Pack B

Milestones – A significant achievement in a project – these take no time to complete but are achieved when other activities or tasks have been completed

Workflow – this is the order in which tasks are carried out – they can be indicated by an arrow

Resources – Tasks will always need resources. Resources
can be either people, hardware or software. It is possible for two tasks to be done at once if there is more than one person and enough equipment.

Contingencies – If something goes wrong then there needs to be a way to fix the problem. A workplan will contain either extra time or alternatives in case of a problem, such as bad weather

Dependencies – If a task needs one or more tasks to be completed before it starts, then these are dependencies

Workplans can be made in Microsoft PowerPoint via tables or in Microsoft Excel but there are dedicated software for them as well which offer a few benefits over PowerPoint and Excel which are:

Durations are automatically calculated
Easy to move tasks
Altering the duration of one activity will changes the dates of all other dependent activities
Some software will allow multiple users to make changes to the project plan

Mind Maps

Mind maps help to generate ideas around a theme

The main theme is placed at the centre
Components from the theme are then placed in nodes which are connected by branches
Further information is then placed in sub-nodes

The purpose of mind maps is to:

Help with thinking up ideas
To record ideas for a whole project
To show links between different parts and processes of a project
To explore further, break down and develop each of the initial ideas

Who uses mind maps?

Anyone involved in a media project could make use of a mind map
- As mind maps help to generate ideas, they are a useful tool in the creative process. For instance, a graphic designer could use a mind map when thinking of ideas for a magazine front cover and all the components that will be required.

When to use a mind map

Mind maps are very good at helping to generate ideas around different components of a theme
They show ideas within each component
One single aspect may be broken down with a mind map

When making a mind map it is important to condiser:

The client requirements of a brief
If you are given a scenario, be careful that your mind map matches it
Has the mind map been structured correctly?
Have nodes been grouped together logically?
Are there a suitable number of nodes?
Have they been linked together with branches?
Is there one central node?

The following shows one possible mind map for a shoot at a waterpark for a video on their website:

Mood Boards

Mood boards collect together a range of items such as images or colours

They are one type of pre-production document

The purpose of a mood board is to:

Generate ideas and concepts for a media product
Create a feeling for a media product
To be a reference for others in the creative team to understand the look and feel to be created

Mood boards can include:

A selection of images (photos, drawings, hand drawn or digital sketches, cartoons, graphics, patterns)
Text (typography, font styles)
Colour swatches
Textures
Digital mood boards can also be made for video or sound

It is possible to make sound and video mood boards

A video mood board will contain:

A collection of videos that give a feel for a final product
This will include the pace of cuts and example audio sounds
Clips from other videos or film can be used

A sound mood board will contain:

A sequence of sounds, effects and music that give a feeling for a product

Mood boards are used at the start of a project to:

generate ideas for a product
give a feel for the style of a product

They also may be referred to throughout projects to:

remind people of the style they are aiming for
help others in the creative team understand the feeling and styles used

Mood boards are used by:

Graphic designer
Photographer
Illustrator / graphic artist
Creative director

Some tips for creating mood boards

The content needs to be coherent around a style and feeling and relate to the brief given
Whilst images are important for a mood board, remember to include colour schemes, typography (text styles) and
even textures
A mood board isn’t meant to show how the final product will look, but to give inspiration and ideas for the feel and style
Mood boards can contain extra annotation to show extra thoughts and ideas

See the example mood board for a jeans company below:

Scripts

Scripts contain:

Dialogue for actors (what the actors will say)
Which characters are in the scene and some stage directions
Location information – such as in a building or in a park
Additional information for the film crew, such as camera angles and sound effects

Scripts are also used as part of a pitch to get a film or TV programme produced

Scripts are used for:

Films
TV programmes
Animation
Computer games (video sequences or character interaction)
Radio broadcasts
Advertisements

Scripts will be used by most production staff.
For instance:

A director will use the script throughout the production. It will help to inspire them with creative ideas
Actors will use the script to understand the dialogue and emotions that are required of them
A storyboard artist will make a script come to life by creating a storyboard
Narrators will use the script to understand the dialogue and emotions that are required of them
Film crew will use the script throughout the production to know where to be and when.
Sound editors will use the script throughout the production to know when to capture dialogue with microphones.
Continuity will use the script throughout the production to ensure the product remains consistent.

Components of a script are:

Scripts also show:

Direction, such as what is happening in the scene and character interaction
A description of the scene
Dialogue, including intonation, volume and emotions
Sounds such as background music, actions or events

Storyboards

The purpose of a storyboard is to visually show what happens in each scene or shot in a timeline

It shows what scenes need to be filmed or created

Storyboards can be used for:

Films and videos
Animation
Computer games

The following are the components of a storyboard:

Title of the project / storyboard
Author name
Version number
Page number
A drawing or sketch of each scene or shot
Additional information about the scene
Camera shots: extreme close up, close up, mid shot, long shot, extreme long shot
Camera angles: over the shoulder, low angle, high angle, aerial
Camera movement: pan, tilt, zoom, track and dolly
Location information
Sound information such as dialogue, sound effects, ambient sound and music
Timings can be given for scenes in the notes section. Timings are useful to give an overall feel of how long the scenes and film might be. They can help to indicate which shots will be longest or the most important.
Transitions
Action: There are two types of action that can be shown in a storyboard
- Movement of actors or objects
- Camera movement
- Arrows are often used to show movement

Who uses storyboards?

Storyboards are made by a creative design team
A director will work with a storyboard artist to storyboard each shot
Many versions of certain scenes may be made
Ideas will be shown to a client
Production staff will need to see the storyboard so that time isn’t wasted

See an example storyboard below:

Visualisation Diagrams

A visualisation diagram shows how a final product will look

A good visualisation diagram could be given to a graphic designer and have enough information for them to make the final product

Visualisation diagrams help to:

Show the layout of a final product
Show the colour scheme and font choices / typography
Allow a client or others in a design team to see how the final product will look before it is created

Components of Visualisation Diagrams:

These may change based upon the type of product that the visualisation diagram is being created for but they may include the following.

Images / photos / graphics
Layout and positioning of elements
Annotation about colours to be used
Information about typography (All caps, font size)
Film rating (PG)
Logo
Price
Barcode
Publication date
Font style

Visualisation diagrams are used for:

Brochures or leaflets
Magazines or book covers
Posters
DVD/Blu-ray covers
Comic pages
Web pages
Games instruction screens, characters or environments
Print adverts
T-shirts

When sketching images, remember the following:

Sketches don’t need to be perfect but they need to indicate how the final product will appear
A box saying ‘photo’ is not enough
Backgrounds don’t need to be fully filled in – a set of lines can quickly indicate a background colour
Annotation can be used to indicate colour and features of any images

Visualisation diagrams can be produced as:

Hand-drawn diagrams (or assets cut-out and stuck on a page)
Digital diagrams

A visualisation diagram will be used by:

Graphic designers or the creative team who produce the final product
The client who approves the idea

For visualisation diagrams to be effective they should meet the following points:

Meet the requirements of the client brief
Show what the final product will look like
Show the positioning of items
Show colours to be used
Have drawings which get key ideas for artwork across
Are annotated to explain further information such as the typography, images or colours to be used

Theexample visualisation diagram is for a poster for a film called ‘safari’:

Asset Logs

When making media products, other assets are often used.

For instance, a poster may make use of stock photography, or a film could use stock footage.

It is important that all assets used in media products are recorded. A simple table, known as an asset log, may be used to do this.

Information that may be recorded on an asset log (here we assume the assets are images):

An ID number or stock image number
The filename
A description of the image
The source of the image
Properties of the image, such as the image size/resolution
Legal issues – for instance, does a licence need to be purchased, does permission need to be obtained, or has a model release form been signed?
Where the image is being used

Many people will need access to an asset log including:

Graphic designers and illustrators who make use of image assets
Video editors and sound editors who make use of stock footage
Photographers who need to obtain model release forms/permissions
Editors of books, magazines and newspapers
Production managers who need to make sure licences are obtained and that all assets may legally be used

Below is a blank asset log like you will be given for your coursework.

Wireframes

Wireframe layouts are a simple way of showing the layouts of many pages or screens in media products.

They also show how pages or screens are connected by links or actions.

Common uses for wireframe layouts include:

Website pages and links
Interactive kiosk screens
App screens

Wireframes are likely to show less detail than a visualisation diagram

The specific content used for text, images and video will likely be dynamic (it will change)
Images are usually indicated by a box with an X inside it
Text is usually indicated using lines or dummy text
Buttons and text boxes are indicated with squares

Users of wireframes include:

Website designers
Website developers
UX designers (User experience designers)
App developers / designers / programmers

Wireframes may be made with pen and paper or using computers.

Word-processors or presentation software may be used but be aware that this may take a long time to create compared to pen and paper or specialist software.

Specialist software includes programs such as Balsamiq, UXPin or Axure RP.

The wireframe below is for a mobile app design.

Flowcharts

Flow charts allow problems to be broken down into separate processes

Flow charts also show decisions that need to be taken by organisations, people or programs

Flow charts could be used in many situations, such as:

Organisational processes – such as what do in an emergency in a TV studio
Instructions on a process for using equipment safely
Algorithms or processes that will be needed on a website
Algorithms or processes for characters in a computer game

Users of flowcharts:

Production manager
Director
Editor
Camera operator
Audio technician
Key talent (presenters/actors)
Web designer
Web developer
Programmers
Animators

Flow charts are usually made on computers, however, they may be made by hand

Basic software to make flow charts includes:

Word-processors
presentation software
desktop publishing software

Specialist software is also used to make flow charts, such as:

Microsoft Visio
Lucid charts
Smart Draw

Symbols

Start/End

used to show the start and stop of the algorithm

Input/Output

used to show where the user is going to input data or data is going to be output to the user.

Process

used to show a calculation or assignment

Decision

Used to show a decision, if the answer to the question in the shape is yes, go down the yes arrow, otherwise, no arrow.

Arrow

Used to show the direction of flow (the order of the flowchart)

The example flowchart below shows the process for registering for an account on a website.

Hardware and Software

Hardware

Hardware is any physical part of a computer system.

Hardware parts that plug into a PC, Mac or tablet are known as peripheral devices.

Types of Hardware iclude:

Mouse
Trackpad / trackball
Keyboard
Graphics tablet
Touch screen and stylus
Microphone
Digital camera
Scanner
Speakers
Display / monitor

Uses of Harware:

Designers will often use more than one display when creating graphics
Storyboards and visualisation diagrams often require sketches to be made
A graphics tablet replicates what a graphic artist or designer draws to the computer

The stylus works like a mouse – when it touches the tablet it is like pressing the left mouse button
A stylus also has pressure sensitivity
Some touch screens can work with a stylus or pen in the same way as a graphics tablet

Remember that non-electronic drawing materials are also hardware. These include:

Pens
Pencils
Rulers
Paper

Pre-production documents often created on board or paper include:

Mood boards
Mind maps
Visualisation diagrams
Storyboards

Hardware used to digitise the documents

Scanners
Digital cameras

Software

There are many companies that make software with similar features.

Some types of software include:

Image editing software
Presentation software
Word processing software is used for:
Scripts - as it lets users easily go back and edit text
Visualisation diagrams – as images and text can be added
Desktop Publishing (DTP) software
Mind mapping software
Dedicated software packages such as a script or storyboard editor, wireframing software or flow chart editing software

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