Media management encompasses the organization of media assets from research and writing through sharing and archiving. Below are some best practices for keeping track of files as you work on your project.
We recommend creating a shared Box folder to store all your digital assets. You can share this folder with the members of your group and your professor and TA. iMovie files do not save on box without creating a zip file. See the instructions below for how to backup your iMovie library.
You can also purchase a small 16gb USB drive to save files and move your project file around between computers. You can specify the location and name of the library/project prior to starting your project and set it to your groups shared USB drive so you can edit on any computer. For help, see Starting Your Project below for step by step instructions.
Staying organized is essential as you collect and create various assets for your project. Organizing and naming all your files will help make collaborating smoother. Above is an example of how you can stay organized during this process.
Always backup your media and project files in at least two locations! It’s important to always back-up your media and project files in case your computer crashes or hard drive malfunction. All machines in the DDS are wiped weekly.
Unfortunately, Box does not properly save or backup iMovie Libraries. Using Box as a backup requires that you zip your iMovie library. To do this simply find your iMovie Library (by default it is located in your Movies folder and named iMovies Library), right-click and select Compress iMovie Library.
This will create a .zip file. Move this file to Box as a backup. You can add the date to the filename so you don't accidentally overwrite a previous version.
Required movie excerpts
The excerpts you must incorporate into your project can be found on the course canvas site under Files.
When looking for images to include in a multimedia project, it is important to be aware of how resolution and compression can impact the aesthetic of your piece. Resolution is the number of pixels running horizontally and vertically in your image.
The standard resolution for a project that combines video, image and audio elements is HD (1920x1080). If you don't want your image to have artifacts, make sure the files you download are at least 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels. Using Advanced Search functions typically allow you to narrow your results by resolution.
If you don't want your video to have artifacts, make sure the files you download are at least 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels. You can check your files resolution by opening in a media player or video application and checking the properties of the video.
Some websites that allow download of videos also give the option for different formats, for example y2mate (be careful not to click on click bate!). Since these files are usually heavily compressed, downloading the larger file type typically (not always) means it will be less compressed.
When looking for audio to include in a multimedia project, it is important to be aware of how format and sample rate can impact the quality of your audio. Mp3 files compress sound files while .wav files are uncompressed and can store higher quality audio.
The standard sample for a project that combines video, image and audio elements is 48kHz. It is important that you make sure all of the files you download and record are the sample sample rate. You can check your files resolution by opening in a media player or video application and checking the properties of the audio file.
Thinking through the following questions can help frame how you approach remixing your video clip:
Creating a storyboard can help you organize your ideas before you even open an editing application. The template below will help you keep track of timing, video, audio and notes connected to each scene.
Giving and receiving feedback is a valuable way to practice listening and speaking critically in order to nurture a community of growth. Below are a few tips for going into a critique.
Giving feedback
Receiving feedback:
DDS can help support a variety of editing software, including Adobe Premiere and FCPX, but the method we recommend is using iMovie for ease of use.
Udemy offers a range of online tutorials and has two classes to support learning the basics of iMovie:
Below is also a quick overview the basic tools in iMovie that will help you to complete this project.
Use room tone to fill gaps in your recording
Remove all clicks, pops and distracting audio
Set Volume just on the edge between green and yellow
Steps for exporting your project will vary depending on the editing application your group selected.
Recommended export settings:
•Custom Size: If you need to output a custom size, navigate to File > Share > File and select Quality > Custom. Here you can change the bitrate to adjust the final size. Note: the smaller the file size, likely the more compress your file will be.
Once you have exported your video project, you will need to upload your file to the Canvas course site. Below are two guides for uploading the file first to your individual media gallery and then sharing that uploaded video with the course.