Audio-visual management module

DIGITAL STORYTELLING MODULEADVANCED COURSE OF MEDIA LITERACY 1
3.AUDIO-VISUAL
MANAGEMENT MODULE
ADVANCED
COURSE OF MEDIA LITERACY

ADVANCED
AUGUST 2014
AUTHOR
Authors: Skaidrite Bukbãrde, Žarko Čižmar,Antra Skinča, Ivan Stojilović.
Partners: Telecentre Europe, DemNet, Fundatia EOS - Educating for An Open Society,
IAN,Telecentar, LIKTA, Langas ateit, Fundación Esplai.
Coordination of the content development: Alba Agulló
GRAPHIC DESIGN AND DESIGN
Fundación Esplai (www.fundacionesplai.org) & Niugràfic (www.niugrafic.com)
Under Creative Commons
Attribution - NonCommercial - CompartieIgual (by-nc-sa)
To obtain permission beyond this license, contact
http://tma.telecentre-europe.org/contacts
Access to Multimedia Toolkit
http://tma.telecentre-europe.org/toolkit
LEGAL NOTICE
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.

3.1 Introducction P.4
3.2 Pre-production P.5
3.3 Production P.7
3.4 Post-production P.9
3.5 Distribution P.10
3.6 Presentation P.11
3.7 Evaluation P.12
3.8 News P.13
3.9 Promotion P.14
3.10 Documentary P.15
3.11 Annexes P.17
Annex 1: Project Fact Sheet
Annex 2: Project time plan
Annex 3: Assessment grid
3.11 Activities P.19
3.12 Bibliography P.20
Index
3 AUDIO-VISUAL
MANAGEMENT MODULE

AUDIO-VISUAL MANAGEMENT MODULEADVANCED COURSE OF MEDIA LITERACY 4
Introducction3.1
Audio-visual production is a final phase of the TMA training program-
me. It is the phase when you test your competences of photography,
audio, video, storytelling and project management. In this module
you will implement media projects, which will hopefully motivate you
to learn more and further develop your competences and then to im-
plement new projects and again and again and again…
To work on a project means that you often work in a team and you
need to communicate your ideas internally and externally. The-
reby you will develop social skills, concurrently with creative and
digital skills required to implement media projects.
Figure 1. Photo session organised by Telecentar during the Get Online
Week 2013 campaign in the Graphics school in Zagreb
(Photo by: Bruno Kokot)
Every new project is a new endeavour, for which you need to plan,
implement, complete and present results to the target audience
even if you target your family members or neighbours. By working
on media projects, you will build you entrepreneurial competen-
cies applicable in private and professional life, regardless of your
areas of interest.
If you choose to work on educational projects, you will develop
your capacity to learn. Learning to learn competence is conside-
red very important in a world which is constantly changing and
which is particularly reflected on a labour market.
Figure 16. Radio interview organised by Telecentar during the Get
Online Week 2013 campaign in the Graphics school in Zagreb
(Photo by: Žarko ižmar)

As you can imagine, we offer you an exciting adventure. We can-
not offer you recipes that you can simply follow with guaranteed
success. Instead, we shall present you a common workflow in
media projects, show you some examples that have inspired us
and just let you swim. Or fly. Or…
Just a word of advice. Don’t aim too high at the beginning of your
creative journey. Start with baby steps and then gradually raise
your targets.
Pre-production3.2
You just want to grab your camera and start shooting. Now. So-
mething. Somewhere. It is true that some works of art came out
spontaneously and out of nowhere. But we are not in a gambling
business and we want to improve your chances of success.
Figure 3. Illustration of the wall plan for film production
(Photo by: Ivan Crnkovi from the Video textbook published in 2013
as a part of the project Media literacy for the 21st century)
Therefore we start with planning which is in audio-visual industry
called pre-production. The pre-production output will include two
main elements. The first one is a story plan and the second one
is a project plan. In both plans you may help yourself by asking
5W questions: who, what, where, when and why. If you need it you
may add the question how. You are not ready for the production
phase until you answered all these questions.
You should work on a theme that you know very well or you are
anxious to learn about. Anyway, you should seek to find a theme
where all your team members share interests and where is likely
that all of you will stay focused until the project is finished and
presented. Therefore discuss it, before you start it.

Do your research. Try to find as many as possible reliable sources
of information. Try to see your story from at least two different an-
gles. People will be more open to talk to you if they see that you
did your homework and know what you are talking about. Try to
select the most important issues and focus on them.
Figure 4. Video production as a part of the audio-visual school
service established during the Media literacy for the 21st century
project in 2013 (Photo courtesy of Graphics school in Zagreb)
Put your plan on a paper and share it with all people involved.
Change it if necessary. It is not a problem if everything didn’t go
according to the plan. The problem is if you are not ready to ad-
just your plans to the new circumstances. Therefore think ahead
of possible contingency plans.
Before we start with shooting, think again if all the people and all
the equipment will be available when you planned your produc-
tion and if lighting conditions will be just right and if no noise will
disturb you and if you are sure you can control all that, please
think once again.
Figure 5. Illustration of the lighting setup (Photo by: Ivan Crnković
from the Video textbook published in 2013 as a part of the project Me-
dia literacy for the 21st century)
Don’t just think. Before you start your production, go to the loca-
tions where you plan your shooting and check the environment.
Especially pay attention to the position of sun in the morning and
in the evening if you shoot in exterior. If you plan to shoot inside
you have to check both artificial lighting setup and the natural
light coming from windows.

The lighting conditions will make a major difference in the final re-
sults of your photo and video projects. Poor lighting may destroy
all you efforts beyond repair in the post-production.
The similar thing is with sound. If you want to record the sound on
location, you better check if there is a construction yard nearby
or the heavy traffic is passing by. Regarding the wind conditions
you will have to rely on the weather forecast and the hairy sound
recording accessories.
Maybe you want to use already produced audio-visual materials.
In that case, in the pre-production process you will collect photos,
graphics, videos, sounds, music and prepare the collection for
editing in a post-production. Don’t forget to respect the copyrights.
Production3.3
Production is all about creating a content. It is the process of ta-
king pictures, capturing video, recording audio or combination of
all three.
Now it is the time to jump. I hope you have agreed on who is res-
ponsible for what in your team. Production phase is not a good
moment to practise democracy and although it is most often wise
to hear the alternative opinion, somebody needs to be in charge
of the production and make final decisions. Otherwise it might just
happen that a cloud goes over the sun and ruin your scene, while
you are discussing the right background for an interview with a
celebrity who is about to leave in few moments if you don’t make
up your mind.

Figure 7. Field production of the news story about school exchange
visit during the Multimedia school project implemented by Telecentar
from 2009-2010 (Photo by: Danijel Borna Fiket)
Try to follow the plans and produce the right amount of audio-vi-
sual materials that you need for the project. What does it mean
right amount? It means that too little materials may force you to
go back and produce more if that’s possible at all. It also means
that too much materials may force you to spend a lot of time just
to select the best shots, before you can even start editing. In other
words in media projects quantity is no substitute for quality. Don’t
worry. Your judgments and quality of produced materials will im-
prove over time, but only with a lot of practise.
Organise your production based on the human and technical
resources that you have available. Before you start complaining
about the camera or editing software, make sure you have learnt
to make the most out of the equipment you have at your disposal.
The technology will not make the job done for you even if you
have the most sophisticated one.
Figure 8. Telecentar video production – part of the Neanderthal trail
project implemented by the Archaeological museum in Zagreb in 2010
(Photo by: Danijel Borna Fiket)
Stay focused on your story. First story than good picture and good
sound. After all, the story is why you started your media project.
However, if you can’t see the story and hear the story your audien-
ce won’t be too excited.

Post-production3.4
When the shooting and recording is over you start a post-produc-
tion phase of your project. In the post-production you will make
corrections of brightness and contrast, exposure and colour, size
and resolution, you will trim and cut, equalize and amplify, add
this, remove that and finally assemble the story. It is the phase
that ends when your work of art is exported in a format ready for
distribution on different media platforms.
What is the best editing software for you? The answer to that
question is fairly simple. The one that satisfy your needs. For sim-
ple projects it will be sufficient to use freeware applications. For
professional projects you will have to learn professional tools all
the way through the production workflow.
Figure 9. Image editing workshop organised by Telecentar during the
Get Online Week 2013 campaign in the Graphics school in Zagreb
(Photo courtesy of Graphics school in Zagreb)
It means both hardware and software should be in the same lea-
gue. If you are somewhere between amateurs and pros you will
have to check your budget and be realistic about how often you
are going to use the equipment. It makes no sense to spend a
fortune and then have one more item to dust on your desk. Don’t
get overexcited by special effects before you can handle basics
of image, sound and video editing. I’m sure you remember, but let
me remind you once again. Story, story, story…
In the post-production you will finally understand why it is so im-
portant to produce sufficient quantity and quality of audio-visual
materials for your project. And why time planning is so important
in a pre-production.

Sooner or later, you will probably use audio-visual materials pro-
duced by others. If a soundtrack is available on Internet and is
just perfect for your project, please check the copyright rules be-
fore you use it. It’s not only the intellectual property you need to
respect. It is a decent thing to respect other authors. You are co-
lleagues now, remember that.
Distribution3.5
You finnished your masterpiece and surelly you would like to sha-
re it. The easiest way is to use the social media channels you alre-
ady use and share it with your friends. Don’t be dissaponted if you
don’t grab attention of million Internet fans. But you never know…
The name of the game is cross-media and multi-platform distri-
bution of personalised content. Too techy? Well you are part of
the game, the same moment you start sharing your photos and
videos captured on your new smart device that has just assimila-
ted a new piece of technology. “Resistance is futile” as we were
told in one of the most popular science fiction franchises of the
20th century.

Figure 11. YouTube channel of the Perimetar project implemented
by Telecentar from 2009-2010 with news stories about civil society,
art and culture, green energy and education
Presentation3.6
You will practise your presentation skills at the beginning and at
the end of the project. In order to start the project you will have
to get a green light from your trainer, producer, sponsor or some-
body else in charge of production. The initial presentation should
be focused on a question why. Why is it worth doing this project?
Your answer should give a motive to your team and yourself and
should be convincing enough to get an approval from decision
makers to start with pre-production.
In a project proposal you will have to define your objectives and
at the end of your project you and your colleagues should reflect
on these objectives in a peer review.
Figure 12. Presentation of the photo exhibition: The pre Columbian civi-
lisations of Latin America at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb in
2009 (Author of the exhibition: Hrvoje Šajbinger)
Final presentation of your results is directly related to the project
promotion. Who is your target audience? You should get a feed-
back from them and this is the only way to learn if you truly hit the
targets. You may decide to organise an event where you invite the
people who you want to tell your story. Event management is ano-
ther competence which is very useful in a variety of professions,
but also in private life so you should give it a try.
You can also make it part of a bigger event like a project conferen-
ce and you will kill two birds with one stone. However, make sure
that no animals are harmed in the presentation of your project.

Evaluation3.7
Evaluation is an important part of your learning process. There is
another key competence to apply in this phase of the project. It is
called critical thinking. Actually, the whole media project cycle is
about critical thinking.
Start with self assessment, then move on to peer assessment and
finally if possible expose your work to external judgments. The
simplest way is to participate in a competition with a clear set of
criteria you have to meet in order to apply. And a word of advice
which is the most difficult to follow. Try not to take criticism too
personally. I know it may be painfull, but to learn from your own
mistakes is one way to improve your performance.
Figure 13. MEDEA Awards ceremony during the Media & Learning 2012
Conference in Brussels (Photo courtesy of ATiT)
It’s not the smartest one, but this is why you should assess your
peers too and learn from their mistakes. Please start with some
positive remarks before you make too many enemies. However, it
makes no sence if you spend peer review just exchanging com-
pliments with your colleagues. Find a balance.

News3.8
In the process of creating a news story, you will work in teams
to select a topic, conduct an interview and report a story. Be cu-
rious. You can find your story everywhere around you. Your news
should provide a new information that you think your audience
want to know or need to know.
Figure 14. Field production of the news story about ecological olive
waste treatment for the Multimedia school project implemented by
Telecentar in 2010 (Photo by: Danijel Borna Fiket)
Before you do an interview, do a research and prepare a list of
open questions who, what, where, when and why (and how).
Open questions means the questions that can not be answered
with yes or no. You probably won’t keep all the answers in your
report so it is useful if you can cut just the ones you need. There-
fore you want to get rounded answers that make sense even if the
audience can’t hear the question.
It is helpful if you write down your questions, but you shouldn’t
read them during interviews. Keep them handy in case you freeze
and forget all your plans. Don’t think about next question before
you hear the answer. Listen and ask follow up questions if you
need further explanations.
Have a chat with your interviewee in order to keep herself, himself
and yourself relaxed. Remember that people usually don’t feel
very comfortable facing a grim faced journalist with a camera and
microphone.

Now it’s time to write a script that you will record as a voiceo-
ver. You should start your story with the main point and finish the
story with a final thought. In between you will be telling your story
staying clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete and
courteous. Business experts call these tips 7Cs of effective com-
munication.
You don’t need to become a journalist, but you need good com-
munication skills if you want to play active role in a society so
heavily dependent on information and communication and rela-
ted technologies. Journalists say that bad news are good news,
but if you live in a time of crisis bad news are no longer news. So
maybe it’s time to change at least for a while the media paradigm
and try to find a reason to smile. But please try not to be pathetic
and don’t forget to think critically.
Promotion3.9
Creating promo materials is a good way of making friends, espe-
cially in a non-profit sector. Try to find an NGO in your local com-
munity which is not so visible, but is doing a good job. It would
be win-win situation if you would get a good story for your pro-
ject and they would get more public attention. If you could attract
more donors, maybe you could also find your business niche. But
it’s not all about the money.
Figure 17. Screenshot of the promotional film Croatia Homeland
of Marco Polo produced by Telecentar in 2006 for the Croatian
National Tourist Board

Public sector is another area where you can find non-profit stories
worth promoting. If you want to criticize them, make news or do-
cumentaries. Schools, libraries, museums often lack funding for
marketing and they would welcome external assistance.
In news stories you need to be concise and focused, but in pro-
motional messages you have even less time or space to tell what
you want. Discuss the key concepts with your clients and try to
express their wishes in a short impactful message targeting spe-
cific audience with a specific goal.
Figure 18. Screenshot of the promotional film produced by
Telecentar in 2005 for the general assembly of the Croatian
Exporters Association
If you can’t find clients, promote yourself. If you compete on a job
market be aware that it has become quite effective and thereby
quite popular to accompany your curriculum vitae with a self-pro-
mo video.
If you try to do it you will see that it’s not so easy to communicate
with camera and why so many people are reluctant to give you
an interview even if it will not be broadcasted in a prime time. But
if you manage to overcome these fears, you will develop another
piece of your competitive advantage. Or at least have a lot of fun.
Documentary3.10
This is finally a moment or two when you don’t have just few se-
conds to send your message rushing immediately to a new story,
hitting targets and meeting deadlines. I almost forgot you are not
journalists and don’t want to become journalists, but anyway.

Figure 19. Screenshot of the documentary film Thailand the Land of
Smile produced by Telecentar in 2007 in collaboration with the
Travellers Club Odysseus
In documentaries you should dig deeper and seek for the rea-
sons why did something happen. To answer who, what, when and
where is still important if you want to document a moment in his-
tory, but “why” is the most important and at the same time the
most difficult question you have to answer. The truth is out there.
Good stories will capture emotions and without emotions your
story will be pretty dull. However try to attain balance between
emotion and information.
Figure 2. Documentary film The secret of mummies produced
by DSP Studio in co-production with Telecentar in 2012
(Photo by: Nenad Obrenović)
These are just few examples of media projects that you can ex-
plore. The world of multimedia is especially exciting because of
possibility to explore new frontiers. But it is wise to start and get
acquainted with the old grammar, before you start breaking rules.
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Annexes3.11
Annex 1: Project Fact Sheet
Author(s):
Project title:
Objectives:
Target Audience:
Genre:
Producer/director:
Scriptwriter:
Camera operator:
Editor:
Sound technician:
Photographer:
Shooting locations:
Equipment needed:
Additional needs:
Annex 2: Project time plan
Project title:
Start date:
End date:
Project Phase Due date: Responsible date:
Approved by: ________________________ Date: ____________

Annex 3: Assessment grid
Does not meet expectations (0) Meets expectations (3) Exceeds expectations (5)
Project proposal
Script
Shot list
Time management
Creative content
Technical quality
Team work
Peer review
Presentation

Activities3.12
1. Pre-production
A. Discuss project ideas
B. Define project theme, genre (news, promotional media, docu-
mentary, etc.) and objectives
C. Present draft project proposal
D. Conduct project research
E. Prepare project plan (project factsheet)
F. Prepare story plan (script, storyboard, interview questions)
G. Prepare shot list
2. Production
H. Organise video and photo shooting (setup equipment, orga-
nise production set)
I. Shoot audio-visual materials according to the shot list (update
the shot list if necessary)
J. Record voiceover
3. Post-production
K. Edit video, images and audio materials (rough cut, final cut)
L. Export audio-visual materials in right formats for distribution
on different media platforms
4. Distribution
M. Distribute audio-visual materials on media platforms of your
choice (web sites, social media, podcast channels, DVDs, TV,
radio, IPTV, etc.)
5. Presentation
N. Organise presentation of the project results (premises, equip-
ment)
O. Invite target audience
6. Evaluation
P. Conduct peer review (assessment grid form)

Bibliography3.13
 Adobe Education Exchange. Digital Video: Foundations of
Video Design and Production. Retrieved July 7, 2013, from
http://edex.adobe.com/digital-video
 PMI Educational Foundation. (2011) Project management
skills for life. Project Management Institute. Retrieved Sep-
tember 5, 2013, from http://www.pmi.org/pmief/learningzone/
PMSFL_Manual.pdf
 PMI Educational Foundation. (2011) Project Management
Toolkit for Youth - Building Project Management Skills for the
21st Century. Project Management Institute.
Retrieved September 5, 2013, from http://www.pmi.org/pmief/
learningzone/building_pm_skills.asp
 BBC School Report. Teacher resources.
Retrieved March 1, 2014, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolre-
port/teacher_resources/
 Videomaker. Beginner’s Guide. Retrieved March 1, 2014,
from http://www.videomaker.com/faq-page

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission

Audio-visual management module

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