform the public using Vyond for Cleveland Water, Cleveland Public Power, and Water Pollution Control. I’ve been creating monthly videos to be featured on Cleveland Water’s YouTube and Twitter.
What do you find useful about using video for public education?
Mercado: I find it easier to demonstrate complicated subject matters through animation. The retention levels are much greater in animation than the written word.
What types of learning tools are you using?
Mercado: Vyond, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, and InDesign
Have you seen an increase in learning with video?
Mercado: Yes, We’ve experienced a huge increase in Cleveland Water’s Web Portal enrollment since we started using Vyond.
Take us through your creation and publishing process.
Mercado: I usually receive a short script from a person who writes the subject matter of the desired animation. I create a storyboard and come up with the graphics and animation techniques utilizing Vyond Software. If Vyond does not have the stock art I’m looking for then I draw it in Illustrator and import it there. I usually type the script in Vyond and use the text to speech feature as a placeholder for my voiceovers. I then record my voiceover, edit it in Audition and import it into Vyond. I then add music and sound effects to support the animation. It then gets reviewed and changes are made as required. It is exported from Vyond and gets uploaded and posted to Cleveland Water’s YouTube page or Twitter.
Using video for public awareness and education
With his educational animated videos, Mercado is making it easier for people in Cleveland to prevent and fix common utility issues. His Vyond videos have helped thousands of locals to save precious time and resources.
Create your own animated video
