Entry 5b Best Video Production: External THE VERMONT AGENCY OF TRANSPORTATION Roundabouts-Everything You Need to Know - YouTube

 Over the past several years, the Vermont Agency of Transportation has installed a number of single-lane roundabouts throughout the state. While roundabouts are safe, efficient, and effective, they can be confusing for drivers, and their increasing prominence in Vermont has been a source of controversy. Situation VTrans set out to educate drivers on why roundabouts are becoming more popular, and how drivers should navigate them.

We felt that video provided the best platform to simply and effectively cover the intricacies of roundabouts. Situation Although numerous roundabout explainer videos already exist, few explain the practical benefits of roundabouts, and even fewer do so in a succinct and watchable manner.

 Explain WHY roundabouts are an excellent option for intersections in Vermont.  Explain HOW to properly navigate Vermont’s single-lane roundabouts.  Do so in a succinct, interesting manner that retains our audience’s attention. Goals We sought to achieve the following goals through our Roundabout video (Video Here!)(Video Here!)

Explainer videos are inherently dull, and an explainer video focused on roundabouts typically wouldn’t draw a lot of attention. We implemented numerous strategies to make our video as interesting as possible. Our Strategy Feature VTrans Experts Utilize Text and Visual Aids Set a Pace Rather than relying on text or voiceover, we prefer to feature subject-matter experts. This adds a human element to our videos, and improves the clarity and effectiveness of the message. Graphics, text, and other visual aids were employed to compliment and clarify the subject’s words. We like to keep things moving with snappy editing, tight composition, and upbeat music. This keeps our audience engaged, and helps keep our videos as succinct as possible. POV cameras were used to show the driver’s perspective on the content being discussed.

Just ask our audience. Did we achieve our goals?

Results The video was well-received on the VTransTV Youtube channel, gaining 699 views,VTransTV 9 likes, 6 comments, and 3 shares in the first week.

Results These numbers continued to grow in subsequent weeks as the video was shared nationwide by Midas Inc., and embedded on the Vermont Highway Safety Alliance homepage.

Results Today, the video has 1,392 views, 3,360 minutes-watched, and has been seen by viewers across the globe. We are proud to achieve such numbers in our small, rural state, and we hope that the video continues to spread its reach across Vermont, cleaning up the controversy and confusion surrounding roundabouts.