Adding Videos to Your Lessons
The video tile is one of the most effective ways to reinforce ideas, increase engagement, and give your lessons a human touch. Whether you are guiding new hires through onboarding, demonstrating a new workflow, or breaking down a challenging concept, video helps learners absorb and retain information more effectively.
When you add a video tile, it starts blank and offers four options:
Upload an existing video file
Record your screen and camera directly in the browser
Embed a public video URL (YouTube, Vimeo, or a direct link)
Editable Video — let the Mindsmith Agent generate a scene-based AI video for you
Each method gives you a different level of flexibility depending on how fast you need to move or how tailored you want your content to be.
This guide walks through how each method works, what you can customize, and how to integrate video into your lessons for maximum impact.
Uploading or Embedding an Existing Video
If you already have a reliable video, such as a polished training segment, a recorded presentation, or a hosted clip, you can add it directly to your lesson.
Video Upload Limits
Uploaded video files can be up to 1 GB in size. Supported formats include MP4, MOV, and other common video file types. Larger files may take several minutes to upload depending on your internet connection.
During upload, the video is sent directly to cloud storage. If you navigate away from the page while an upload is in progress, the upload will be cancelled. Stay on the page until the upload completes and the video appears in your tile.
💡 Tip: For very large videos, consider compressing the file before uploading or using the Embed option with a hosted video URL instead.
To upload or embed a video:
In the Editor, click to add a video tile, or select an existing empty video tile.
Choose your input method:
Upload: Drag and drop a video file from your computer directly onto the empty tile, or click to browse.
Embed: Paste a public video URL (such as YouTube, Vimeo, or a direct video link) or an iframe snippet.
If an embedded URL is not compatible with our standard player, Mindsmith will automatically convert the tile to an embed tile so your video still plays seamlessly.
After adding the video, click on the video tile to open the side menu. From here, you can manage playback settings, trim the video, upload a custom thumbnail, and add accessibility features.
Adjusting Playback Settings
In the side menu of your video tile, you can configure several player settings to control how learners interact with your content:
Video must be completed: Toggle this on to require learners to watch the entire video before they can continue to the next part of the lesson. In view mode, a status message will guide them until completion.
Learners can skip ahead: When Video must be completed is active, you can toggle this off to prevent learners from scrubbing or skipping forward in the video timeline.
Hide speed picker: Toggle this on to remove the playback speed controls from the video player interface for your learners.
Optimizing with Mux (Business+ Plan)
If you have a large uploaded video and want to ensure smooth, high-quality playback across all devices and connection speeds, you can optimize it for adaptive streaming. Click the Send to Mux button in the video tile side menu.
Mindsmith will process and prepare an optimized adaptive streaming version of your video. Once ready, you can toggle this on or remove it at any time.
Uploading a Custom Thumbnail
You can customize the poster image that displays before your video starts playing:
Click on the video tile to open the side menu.
Under the Thumbnail section, drag and drop an image or upload one from your computer (supported formats include PNG, JPEG, JPG, GIF, and WEBP).
If no thumbnail is uploaded, Mindsmith will display a preview frame from the video itself.
Trimming Your Video
You do not need external editing software to cut out dead air or trim your video to the perfect length:
Select your video tile to open the side menu.
In the timeline preview at the bottom of the side menu, click and drag the left handle to set your Start point, and the right handle to set your End point.
Alternatively, type exact timestamps into the Start and End input fields underneath the timeline.
For recorded videos: Trimming a native browser recording will physically cut and process the video file when you click Save, updating the source video to your newly trimmed length.
Adding Transcripts and Captions
Providing transcripts and captions makes your content accessible and helps learners who prefer reading along.
Select the video tile and locate the Captions or Transcript sections in the side menu.
Click the + icon next to either section to add content:
Upload a .VTT file: Select a standard VTT caption file from your computer to display synchronized captions.
Manual Entry: Click the Transcript section to type or paste a complete text transcript directly into the text box.
Generate with AI (Business+ Plan): Click the Generate Captions & Transcript button. Mindsmith will automatically transcribe the audio from your video, save the text transcript, and apply perfectly synchronized VTT captions.
Recording Your Screen and Camera
Mindsmith features a built-in recorder, allowing you to capture software walkthroughs, webcam welcome messages, or presentations without leaving your browser. Recordings can be up to 15 minutes long.
To record directly in Mindsmith:
Select an empty video tile and click the Record Video button.
Choose your recording mode:
Screen only: Captures your monitor, browser tab, or application window.
Camera only: Captures just your webcam video.
Screen and camera: Captures both your screen and your webcam. Your webcam will appear in a neat picture-in-picture overlay in the corner of your screen recording.
Select your microphone and camera inputs from the dropdown menus. You can speak to test your microphone levels with the live audio visualizer bar.
Click Continue to see your live preview video.
When you are ready, click the red Record button. A 3-second countdown will display on your screen before recording begins.
While recording, you can pause and resume at any time. When you are finished, click the Stop button. You will be taken to a preview screen where you can review your video, trim the start and end points using the trimmer timeline, and click Save to process and upload the finished clip directly to your video tile.
Generating a Video with AI
When you do not have video assets on hand, the Mindsmith Agent can create one for you from a simple prompt. This tool builds a full video complete with a virtual presenter, relevant background imagery, and spoken narration.
To generate an AI video:
Add a video tile (the + button on the canvas, or the toolbar Video button).
In the blank tile, click Create on the Editable Video card.
Describe the video you want in the Mindsmith Agent prompt — your topic, and optionally the number of scenes and any visuals like images or charts (see below for guidance).
The agent drafts your scenes and opens the video editor. It builds narration, matching visuals, and a virtual character delivering the script. When the video is ready, render it (typically around 10 minutes) so learners can watch it.
Prompting Tips
If you are not sure how to write an effective prompt for the AI video generator, try starting with a clear instructional goal and a few specifics. The more detail you give, the more tailored your video output will be. Here are a few examples:
"Create a 2-minute video introducing the fundamentals of inclusive leadership. Start with a definition, then explain why it matters in today’s workplace, and finish with a short story about a manager who modeled these principles."
"Generate a short video to teach how to run an effective 1:1 meeting. Include three key dos and don’ts, and a quick scenario showing a manager adjusting their approach after feedback."
"Build a 4-minute video explaining how to prioritize tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix. Use visuals to show each quadrant, and walk through a real-world example from project management."
💡 Want more guidance on prompting AI in the Mindsmith editor? Read our article on AI Prompting Tips
Build Your Own Scenes from Scratch, with AI Assistance
If you want to design a video exactly the way you imagine it, scene by scene, Mindsmith gives you full creative control. Once the agent has drafted your Editable Video, you can shape the flow, visuals, narration, and structure in detail.
To refine your video scene by scene:
Create an Editable Video as described above (the Editable Video → Create card opens the Mindsmith Agent).
Once your scenes are drafted, click Edit on the tile to open the fullscreen video editor.
Your video will populate on-page. From there, select Edit (located directly on the tile) to open the video editor interface.
Once inside the editor, you will see a timeline interface where you can:
Add new scenes using the Add Scene button.
Duplicate, reorder, or delete scenes using the timeline toolbar.
Within each scene, drag, drop, and edit the following tiles:
Speaker: Choose a virtual character and assign a voice to deliver spoken narration.
Text: Add written content like labels, titles, or onscreen bullet points.
Image: Upload your own visuals or search from AI, stock, or web sources.
Video: Insert pre-recorded video files to layer in demonstration footage or B-roll.
Customize each scene’s appearance:
Change background colors or upload a custom background image.
Apply entrance and exit animations to elements.
Set timing and duration for each scene to control pacing.
You can preview your video at any time using the play button.
Using the Mindsmith Agent When Building from Scratch
If you prefer more control over structure and tone, you can still use AI to support you while you build your scenes manually. The Mindsmith Agent helps you fill in specific pieces—scripts, images, layouts—so you do not have to start each scene from scratch.
When you're in the scene-based video editor, the Mindsmith Agent appears as a prompt bar at the bottom of the screen.
To use the Mindsmith Agent:
Click the prompt bar at the bottom of the video editor.
Write a clear instruction. This can be for a new sequence of scenes, or a single element like speaker text or an image.
(Optional) Attach source links, adjust tone, or choose image types.
Submit the prompt. The results will auto-populate into your timeline, where you can continue editing.
Examples of helpful prompts:
"Create a 3-slide sequence introducing a new performance review framework. Slide one should define the framework, slide two should show an example of how it works in practice, and slide three should include a speaker summarizing key takeaways."
"Build a scene that introduces our company's new remote work policy. Include a professional background image, a speaker with a confident tone, and highlight two important changes in text."
"Write a closing scene for a lesson on giving constructive feedback. It should summarize the three-step feedback model, display the model visually, and feature a narrator wrapping up with encouragement to apply it in the next 1:1 meeting."
You can also fine-tune how the Mindsmith Agent generates content by adjusting:
Sources: Add reference links for accurate, brand-aligned responses.
Image preferences: Choose from AI-generated, stock, web, or none.
Speaker voice and language: Click the Voice option next to a speaker tile to change the voice type or switch languages.
Using the Mindsmith Agent speeds up production without taking away your creative control.
💡 Note on rendering: AI-generated videos with custom speakers and scenes need to be rendered, which typically takes around 10 minutes. During preview mode before rendering, you won’t see speech animations. Once fully rendered, the complete voice narration and speaker animations will appear.
Blending Video Methods in a Single Lesson
These video tools are not mutually exclusive. You can use them together to shape a learning experience that perfectly fits your audience and content.
For example:
Use the Mindsmith Agent to generate an AI welcome message that introduces a module.
Embed a recorded YouTube video with industry-standard subject matter expertise.
Record a quick screen-share walkthrough natively to show how your company software works.
Build a custom final scene-by-scene video to summarize the key takeaways of the lesson.
Blending methods lets you align your production effort with your instructional goals. Use quick AI generation when you are short on time, and switch to manual controls when the details matter most.
Related Articles:
Editable Video — AI-generated video with custom avatars and scenes
AI Prompting Tips — getting better results from AI generation
Media Tiles — all image, audio, embed, and video tile options