Creative iMedia

This Revision Booklet belongs to:

R081: Pre‐production skills 

Written Exam

Name: ………………………………………….

Option Group ………………………..

Revision ListThe exam is in January. Revise over the Christmas holidays. You should create revision notes, mind maps or flashcards on each of these topics. 

Moodboards • The purpose• Contents – what’s on it?• Be able to create/draw one

Storyboards • The purpose• Contents – what’s on it?• Be able to create/draw one

Mind map • The purpose• Contents – what’s on it?• Be able to create/draw one

Script • The purpose• Contents – what’s on it?

Visualisation Diagram • The purpose• Contents – what’s on it?• Be able to create/draw one

Client Brief • How do you interpret them?• What will be included in the client brief?

Target Audience • Know the ways we can categorise the target audience

Workplans • Know why they are used/explain the purpose• The different parts of a workplan

Laws • Data Protection Act• Intellectual Property – copyright, trademarks, CC/creative 

commons, royalty free, public domain• Classification – PEGI/BBFC – what different ways can effect the 

age rating given e.g. bad language etc.• Defamation (libel/slander)

Health & Safety • Safe working practices when using computers, heavy equipment lighting and electricity

• Site recces – what is the purpose?‐ what goes into one?• Risk assessment – what is the purpose? what goes onto one?

Market Research • Types of primary and secondary research methods

File Formats • File formats used to save image, video, animation and sound/audio

• Compression

Naming Conventions • Save with clear file names and sensible folder structure• Use version control to save different versions

LO4 Essays • I know how to structure the final long answer question

Tick

Exam command words: 

CREATE – you need to actually draw the answer 

DESCRIBE – must include some characteristics in addition to stating what it is. You could use words to express an overall concept/idea or need to that it is clear for the reader/listener 

DISCUSS – must give BOTH sides of the argument 

EVALUATE – apply your knowledge and understanding in order to arrive at an overall conclusion that takes in to account, evidence and examples 

EXPLAIN – include comments on the purposes and reasons for your statement. Remember PEET – make a Point – Explain it, with Evidence/Examples and use Terminology 

IDENTIFY – states what this is 

JUSTIFY – give reasons with evidence/examples to support your choice or statement.

Exam key words: 

ITEMS– objects that are on the document

PURPOSE – What it is used for. The reason

STRENGTHS – the best parts about something i.e what works

really well

WEAKNESSES – the worst parts about something i.e what needs to

be better

IMPROVEMENTS‐ A description of what is needed to make the product better.

ASSETS– images, logos, and text information that are used as part

of the digital graphic

RESOURCES – The equipment that you will need to create your digital graphic, including hardware and software.

Mood boardsPurpose of a mood board:• Used to generate ideas for a client. • Used to create a mood or a feeling or a product.

Content of a mood board:• Images• Colours• Text/fonts/styles/keywords• Other Materials: Textures & fabrics• Digital mood board = sounds and video clips• Annotations/labels

Where are mood boards used:• A starting point• A place to collect samples• A constant reminder of possible styles• To share thoughts and ideas

Mood boards

Purpose of a mind map:• Generate outline ideas quickly• Develop and show links between different thoughts and ideas

Content of a mind map:• Central node with the main theme• Sub-nodes with interconnecting lines/branches• Text• Images can also be used

Mind Maps/Spider Diagrams

Where are mind maps/spider diagrams used:• To show a range of ideas• To show the connections and links in the project• To illustrate all parts of the project so a work plan can be

included.

BRANCHES

Mind Maps/Spider Diagrams

Visualisation diagramsPurpose of a visualisation diagram:• Plan the layout of a static media product.• Show how the finished item may look and make changes where

needed.• To provide the graphic designer with the information needed to

create.

Content of a visualisation diagram:• Images• Colours and colour schemes• Position and style of text• Fonts to be used• Annotation/labels providing more detail

Where are visualisation diagrams used:To show a client or the production team what it will look like.• CD/DVD/Blu-ray or game cover• Poster, eg film event or advertisement.• Comic book layout.• Web page• Magazine cover

Visualisation diagrams

StoryboardsPurpose of a storyboard:• Provide a visual representation of how a media project will

look along a timeline• To show the order of the scenes and how they fit together.• To help to visualise the characters• To give the editor guidance on how to edit the scenes.

Content of a storyboard:• Scene numbers and direction arrows• Content = Images/sketches of scene• Timings• Camera shot types =long, mid, close up, extreme close up.• Camera angles = high angle (looking down), over the shoulder,

aerial (from a roof top)• Camera movement = panning left to right, tilting, zooming.• Locations• Lighting• Sound • Camera type = video camera or sill camera

Uses of story boards:Any media product with movement or a sequence of scenes, especially along a timeline:• Video projects• Digital animation• Comic books• Computer games (The story)• Mulitmedia products (Sequence between scenes)

Storyboards

Purpose of a script:• To identify the location where the action is to take place.• To identify who will be in the scene.• Provide stage directions for actors and production crew• Provide dialogue for actors so that they know what to say• To help explain a proposal for an idea.• To tell a story for a reader and generate interest.

Content of a script:• Cover: with title, description and author/scriptwriter • Set/locations: Where the action takes place• Scene descriptions: eg are actors at or stood up? • Direction: the action. What happens?• Names: of actors/characters.. In CAPITALS eg. JOHN• Dialogue: Speech and how it’s said. Eg whisper, shouted…..• Camera shot types: eg close up, long………• Camera movement: eg pan left…….• Sounds and sound effects: eg telephone ringing, footsteps….

SCRIPTS

Uses of a script:Any moving image product with a cast/characters, dialogue, actions and a timeline• Video products (adverts, films..)• Audio products (adverts, jingles, radio plays….)• Animation products (short films, web adverts….)• Comic books• Computer games with a story telling scene.• Screenplay

SCRIPTS

Format of a script:The format and layout of a script should follow some standard conventions:• Location: Left margin• Camera shot: Left margin• Direction: Left margin• Actor name: indented 5cm from the left margin• Dialogue: indented 2.5cm from the left margin

Shot types used in storyboarding

Shot 

nameUse Image

Low 

Angle

Creates the feeling that the viewer is small and vulnerable 

and the character here is powerful.

Extreme 

Wide 

Angle

Establishing shot – shows where action takes place and 

sets the scene at the start of an episode or event.  Often 

pans or zooms in slowly as the scene is set.

Two‐shot Used for conversation between equals where what both 

characters say or do is equally important.

Wide 

Angle

Puts one character in context in his or her surroundings, 

shows the whole person.

Over the 

Shoulder 

Shot

Used for conversation where one person’s speech is more 

important than the other.

Extreme 

Close Up

Unreal viewpoint, focusing on a single feature of a person 

such as the nose, mouth, a hand etc, for effect or to draw 

attention to it.

Close Up Focuses in on what one person has to say or shows 

reaction in facial expression.

Medium 

Close Up

Concentrates attention on single character.

Wide 

Shot

Puts characters in context to show their location and how 

they relate to it.

High 

Angle

Creates the feeling that the character here is being viewed 

by a more powerful presence positioned near the ceiling. 

Used in thriller films to show someone being watched.

CLIENT BRIEFSWhat is a Client Brief?:• Written Brief – a short statement of what’s needed.• Script – for a short film or animation.• Specification – More detailed, formal, signatures, dates and

version numbers.• Client Discussion – Where you ask the client questions.

Content of Client Requirements:• Product – What type of Media product?• Purpose – inform, entertain, advertise, educate, promote?• Content – text, images, logos etc• Theme – Depends on the purpose• Style – May need to be kept in the same style as the rest of a

companies products.• Genre – action/adventure, romance, drama, puzzle, racing…….• Target audience – Age range, genre, without discrimination.• Timescales – deadline date.• Constraints – may have some restrictions.

Target Audience

Categories:• Age – need to be clear about the age group. (E.G. 6-12, 12-18,

18-40, 40+)• Gender – male/female, trans-gender, gender neutral• Location – local, national, international (e.g. music event)• Ethnicity – background, culture, race, religion, language• Income – Affects the type of product but also where it is

available from.• Accessibility – Hearing and sight difficulties.

Who is the final product intended for?

Purpose of a work plan:• Provide a timescale for the overall project to be

completed• To see the order of the tasks and to help to meet

the deadlines to keep it on schedule

Content of a work plan:• Tasks – Planning/pre production then generating

the final production• Activities – e.g. gathering assets, preparing assets,

constructing the main graphic, saving, exporting in the required format.

• Time scale – amount of time a task is expected to take

• Milestones – key dates when a section is completed

• Deadlines – completion date.• Resources – what is needed• Contingencies – back up plan, extra time if

needed

Work Plans

Work Plans

Hardware and SoftwareHardware Software

The devices and equipment that could

used to create or digitise pre-production

documents

Types of applications installed on a device that could used to create ordigitise pre-production

documents• Computer system• Keyboard• Mouse• Graphics tablet• Microphone• Speakers• Monitor• Camera• Scanner• Pens/pencil/paper

• Microsoft Office Publisher – used to create a mood board, storyboard, visualisation diagram

• Word – used to create a script, storyboard

• PowerPoint – used to create a mood board, visualisation diagram

• Web browser (IE, Chrome, internet Explorer)

• Dedicated software –mind map, Dreamweaver

• Spreadsheet - work plans, costings. Excel

Primary sources: the information is obtained first hand from an original source Secondary sources: the information is obtained second hand where somebody else has created the data.

Primary Sources Secondary sources• Questionnaires• Focus groups• Surveys• Meetings/discussions

• Magazine article• Existing product

analysis• News broadcast• Books• Internet/online

Market Research

Recces - Visit to a location that will be used for recording purposes to check…… May include:• Location• Access - car parking• Lighting – natural, artificial, direction• Health & safety issues (identify a need for a risk

assessment)• Availability of power• Environmental considerations – background

noise, people, animals…..• A confirmation that the location is suitable for

the filming/photographing.• Any other issuesRisk Assessments - Must be stored to cover you and any organisation that you work for in case of claims.Helps to identify and minimise the risks.• Identify hazards and dangers• Decide who might be harmed and how• Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions to

be taken• Record findings and implement them• Review assessment and update if necessary

Health and Safety

Safe working Practices when using Computers

Eye Strain -can become strained after staring at a computer screen for a long time especially when working in bad light or with a poor screenSolutions:• Monitor height at the same height as our eyes• Don’t sit too close to the screen• Take regular breaks (5 mins per hour)Back pain - This can be due to poor posture or sitting in an awkward positionSolutions:• Use a fully adjustable chair• Use footrests so that legs are at a natural angle• Take regular breaks to walk around• Don’t slouch• Have the monitor at eye levelRepetitive Strain Injury - is damage to the fingers and wrists due to repeated movements over a long period of timeSolutions:• Use wrist rests• Regular breaks• Ensure workstations are the correct heightTrip over cablesTo avoid tripping over cables make sure that they are out of the way and covered with tape

Lighting - can become hot so make sure the area is well ventilated.Lights can be heavy and could fall and hurt someone so make sure that they are secure.Electricity - Wires can be trip hazards so make sure cables and wires are not loose and are out of the way or covered with tape.

When working at a height e.g. filming up high the risk is that you could fall. To be safe you should wear safety gear e.g. hard hat and have safety barriers up.

Heavy Equipment -To avoid any injury or back pain you should use the correct lifting technique and lift things with more than one person where needed.

Safe working Practices

File formatsSmaller/compressed files are better for sharing or using online or where you need to use up less disk space, but usually a larger file type is better quality. There are 2 types of compression: lossy (some quality is lost)

lossless (no quality is lost)Moving images & Video

• .mpg – Lossy compressed file formats – lower quality, smaller file, faster loading.

• .mov – good quality, small file size, originally developed for Apple Quicktime.

• .mp4 – high quality over low bandwidth connections, fast loading online

• .avi – uncompressed, high quality. Used when editing then exported to other formats.

• .flv – flash video, small file sizes, on the decline.

Audio &

sound

• .mp3 - compressed / small file sizes / good for portable devices

• .aiff - uncompressed / high quality / Apple Mac only

• .wav - uncompressed / high quality / Windows only

Image &

Graphics

• .jpeg - lossy compression to reduce file size, less quality, uses – digital cameras & websites.

• .png - lossless compression – web use• .tiff - large file sizes – lossless - Posters / high

quality printing• .pdf - un-editable/ Documents with image

content• .gif – basic - small file sizes- limited colour-

supports animation/ Online / web buttons / logos. Format is protected by copyright.

Naming Conventions• Save work with clear file names and

sensible folder structures• Use version control to show the

different versions of work:Graphics_mindmap_Ver1Graphics_mindmap_Ver2

and to show the improvements across the different dated versions:

Advertisment_script_26.10.2019Advertisment_script_15.11.2019

LegislationCopyright

© If it’s published it has copyright protection‘Published’ includes books, magazines, music, movies, all content on the internet.To use a published resources you must:• Contact the owner• Ask for permission to use it• Often you will need to pay a fee• Lasts for usually 70 after the death of

owner.Trademarks

™Used to identify an organization or product. Cannot be displayed without permission from the Trade mark holder.Logos are a good example.

IntellectualProperty

(IP)

A piece of work, idea, or an invention , which may be copyrighted, trademarked or patented at some point.

Royalty Free

Can be used without the need to pay a fee, however the work is usually copyrighted and you need to seek permission first.

Creative Commons

CC – You can use as long as you quote the sourceCC BY NC - You can use as long as you quote the source and you’re not profiting from it.GLDL – Share alike license used by Wikipedia and others.

Certification and Classification

Different countries have laws on what is allowed to be seen and shown.Certification is the process of informing the audience broadly on the suitability of contentfor the target audience.

Factors include:• Violence• Strong Language• Scenes of a sexual nature

Games – PEGI

British board of Film Classification - Films –BBFC

Censorship is when artists/filmmakers are not allowed to show their complete work.

Certification and Classification

Games

Films

Legislation/Law

Data ProtectionMay 2018 General Data Protection Regulations came into force:• Lawfulness, fairness & transparency• Purpose limitation• Data minimisation• Accuracy• Storage limitation• Integrity & confidentiality (Security)• AccountabilityPrivacy - European Convention on Human Rights - The right to respect for private and family life, your home and correspondenceDefamation – Damaging someone's good reputation by:Libel – writtenSlander – spoken/verbal

LO4 EssaysThe last question on the exam will be an essay where you will have to review the suitability of either a script, storyboard, mind map, moodboard or visualisation diagram.

• You need correct spelling and grammar• You need an equal amount of strengths and

weaknesses• You need to link your strengths and weaknesses to

the document and context in the question

Paragraph 1 – Introduction• What is the documents purpose?

Paragraph 2 – WWW• What features does it have that should be there?• Why do these help to suit the products aim and

audience?

Paragraph 3 – EBI:• What features are missing that should be there?• How does this stop it from being suitable for the

brief?

Paragraph 4 – Conclusion:• Finally – is it suitable or not for it’s purpose, client

and target audience? Why or why not?

The purpose of this storyboard is to plan out the opening part of the DVD for Winged Breath.

The storyboard has many strengths for example it has clear images of the scenes to help the producers to visualize what should be happening that suit the rock band genre and theme. The images suit the client and brief as they are of the band, the stage and the rock instruments. It also has descriptions for each scene to add detail to help them, for example scene 1 tells us that background music will play and scene 3 includes the location (stage) and also the lighting (dark). This give the producers and crew the details needed and suit the rock band as music, the stage and darkness and all suitable.

There are also some things that could improve this for Winged Breath and the production crew for example there are not timings on each scene making it hard for them to know how long each one should last. There are also no camera shots or angles so the crew don’t know where to place the cameras and what type of cameras to use. To make this even clearer for them they could have scene numbers and direction arrows to just make sure that the crew know the order of the scenes.

Overall, I think this storyboard for the opening chapter of the DVD for Winged Breath is suitable as it introduces the band and the music so the content is all relevant with clear images and descriptions with details such as music, lighting and locations included.