INTRODUCTION

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of video and audio productions. The
overarching objective of the class is not only to learn technical aspects of production, but also to
understand how to use media technology to achieve intended communication goals. The course also
requires students to meet strict deadlines, be responsible, and work individually and in
teams.Multimedia projects are complex; they often involve the skills and efforts of multiple teams or
people. During the development process, a project moves through the specialized parts of the team,
from story creation to technical editing, with regular collective review sessions Each stage is designed to
refine the project with attention to the client's needs, technical requirements and audience preferences.

MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION

In basic terms, multimedia production is any sort of production that uses imagery and a combination of
text, audio, and graphics to tell a story. This story might be the sale of a product, or it might be the
narration of an event. It can be educational or it can be artistic or both, or all of the above. There is no
required format for multimedia production; there is no set formula. There are unlimited ways to
approach it and incorporate it into any model.

TOOLS USE IN MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION

1. Cameral: If you’re making a video, you need a good camera. And if you’ve done any reading about
video production tools or videography, you know that there are a lot of opinions out there.

We’ll start with the basics. You can definitely use your smartphone camera for filming. It won’t get you
the same level of quality as a professional-level full-frame mirrorless video camera. But it’s more
accessible, and the video quality improves all the time. examples of good camera are sony and cannon.

2. Tripod: No matter how good your camera’s stabilization is, you need a tripod. Even small shakes can
be visible in a video—especially if you’re using a DSLR with a zoom lens.
A tripod turns even a basic camera into a much better video production tool. A tripod will seriously
improve the video quality from any camera. examples of tripod are gorilla tripod, switch tripod, Mefoto
tripod.

3. Microphone

External microphone

While some video cameras, camcorders, phones have great audio pickups, they still leave much to be
desired. And if you’re using something smaller, the audio will likely be terrible. These devices aren’t
designed to capture high-quality sound.

External microphones significantly improve the quality of your audio. This is especially important when
you’re filming video lessons, courses, live streams, interviews, or anything else that contains speech.

Examples of microphone are Shotgun mic, rode video mic, wireless rode mic etc

4. Lighting

Good lighting makes a huge difference in the final quality of your video. If you’ve ever seen a video
where an interviewee is poorly lit, you know that it’s distracting.

Getting your lighting right is not easy. You need to consider different types of light, foreground and
background lighting, shadows, and equipment.

5. Gimbal

A gimbal is like a stabilizer for your camera. There are many different types and sizes; you can find
gimbals for cameras as small as your iPhone and as big as a professional-level video camera.

By using pivots and weights, a gimbal stabilizes your shot, which is especially important when you’re
moving. When your camera is still, a tripod will work. If you’re moving around, you’ll need a gimbal.

6. Editing/Production Software

We’ve talked in detail about beginner video editing software in the past. Suffice to say here that it’s
absolutely necessary. With some basic editing skills, your video quality will go way up.
You don’t even need to get into advanced techniques like color correcting or complicated cuts. Just
editing out your vocal pauses and inserting some text is enough to take your video from amateurish to
pro-quality. example of editor software are ,iMovie, davinchi resolve, final cut pro etc

7. Video Editing Hardware

You can edit videos on almost any device. Most smartphones can download capable video-editing apps,
and just about every computer can run one as well.

But if you’re going to be doing a lot of video editing, you may want to consider upgrading your
hardware. Many top videographers use Apple hardware for their video editing, but Windows PCs have
caught up in graphics processing power, too.

8. High-Quality Memory Cards

High-quality SD cards can make a big difference when shooting videos. You want high capacity (64GB or
more) with high read and write speeds. A great option is the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro card with
speeds of 300MB/s. This allows you to shoot long videos and never have to worry about running out of
space. If you’re planning to shoot longer videos, it’s best to go for 128GB or larger though.

9. Dummy Battery

Dummy battery is yet another useful tool you need for live streaming and video production.

Having a dummy battery is a game-changer. It allows you to easily plug your camera into the wall so you
wouldn’t have to worry about your battery level when shooting a long video or live streaming. Dummy
batteries are very affordable and can drastically improve and speed up your video production process.

STAGES OF MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION

Planning Meeting to Start the Process

A planning meeting is a crucial part of the multimedia development process; it

creates a shared vision for everyone working on the project. The meeting usually
kicks off a project, bringing together the team. During the meeting, the project
manager communicates the major goals and lays out the milestones. The meeting
may include a discussion of the target audience and how each division can help
support the overarching goal.
Creative Brief and Script Writing

Most multimedia projects have a story behind them. After the initial meeting, the
people in charge of the background story write a script, creative brief or outline.
The text hits the main points of the project and uses language that appeals to the
audience in jargon, tone and style.

Story Boarding to Tie the Elements Together

A multimedia project usually includes multiple pieces: audio, video, imagery, text
for voiceovers and on-screen titles. Story boarding ties everything together; a
story board panel for a scene includes a sketch of the visual elements, the
voiceover or title text, and any production notes. It guides the process, keeps
everyone in check and gives structure to the project.

Designing the Visual Aspects

During the design stage, designers take over the visual aspects of the project to
determine how it looks and feels. Using the notes from the storyboard, they
create graphics, design the navigation and give direction to photographers and
videographers regarding the correct shots. Depending on the project, the design
stage might include graphic design, web design, information design, photography
or image collection. Design is always done with an eye toward the audience

Review and Editing

Editing is one of the most involved and complex stages of the multimedia
development process. The people responsible for editing the project turn the
various pieces into a cohesive product, taking into consideration the time
constraints, story line and creative specifications. Depending on the scope of the
project, pieces of the project may be edited separately.

For projects with a large amount of video, editing is often the longest stage of the
process; a minute of final video can take hours of editing. The editing stage
usually involves internal review iterations and may also include rounds of client
review and editing.

Production and User Testing

The production stage is when all the parts of a multimedia project come together.
The production staff gathers all of the edited assets in one place and puts them
together in a logical sequence, using the story board as a guide. The rough draft is
then put through rounds of review and final edits, both internally and with the
client. To ensure that a project has the desired impact on the target audience, a
company may engage in user testing as part of production.

During this stage, test members of the audience use the multimedia piece while
team members observe. Depending on the goals of the project, the staff might
observe users' reactions or have them answer questions to see if the project hits
the right marks. After user testing, there are usually further adjustments to the
project. Once the team and clients are satisfied, the project goes out for
distribution.
The Benefits of Multimedia Production in Video

The specific benefits of multimedia for marketing, creative and commercial purposes are numerous and
absolutely unlimited. Here are some of the major benefits we’ve seen with multimedia production at
One Productions:
Dimension ‒ Multimedia adds dimension to projects. By definition it is nonlinear meaning it can be
accessed by its audience in a variety of different ways and orders.

Accessibility ‒ Multimedia makes content more captivating for the viewer in ways that nonlinear media
doesn’t, from dynamic information presentation to simplification of complex concepts as well as
catering for a range of learners.

Rich Content ‒ Multimedia adds depth to traditional media without distracting from the foundation
information of the package; it complements and enriches increasing the overall reach of the concepts.

Informative & Engaging ‒ Multimedia has become a normalised component of viewer’s information
consumption habits across platforms and contexts. Now by default, people seek all different kinds of
multimedia as a means of illustration and clarification rather than basic text and graphics. In fact, the
rise and dominance of multimedia like video with data showing more than 50% of people not only trust
visual content over text, they prefer it.

Customisation ‒ Multimedia is highly customisable and it shines as a means for communicating dense
information in an easily digestible content package.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to work with multimedia is with video to make your media
production a multimedia production.

Integrating Multimedia with Marketing, Promo & Creative Video Content

Video is a visual medium, so it pairs especially well with text-based content. While narrative text can be
excellent on its own, video may serve to engage your audience longer. Online news outlets, in particular,
are using this method to attract readers. Including video with news stories not only makes the news
more comprehensive, it involves its audience longer increasing the chances of viewers staying with that
news source rather than clicking away.

The news is not the only form of media that is including video alongside its text. Audio broadcast media,
such as radio and podcasts, are turning to video more and more frequently to accompany their
programs. These videos can come in the form of behind-the-scenes footage, extended interviews, and
exclusive footage, to name a few options. The addition of video to an audio program gives interested
listeners an incentive to further explore a story and to satiate the inevitable desire to add a visual aspect
to the aural. In the case of shows like these, video does not detract from their original impact, but rather
add to them by including an optional visual component.

Multimedia Video Production ‒ Embed and Upload Across Platforms

Multimedia production is continually evolving and extends across platforms into unexpected types of
media. Even mediums that are traditionally strictly textual, such as books, are starting to find ways to
use multimedia production to their advantage. Especially with the advent of digital reading, book sales
benefit greatly from the inclusion of multimedia. A new trend for book publishers is to release short
video for books, to give potential readers a visual cue to purchase.

You, too, can broaden the scope of your story by illustrating, expanding, and elucidating text by means
of video. There are no rules or boundaries for how video can complement and extend your message.

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