Written for the non-specialist media producer, this book offers a practical and engaging guide to basic digital media production using modern equipment and software.
As media production tools and software become more pervasive and traditional media jobs scarcer, today’s media professionals are now expected to be content creators across multiple forms of media, often working with little more equipment than a smartphone. In this accessible manual, Griffey explains how well-crafted media can help sell products, bolster subscriptions, and influence public opinion—and how to go about crafting it in a landscape of high-speed social media consumption. Topics covered include the basics of photography, film, video, and audio production, as well as animation and building websites. Readers will learn not just how to shoot or record content, but also how to edit, compress, and share it, considering the most appropriate file types, equipment, software, and platforms to use for each scenario. After reading this book, students will understand best practices associated with almost every area of media production and possess the essential skills to get the job done.
This book is an essential companion for students in communication disciplines, including PR, advertising, journalism, and marketing, looking for a solid grounding in digital media production to prepare them for the competitive job market.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction: the importance of media production skills
Chapter 2: Photography
· The power of good photography
· The evolution of photography
· How a DSLR camera works
· Taking good photographs
· Expert POV: Kathleen Sanker
· Expert POV: Jennifer Silverberg
Chapter 3: Pixel-based image editing
· The evolution of pixel-based image editing
· Digital photographic images
· Properties of pixel-based images
· Manipulating pixels in a pixel-based image
· Sourcing pixel-based images
· Pixel-based image editing software
· Common image-editing tasks
· The ethics of image editing
· Expert POV: Zachary Kaufman
Chapter 4: Vector-based graphics
· What are vector-based graphics?
· Origins of vector-based graphics
· Vector-based graphic software
· Best uses of vector-based graphics
· Tools and techniques used in vector-based drawing programs
· Vector-based file formats
· Vector to pixel and pixel to vector conversion
· Design tips when creating vector-based graphics
· Sourcing vector graphics
· Expert POV: Leila Mitchell
Chapter 5: Compositing images
· Where are composited images used?
· The evolution of composited images
· How to create a composited image
· Design principles for effective image compositing
· Expert POV: Noriko Yuasa
Chapter 6: Audio recording
· The evolution of audio recording
· Why good-quality audio is important
· What makes good-quality audio
· Audio-recording techniques
· Microphones
Selecting an appropriate microphone for your recording needs
· Strategies for capturing good-quality audio
· Legal issues when recording audio
· Expert POV: Carl Nappa
Chapter 7: Editing and sharing audio
· Evolution of audio editing
· The properties and representation of sound
· Sampled sound
· Mono vs. stereo
· Audio file formats
· Audio editing
· Obtaining audio from other sources
· Exporting and sharing your audio
· Legal issues when incorporating audio into your projects
· Expert POV: John Krivit
Chapter 8: Shooting video
· The evolution of video
· The explosion of online video
· Video equipment essentials
· Video preproduction
· Video production
Legal issues when shooting video
· Expert POV: June Kyu Park
Chapter 9: Editing and sharing video
· What is video editing?
· The evolution of video editing
· Pre-editing tasks
· Video-editing software
· Sourcing video
· Video-editing tasks
· Editing style and techniques
· Exporting and sharing video
· Export POV: Bryce Bagwill
Chapter 10: Animation and motion graphics
· What is animation?
· Evolution of animation
· Evolution of motion graphics
· Forms of animation
· Uses of animation
· Uses of motion graphics
· The production process
· Animation and motion-graphics software
· Tools and techniques for the non-animator
· Expert POV: Michael Long
· Expert POV: Kristin Pratt
Chapter 11: Building websites
· Origins of the World Wide Web
· Coding a website
· Setting up web hosting and acquiring a domain name
· More complex web development
· Content management systems
· Building a website on a platform
· Principles of web design
· E-commerce sites
· Driving traffic to your site
· Expert POV: Scott Granneman
Chapter 12: Writing for media production
· Proposal writing for media projects
· Scriptwriting
· Writing for websites
· Social media writing
· Expert POV: Christy Pogorelac
Chapter 13: Soliciting and using audience feedback
· Conventional methods of soliciting audience feedback
· Soliciting audience feedback from different channels
· Leveraging digital channels for passive audience feedback
· Analyzing and implementing qualitative audience feedback
· Analyzing and implementing quantitative audience feedback
· Responding to audience feedback
· Expert POV: Bob Cuneo
· Expert POV: Heidi Singleton
Index
