This is not really "fundamental", but I can't find anywhere else appropriate...

I have a need to make some videos for a training class. The class will run hundreds of times and be three days in length. The videos will vary between three and eight minutes, I think. No more than four speaking parts per video with about three to five non-speaking extras. Many will have only two speaking parts. I do not need the quality for TV commercials, nor even the quality for TV dramas (the latter being much less expensive than the former).

I've considered using live actors and basic editing. I don't know whether or not I have to pay standard wages; there are a lot of factors involved.

I'm also consdidering basic 3-D animation. I'm trying to find costing information on the Web, but all I can find is "it depends". I know I can go to elance or somewhere else and ask for bids, but since I have not decided to do animation "for sure", I am not sure that is wholly honest.

Does anyone have experience in this area? If I need a dozen videos of three to eight minutes duration each, what should I expect to pay if I farm the whole thing out (I'd do the scripts)? How does animation compare with live actors? What is appropriate to do myslef? I probably have enough experience to direct the videos, but I would have to learn the animation stuff.

Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

John... I do have experience writing scripts for videos that support learning...but...and you knew this was coming... could you please provide some context around this? If you have people coming to an actual classroom, what is the situation that you feel necessitates videos? The only time I've used video *in a classroom* was when the videos were of actual customer interviews (not scripted/staged). It would help if you could provide some additional information because I may be able to provide you with alternatives and other info about paying actors, etc...

Thanks, LL. Here is the situation: as I mentioned I have a class that will run multiple times. It will have multiple instructors.

A portion of the class will be to discuss certain office/business situations. Think of a class where participants and instructor discuss why a particular office event constituets harassment or other inappropriate behavior.

As a consequence of the desire for uniformity (and my client's request) the scenarios need to be the same for each execution of the course. We could have participants read the scripts, but that might not, in this situation, be appropriate. It is also not what the client really likes -- it does not create the "uniform experience" they want. Also, they have found that their participants do not like the nature of "role playing" under any guise.

Thanks,

I have done some scripting and directing, but not the other phases of video or animation production.