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RO81 PRE-

PRODUCTION UNIT

Revision Guide

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Contents

Design Elements ............................................................................................................. 1

Mood Boards ................................................................................................................ 1

Mind Map / Spider Diagram ......................................................................................... 2

Storyboards and Scripts ............................................................................................... 4

Annotated example: .................................................................................................... 6

2014 – January exam ...................................................................................................... 7

2014 – January exam ...................................................................................................... 8

Visualisation Diagrams................................................................................................. 9

2015 – January exam .................................................................................................... 11

Camera Shots and Angles ............................................................................................. 12

Client Requirements / Target Audience ......................................................................... 15

Client Briefs ................................................................................................................ 15

Target Audiences ....................................................................................................... 16

2015 – January exam ................................................................................................ 17

...................................................................................................................................... 20

Work Plan ...................................................................................................................... 21

Work Plans ................................................................................................................. 21

Gantt Charts ............................................................................................................... 21

Hardware / Software ...................................................................................................... 22

Hardware ................................................................................................................... 22

Software ..................................................................................................................... 22

ICT Legislation ............................................................................................................... 26

Intellectual Property ................................................................................................... 26

Copyright .................................................................................................................... 26

Trademarks ................................................................................................................ 27

Copyright – Open Licenses ........................................................................................ 27

Copy Right Free and Royalty Free ............................................................................. 27

Certification ................................................................................................................ 28

Data Protection Act .................................................................................................... 28

Health and Safety .......................................................................................................... 30

2014 – January exam .................................................................................................... 32

Compression ................................................................................................................. 33

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File Formats ................................................................................................................... 34

Animation ................................................................................................................... 34

Images ....................................................................................................................... 34

Video .......................................................................................................................... 36

Audio .......................................................................................................................... 36

Versions & Naming ........................................................................................................ 37

Evaluations .................................................................................................................... 38

Client Feedback ............................................................................................................. 38

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Design Elements

Mood Boards

What is a mood board?

• A collection of ideas, visible in one place as a new project is

beginning. Mood boards tend to include:

• Colour samples & schemes

• Similar examples

• Photos / images / sketches

• Text & font

Why are they used?

• They provide a visual representation of the work.

• Allows the user to compare, identify & develop the mood, genre

& style of the product

When can they be used?

• They can be used within any type of project, such as; audio,

video, games, interior / fashion design etc

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Mind Map / Spider

Diagram

What is it?

• It’s a visual tool used to show ideas and how they can link

together

• They will have a central topic with headings shooting off them

• They are a mix of images / text and tend to use different colours

Why are they used?

• Designers will use them as they are gathering ideas - they are

a good tool to show how elements can link together

• Spider diagrams use different headings and under these

headings will be the ideas that fit with these

When can they be used?

• Spider diagrams can be used by anyone for anything!

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Storyboards and Scripts

What is a Storyboard?

A series of panels that contain a sequence of sketches which depict

a story to show what is going on at certain points. They tend to

include:

Sketches of the action

Directions to show the order of the scenes

Dialogue

The different camera shots

Why are they used?

Storyboards are used as they show visually the ideas and

concepts held about the direction of a scene or key moments

from the scene

Storyboards make production easier as it shows how a scene

should be set out and what will happen during the different

shots

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When are they used?

Storyboards are used in several situations, such as:

Creating a video / movie

Creating a story / comic

Theatre production / play

What is a Script?

A script is a document that shows how characters will interact with

each other through speaking, their body language and detailing what

they will be doing

Scripts follow a strict format. Some examples include:

Must be wrote in font Courier size 12 – this is because in

general one page of Courier font = 1 minute of screen time

The character who is speaking will have their name above the

dialogue they say

Scripts will detail how the scene begins & will include a heading

to detail the scene

When and why are they used?

When?

Scripts tend to be used mainly in movies / TV programmes /

plays / theatre productions

Why?

Scripts are used to explain different scenes, that is happening

and who is speaking at certain points.

They provide key information to help with the flow of a scene

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Annotated example:

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2014 – January exam

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Visualisation Diagrams

What is a Visualisation Diagram?

A diagram either hand drawn or digitally created that demonstrates

what something will look like when it is created

A visualisation diagram may show how the design has developed

through several stages

Why are they used?

• They are used to help with different planning and can be a

rough design or a detailed final design.

• Most visualisation diagrams are labelled detailing specific

points of the image

When are they used?

Visualisation diagrams can be used for several reasons:

Web designers – to label the different parts of the website

Graphic designers – to label the visual styles they will use / to

describe the different designs of their image. Where text /

images will go. Fonts / styles / colours used

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Fashion designers – different

colours / materials to be used

/ different design styles

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Camera Shots and Angles

What are camera shots / angles?

These are the specialist terms which are used to describe the view

of a character and their background a viewer may have.

When are they used?

The different camera shot / angles can be applied to things such as:

Filming a video / movie / TV programme

Storyboard designs

Picture stories / comic strips

There are several different types of camera shots which are used at

different times for different effects.

Examples

Key examples

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• Wide shot – puts characters in context to show their location

and how it relates

• Medium close up – concentrates on a single character

• Extreme wide angle – establishing shot. Shows where the

action will take place and will set the scene. Often pans or

zooms in slowly as the scene is set

• Extreme close up – focuses on a single aspect of a person for

effect, such as the eyes / nose / mouth etc

• High angle – used to create the feeling the character is being

watched as the viewer is looking from above the character.

Used regularly in thriller movies

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• Close Up – focuses in on one person as they are saying

something or to show their facial reaction

• Two-shot – used for conversations between two characters

when what they both have to say is important

• Low / long angle – creates the impression the viewer is small &

the character is powerful

• Wide angle – shows the whole character against the

background

• Over the shoulder – used when another character’s speech is

more important than another's

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Client Requirements / Target Audience

Client Briefs

Client requirements are based upon what does the client want from

you.

In your exam / coursework you will be given a brief which details the

required end product expected, who it is aimed at and some of the

required specifications

What is interpreting client requirements?

• This is looking at what you have been asked and detailing the

key aspects of what you are required to do, adding further

detail as to why you have to do this.

Why establish the client’s requirements?

• It is important to identify and know what it is that we have been

asked to do and who the end product is for.

• It helps provide an aim for the product

Examples of client requirements:

• Who has asked you to make the product (client)

• The target audience

• The product you have to make

• The technical aspects required for the product

• File formats – mp3 (audio), mp4 (video) etc

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Target Audiences

What is a target audience?

A target audience is a group of people who all share a common

interest

This can be the specific gender, age range or a combination of the

two that your product is aimed at.

Depending upon who your target audience is, your design choices

should be tailored to their needs

You will need to think about:

What things will they be interested in to relate the product to

them?

What colours would you usually associate with them?

What design ideas would be most suitable?

Where is the target audience located?

Is there a specific ethnicity / religion associated with the target

audience?

Depending upon what you have been asked to make, you may have a

specific target audience or more of a generalised audience

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Primary & Secondary Sources

What is a Primary Source?

A primary source, is information which you have collated yourself

Examples of Primary Sources

Interviews

Questionnaires

Photographs

Sound recordings

Video recordings

What is a Secondary Source?

A secondary source is information which someone else has already

collected which you are using to help with your study / research /

project

Examples of Secondary Sources

Newspapers / directories / books / maps

DVDs

Websites

TV & Radio

The examples under primary research could also count as long as

someone else has done them

Secondary sources of information should be referenced in a

bibliography

Biased Information

As someone else has conducted the research, secondary

information can be biased. This is because it could contain the

person’s opinion / views.

To avoid biased information, you need to check:

Who produced the information?

What is the purpose of the info?

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Is the information trying to persuade people?

Does the information give just one point of view?

Qualitative vs Quantitative Data

When conducting primary / secondary research, the information you

find can either be classed as qualitative or quantitative.

Qualitative

This information is usually a result of the information people supply

from open ended questions during interviews or from open questions

in a questionnaire.

These results cannot be measured and changed into statistics;

however the resulting information can be approximated.

Quantitative

This information can be measured statistically as it is usually a result

from closed questions. For example in a questionnaire if 10 out of 20

choose yes to a question, it can be analysed to show 50% of people

said yes.

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Work Plan

Work Plans

This is a breakdown of each individual task during the process of

working towards the final product

They can either be displayed tabular or through the use of a Gantt

chart

What do they include?

Tasks & activities – what are you doing & what is involved

Workflow – order of the activities identified

Timescales – start and end dates, expected time to complete

task

Resources – what will you need

Milestones - specific points during the activities

Contingencies – extra time you may have available to assign if a

task goes over its original allocated time

Gantt Charts

• Visual representation of the tasks involved in making a product

• Tasks can overlap one another (e.g. Design log, creation of

product and some testing)

• Each individual task is usually colour coded

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Hardware / Software

Hardware

What is hardware?

Hardware is the physical elements of a computer that you can touch

and see

Examples of hardware

Monitor

Mouse

Keyboard

Web camera

Software

What is software?

Software is a collection of instructions that tells the computer what

to do. They make the computer “run”

Software is not a physical thing; it is a lot of code. However it is

saved to hardware.

Examples of software

Windows 8

Mac OS

Microsoft Word

Peripherals

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These are hardware devices which are connected to the computer

and are controlled by the CPU.

Examples

Monitor

Keyboard

External hard drive

Speakers

Choosing the correct hardware / software

When you are beginning a project, it is important that you choose

correct hardware and software to use.

Every piece of hardware and software has been created to complete

a specific job and they will have specific features that help make it

easier to use them.

For example, if you were asked to make a video, which piece of

software would you use?

Photoshop – image creation / editing software

Serif MoviePlus – video creation / editing software

Microsoft Excel – spreadsheet / calculation & formula software

You would use Serif MoviePlus. Although it may be possible to use

other software, this program will have all of the necessary tools

How to choose?

When choosing your hardware / software, there are some questions

you can ask yourself:

What am I trying to create?

What do I need the hardware / software to do?

Will I be able to learn how to / be able to use it?

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PDF (Portable Document File)

PDFs are a file format developed by Adobe. They are an example of

formatted documents that are saved in an electronic version which

can be sent to a recipient and can be viewed electronically. PDFs

tend to be read-only documents. They display the information as

intended – their format will not change.

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ICT Legislation

Intellectual Property What is it?

This is the term used to describe something which has been created

by a person. For example:

Books

Films

Movies

Games

Apps

Words / phrases

Copyright What is copyright?

Copyright is a law / legislation that protect someone’s work which

they have created. Copyright begins as soon as someone has

completed the work.

Using Copyrighted Work

If you wish to use something someone has copyrighted, you must:

Contact the owner

Ask for permission to use it

Potentially pay a fee

However in some circumstances copyright can be avoided:

If the work is used for educational purposes

If the work has been referenced

If copyright protection has ended

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Trademarks What is a trademark?

A trademark can be a name, word, slogan, design, symbol or other unique device that

identifies a product or organisation.

Registered trademarks may be identified by the abbreviation ‘TM’, or the ‘®’ symbol.

Copyright – Open Licenses This protects people whom are happy for others to use their products / work, but still

want some element of protection

Examples:

Creative Commons – a license agreement where the creator

allows their resource to be used. There are different types:

o CC BY – resource can be used however you want as long

as the source is referenced

o CC BY NC – can only be used if you do not charge others

for its use. You also need to reference the source

GFDL – copyright license for free documentation. The readers

are given the right to do whatever they like with it. E.g.

Wikipedia

Public Domain – not copyrighted. Can be used however the

person wishes

Copy Right Free and Royalty Free

What is the difference between the two?

Copyright free – the work is not protected by copyright. A fee may

have to be paid in order to obtain the work, but your use will not be

restricted.

Royalty free – a onetime fee is paid in order use a piece of work

which has been copyrighted. The work is not copyright free

however.

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Certification

Different countries have laws on what is allowed to be seen and shown.

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

Certification is the process of informing the audience broadly on the suitability of content.

Certification is a major aspect when thinking about your target audience.

Data Protection Act

What is it?

The Data Protection Act is a law which protects people’s

information. It is a set of rules for people who store information to

follow and it gives the people who provide the information rights.

People who use the data are called data users

People who provide the information are called data providers

Main Points of the DPA

If you collect data about people for one reason, you must not use it for a different reason;

You must not give people's data to other people or organizations unless they agree;

People have the right to look at data that any organizations store about them;

You must not keep the data for longer than you need to and it must be kept up to date;

You must not send the data to places outside of the European Economic Area unless adequate levels of protection exist;

Organizations that store data about people must register with the Information Commissioner’s Office;

If you store data about people you must make sure that it is secure and well protected;

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If an organization has data about you that is wrong, then you have a right to ask them to change it.

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Health and Safety

There are many risks associated with the use of ICT and it is

important to try and avoid any dangers.

Risk Assessment

There are several steps to follow when completing a risk

assessment:

• Identify the hazards / dangers

• Decide who might be harmed and how

• Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

• Record your findings and implement them

• Review your assessment and update if necessary

Potential Risks

Eye strain – this can happen when someone has spent too long

looking at a screen. Especially in bad light / glare / if the screen

flickers

Back pain – due to poor posture / awkward sitting position. To

avoid, use fully adjustable chairs. Footrests. Adjustable

monitors.

RSI – Repetitive Strain Injury is damage to the fingers, wrists

and other parts of the body, due to repeated movements over a

long period of time

Deep Vein Thrombosis – the veins in your legs become

compressed due to sitting for prolonged periods of time

Stress – many people struggle to use a computer correctly and

don’t want to admit they don’t know how to use them. People

are afraid they’ll replace them in their jobs. Difficult to keep up

to date

Wires – loose wires can cause people to trip up

Food and Drink – if a drink spills, it could cause a computer to

blow up

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Electrical Sockets – these could be overloaded with too many

computers, which again can lead to computers blowing up

Space / Workspace - can be difficult to work without any room.

If the computers are too heavy, they could break the bench

they’re on

Heating & Ventilation – computers become hot whilst they’re

on. They could overheat and catch fire.

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Compression

Before a digital file has been saved in a specific file type, it is

known as RAW.

By saving the file, you are providing it with a label that software

can recognise, making sure the correct program is used to

open the file in future.

Some file types try to avoid any type of loss of data – these are

generally BIGGER and HIGHER QUALITY. (Lossless)

o Quality can be important especially with big images

o If editing and changing a file its best to begin with higher

quality

Some file types are produced using compression algorithms to

make them SMALLER. (Lossy)

o Smaller means they take up less hardware space, saving

memory, cost and access speed.

o Smaller is faster to upload, download and share online.

Compression algorithms are so advanced that most people

cannot tell the difference unless files are HEAVILY

compressed.

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File Formats

Animation

The two main file types used for animations are:

SWF – can contain a variety of content such as; video,

animations, games and small apps. Uses a lossless

compression, resulting in larger file sizes.

FLV – this is a “container”. It can only contain video. This file

format is used for only a single purpose. Allows for a video to

start even if it has not completely downloaded. Uses lossy

compression to provide smaller file sizes.

Images

There are several different file types suitable for images. Both

printed and online:

JPG – this is an ideal file format for digital photos which use

more than 256 colours. JPG images tend to lose quality as the

images are compressed to make the file smaller. The lower the

quality %, the higher the compression of the image. Web

images

PNG – developed to be similar to GIFs in terms of images that

provide transparency, but still maintain a quality image. PNGs

have varying levels of transparency. They can be compressed

into smaller file sizes. Web images

TIF – a TIF can be compressed and maintains a lot of detail.

Images saved in this file type can retain 100% of the original

image, not losing any colours. Print images

GIF – ideal for images that use large blocks of single colours, it

can support a maximum of 256 colours. It is possible to make

the background on GIFs transparent. The fewer colours used,

the smaller the file size. Web images

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Video

There are several file formats which are used for videos. The most

common are:

MP4 - It is a type of video format which is usually used to make

and store digital videos and digital audio files. It is referred to

the MPEG-part 14.

MPG - It is also a type of format which is used to store videos

and uses same lossy type compression for the purpose

resulting in ordinary result video.

MOV - It is also an audio video saving format which is developed

by the Apple Inc. it contains the digital encoded video stream

and is compatible with windows.

MP4 is the high quality video format which is used to play and store

video files. MOV is designed by the Apple Inc. Mpeg is used to play

videos in cheap quality. MPG is a video format which is used mostly

in mobiles.

These file types are all compressed (lossy). They use smaller file

sizes, resulting in faster loading speeds.

Audio

There are several file formats which are common for audio files.

MP3 – these provide smaller file sizes as they are compressed.

MP3s are commonly used on devices as they do not use a lot of

memory and are of high quality.

AIFF – these are an uncompressed file format. They provide

high quality audio. AIFF files are compatible only with Macs.

WAV – these file formats are again high quality, but are

uncompressed resulting in large file sizes. WAV files are

compatible only with Windows.

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Versions & Naming

Versions

• When you are creating a product, it is vital that you save

different versions as you progress through.

• You save these versions with different names. For example:

• My-website-v1

• My-website-v2

• My-website-v3.

• If the latest version gets deleted or corrupts, saving versions

mean you don’t have to start the work from the beginning. You

have a version that is reasonably up to date that you can go

back to.

• Versions can be used to show how you have developed a

product and the changes you have made.

Naming

• There are recommended guidelines when naming a file. These

include:

• The file name should be 8 or fewer characters. These are

easier to read.

• Use a 3 character file extension. For example “.tif” not

“.tiff”

• Only use alpha-numeric characters, except for dashes

and underscores. File names should never contain

spaces.

• All letters should be lowercase.

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Evaluations

When evaluating your finished work, there are several things you can

do in order to provide a clear, detailed evaluation:

Compared to the brief…

Review and compare your work to the original brief – have you done

what was asked? How?

Think about the following:

• format

• style,

• clarity

• suitability of content for the client and target audience

Review positive and negative aspects / areas for improvement.

Think about the following:

• format

• style,

• clarity

• suitability of content for the client and target audience

• colour scheme

• content

• additional scenes

Client Feedback

When you have created a product, it is likely you would receive client

feedback. This is important because:

• Pre-production – provides the opportunity to show ideas

before development

• You will know if you have met the client’s needs

• Any improvements you could make to the work

• Is it suitable for the target audience?