Planning, Creating, and Delivering a Media Project
Project Planning
Early planning is essential to ensure a quality project is delivered on time. Please schedule a consultation with a media specialist in order to help you in the pre-planning stage. Try to address the following questions while you are planning:
- What are your goals? Who or what defines these goals and how will you know if you have met them?
- What is the research problem your are solving? How is the proposed solution better than existing solutions?
- Who is your target audience? What kind of computers or delivery methods are they likely to use?
- What are the guidelines or submission criteria for delivering the media to your target audience?
- Are there copyright restrictions applicable to your source material? How did you obtain this footage,file, or data? What other usage guidelines that must be met?
- What future uses would your content have?
- Who are the contributors and funding agencies involved in supporting the research?
It is also useful to include a script or storyboard. The storyboard can be as simple as a hand-drawn graphic of a sequence of panels or screens. The script can be detailed or even a short page of paragraphs with a synopsis or list of main points. It's good to remember that your audience will probably experience the video in a small window on a computer screen or even a handheld device, so any image in the video should take that into account.
Recording & Capturing
Many people learn by watching. People don't want a long, drawn-out technical explanation. Additionally, recording interviews with researchers, technicians, and end-users to add to your project will help to re-enforce the innovations in your research.
Editing, Titles, and Motion Graphics
After you have finished the raw screen captures for your video, contact us to schedule a session to edit your footage and graphics in order to clarify important points and re-enforce to the goals of your project plan. This is accomplished using compositing and/or non-linear video editing software. These tools make it possible to optimize video and audio, add additional content, and delete mistakes.
Encoding and Compression
In order to export a video project, you must compress the final digital video file. Encoding is the process in which this compression occurs. It is likely that you will be required to have several encoded versions, formats, and data rates. Encoding can take many hours to complete depending on the length and complexity of your project. Please allocate sufficient time for encoding when creating a project timeline.
Authoring and Deliverables
A clear understanding of how the media will be used is important to ensure that the final files will function properly. Will this file need permanent web hosting? Will DVD or CD-ROM discs be necessary? Will this media be used for presentations, demos, or kiosks?