New Grumo Student Demo Video: SellDoorsFaster.com

Here is a new demo video from Grumo Student Liam O’Dea for his new startup called SellDoorsFaster.com.
Check below to find out in great detail how the Grumo Animation course help Liam create his first demo video from scratch.

Liam explains how was the process of producing his first explanatory video:

How long did it take to put together?
I estimate about three weeks, in total. The first two weeks were spread across two months, as I worked on developing the main product and held down a job at the same time. The final week was an intensive one, working full-time with my animator across a big time difference.

How did you record the voice over?
Over numerous takes, with many mistakes, and just like you said, Miguel….with an iPhone and a blanket! (And Patrick O’Keefe’s VoiceRecord app.)

What was the hardest part?
Finishing my storyboard, because I procrastinated a lot over the sketches. I kept underestimating how many scenes I would need to convey my ideas. Then I worried about drawing too many! In the end I think it was a good thing to draw more, but I had to stop somewhere. I started with about 16, and ended with 36!

What was the simplest part?
Adding the home-made sound effects. Some sounds (like cows and a car) I had to buy from pond5, but the rest was a breeze. For example I used a coat-hanger for the swoosh sounds, cleaned them using Audacity, and added them in about 15 minutes. I added all the effects in a couple of hours.

Where did you find the music?
Pond5.com, filtering by ‘quirky/offbeat’, and ‘childrens/kids’ music.

How did the Grumo course help you?
Ever seen those Tim Ferriss posts on smart hacks that help you in business, hiring, life, or love? Well, the Grumo course is basically one of those hacks.

Without the Grumo course, I would never have made a demo video. It’s as simple as that. Grumo gave me a place to start, and broke a complex process into smaller parts that built my confidence up to the point where I was thinking: “ok, now I HAVE to do this!”

The script analysis tools are excellent, and I wrote and re-wrote 13 iterations based on them. I knew what to cut from the script – and what to keep – every time. Not that my script was perfect, because it wasn’t. However, the Grumo course helped me to present a complex product in a way that’s easy to understand.

When it came to outsourcing the animation, I was so well prepared, thanks to the course, that I had HUGE credibility with the animators. Instead of taking me for a schmuck, they thought I was a seasoned pro with years of experience under my belt. It was such a pleasure, getting all these respectful bids from great animators and illustrators. I was almost sad that I couldn’t work with more than one of them.

The storyboard templates with technical instructions for animators are also invaluable. The instructions in particular are a masterpiece in succinct direction. I suspect the animators took one look at the specs, and only the best had the balls to apply (although in the end, I chose a lady animator….ha!).

How did you find about Grumo?
I did a Google Search for ‘product demo video’, last year. I bookmarked a student explainer video (I think it was the Property Development Network video), because it had a storyboard included. Then I purchased the course over on Appsumo.

What other places online have helped you learn to put together this demo video?
Elance, for outsourcing the illustration and animation.

All the other interviews with students on the Grumo website. Reading about their experiences influenced me to take the course, and finish my video.

Thanks for much for taking our animation course and for taking the time to explain how your experience creating your demo video was.