An interaction can take the form of a title, a button, an image, a menu, or an invisible clickable area known as a “hotspot.” It can jump to another point in the video, open an external link, launch another media, download a document, or point to another interaction.
Call-to-action buttons that appear at just the right moment and invite viewers to “Buy,” “Sign up,” “Download the brochure,” or “Request a demo” are the obvious choice, but you can do better.
Here are a few concrete uses to adapt to your own content.
1. Create a navigation menu, like on a DVD
This is the ideal use case for a long video (training, event replay, webinar) that your viewers will want to browse by chapter.
- The menu title. At the point where the menu should appear, create an interaction that serves as a title, for example “What would you like to watch?” Enable the “Pause” option: the video stops on the menu and gives viewers time to choose.
- The first button. Create it at the same moment, position it on the screen, and give it the “Jump then play” action pointing to the start of the first chapter.
- The other buttons. Duplicate the first one for each chapter, then change the text and the target time. The editor’s magnet feature aligns the buttons with each other.
Tip: for a button that links to another interaction (a chapter, a question, etc.), use the “Link to an anchor” action instead. The link follows the target interaction, even if you move it later.
2. Add titles or credits
No editing software needed to dress up your video. At the desired moment, create an interaction that carries your text, with no action, then choose an entrance animation and a display duration.
End credits are even simpler: duplicate the interaction, change the text, shift it in time, and repeat as many times as needed. Everything stays editable at any time, with no need to re-export the video.
3. Place hotspots on a sequence
On a sequence with a fairly static frame, place transparent areas around objects, logos, or people. A click opens a link (product page, partner page) or takes the viewer to another point in the video.
This works well for a product demo, a virtual tour, or a team introduction video. The full recipe is in the “Styling an Interaction” guide.
4. Imagine an interactive “escape game” video
This is the most ambitious use case, and the most fun. Your video is an assembly of sequences, featuring different places and situations.
- Mark the start of each sequence.
- At the end of each scene, create an interaction that pauses the video.
- Add as many interactions as there are choices to offer. Each one points to another moment in the video or to another interaction.
The viewer’s goal: reach the sequence that contains the exit!
5. Dress up your content in multiple languages
Like subtitles, interactions are gathered into one file per language. If you’ve created a menu, titles, action buttons, or credits in one language, all you need to do is save your interactions in a new language and translate them. The interactions in the original language are not affected, and you’re assured that the timing and positioning of the interactions are identical in every language.
The same video can be played or embedded in several languages with a simple “&interaction=xx” parameter in the URL, where “xx” is the language code.
Good to know before you get started
- The order of creation doesn’t matter: interactions are automatically sorted by their start time.
- Interactions displayed at the same moment appear as dotted outlines on the stage and serve as reference points.
- The “Replace in all titles” block lets you rename all interactions at once, matching whole words and ignoring case.
- Nothing is saved until you click “Save and exit.”
Your turn
Chapter menu, animated credits, clickable hotspots, or a choose-your-own-adventure: interactions turn passive content into an experience. To go further, three detailed guides are waiting for you: Placing and Timing, Styling an Interaction, and Making an Interaction Act.
In the “Appearance” tab of your media, click “Add” on the “Interactions” line, and dive in.