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A while back I posted this topic, which addressed the preference between pictures and videos. (I strongly prefer pictures, but I wanted something with a little more weight behind it to be able to gently point to when voicing my opinion.)

So, this topic aims to do likewise.

When someone shows you a tutorial, do you prefer pictures without text, pictures with instructions, instructions without pictures, videos without spoken instructions, or videos with spoken instructions?

I hate watching videos; you're stuck watching it at their pace and can't really do anything else at the same time.

With pictures and text you can jump about the page as required, or be listening to music or whatever.

I know what you mean about the video running at the slow pace, but I hate it when you a get a picture with some text then another picture of said finished model with no real understanding of how they got there.

At least with a video you can see the technique being done and therefore have more understanding on how to achieve it, although it can be time consuming over all I prefer this method.

Also I voted wrong I meant to vote video with guide but hit the one above my mistake so your result is slightly wrong sorry

Generally speaking, if you have templates and stuff (in plasticard build-your-owns, etc.) pics work better for obvious reasons. Easy stuff that's doesnt' require much skill aside from cutting and gluing can be very easily done in pictures.

Now, if it's something more complex like a painting technique, seeing it is probably easier for you to both explain and for us as viewers to see how it's done.

In general, I don't feel that text-only tutorials are any good, reason being is that we have no idea how it's going to turn out, it shows no effort being put in, and in general may be hard to understand.

I much prefer pics with directions but I can see why vids would be good for really advanced stuff.

The pace thing is a really good point. Videos are watch first then do, written tuts are read as you go. The second clearly has many advantages.

As with every thing else, the job defines the tool. It depends on what you are trying to show how to do.

I like videos that include a mix of still shots, text instructions, as well as video footage.

Les Bursley at AwesomePaintJob has a good format of speeding up the camera during long hauls, or cutting away if it's tedious footage of the same method(like washes or base coating).

I think 10 minutes is the breaking point of loosing people to boredom. For longer projects, split the video into segments.

The perfect tutorial would include a written guide with accompanying pictures AND video to show the aspects which are best demonstrated in those mediums.

Pictures and text, for me.

While it's hypothetically possible, I've yet to see a video achieve the same clarity as still photography. Not just in terms of resolution, either - a still photo gives the author the chance to perfect the lighting and choose the angle to best illustrate the step being shown. The viewer can then take all the time they need to digest the image, without needing to rewind, pause, advance a few frames and re-pause, etc. A side-by-side series of images taken from the same angle always provides a clearer progression, in my mind, than a mini held to the camera, worked on, then held up again.

A voiceover is also unlikely to be as thorough as a written explanation, partially due to time constraints. With text and pictures, you don't have to worry about discrepancies between the length of a task and its complexity - you simply write as much as is necessary. I can't count how many videos I've seen where either the narration shifts to random chatter or needless repetition while a step is finished, or a step is completed so quickly that the instruction is reduced to "just do what I did."

There are other perks to pictures and text, some of which have already been mentioned: The ability to read as you go/do as you read and the ease of jumping back and forth are nice, of course, but there's also the comparatively fast load time and ease of access on more limited devices (smartphones, work computers with web filters, etc.), the ability to print and take it with you, etc. I also find that, even when I take my time to really review the text and pictures, I digest far more from an equivalent amount of time spent on text and picture tutorials than I do with video. The reader can pause and the author can digress, but there are no inherent wastes of time in the medium.

The odd video is nice, I admit, for the rare task that is completely foreign and mysterious to a painter, but most of us already know or can easily figure out how to put brush to model and are looking for instruction on the finer points - the order of tasks, color selection, common pitfalls to avoid, the theory behind the technique (same for builds - we can all cut a block of foam and glue sand to a base; we need design theory, material selection, choice of tools...).

Most videos are annoying so I prefer pics with instructions.

Pics since so much stuff needs to be time lapsed anyway and it's way easier to follow. Also don't have to worry about rambling and the like.

I think enough posts have accumulated that I can drop my opinion down without it affecting other people's perception of the thread's intent.

Personally, I really despise videos. If I have the computer, then I either have a sleeping baby in the room, or my wife is here and is probably either reading or watching the TV. What this means, for those of you wondering what the hell my personal life has to do with you or this thread, is that I cannot listen to (and rarely watch) videos. Since those that I do see tend to be long and often poorly planned, I rarely feel like I got anything accomplished anyway.

I prefer pictures with instructions. Many pictures; clear instructions. If a video is an absolute must, then make it as brief as possible, and cram as much detail into it as you can. This isn't The Joy of Painting. I don't have to do it in real time. I can replay your vid a million times on youtube if need be. So make it short and syrupy sweet.

Pictures and Text

Cant watch Videos at work.

Edit: also applies to battle reps

So it seems like people prefer pictures over videos here, too, although a sizable number of us are willing to make an exception when the video is necessary to show a complex process. Does that seem about right?