Creating

Digital technology makes creating your own media a realistic and rewarding goal for many teachers, students and researchers. In this section we look at what to bear in mind when planning, recording and designing a creative project - be it a photoshoot, interview, screencast, podcast, or any other type of production. As well as looking at why and how you might want to use video, audio or images, there are guides to choosing suitable equipment and software for their capture and manipulation, and professional tips and techniques to optimise results, as well as case studies of successful production projects.

If you would prefer to see all of our guides, see our A-Z listing.

• A Short List of Video Editing Applications

  There are many video editing applications available for both desktop and online environments. Here is our list of the more popular solutions.

• Adding Sign Language to a Video

  When producing educational video for use on the web it is important to communicate clearly with your target audience. If your material is to be of use to the deaf community or viewers with hearing difficulties, there are a number of options: add subtitles or closed captions or an overlaid sign language interpreter who interprets spoken information in visual form. British Sign Language is the first language of over 70,000 people in the UK but many other sign languages exist internationally. This advice document looks at the practical aspects of adding a sign language interpreter to video delivered via the web.

• An Introduction to Digital Audio

  A guide to the theory of digital audio, explaining the process of analogue to digital conversion and how sound is represented and stored in digital form.

• An Introduction to the Digital Image

  Discover the differences between raster and vector images with visual examples and learn about resolution and colour depth. 

• An Introduction to Using Digital Audio Software

  This document provides some background information regarding digital audio production software and discusses some important precepts and explains some common terminology unique to digital audio software.

• Audio Feedback - A How-To Guide

  This document provides a simple step-by-step guide to creating and embedding audio feedback using Microsoft Word 2000 and 2007, the most common format for student text works. There is also a mention of embedding audio in PDFs, which is discussed at the end of this document, with a link to the appropriate Adobe online resource.

• Audio Post-Production Techniques for Spoken Word

  This paper is aimed at those with a low level of confidence in working with digital audio. Whereas some basic knowledge and experience is expected, the techniques and concepts adopted herein are presented for the novice. This paper intends to provide an introduction to some of the main considerations when producing digital audio after the recording stage of a spoken word project. Post-production offers a huge expanse of technical and creative capabilities where the spoken word can be fine-tuned to sound crisp and clear, blended with music, or made to sound as if it were recorded in a different physical space. This paper aims to provide simple, practical solutions to common problems faced when working with spoken word, as well as tips to enhance recordings and help you achieve the best possible result.

• Audio Processing - Dynamics and Compression

  How compression and other forms of dynamics processing work, and how they can be used to improve the impact, clarity and subjective quality of your recordings.

  [Note: In the context of audio signal processing, 'compression' has a completely different connotation to 'compression' when used to describe file compression in the computer domain. Though they share the same term the two are entirely unrelated, and should not be confused!]

• Audio Troubleshooting Guide

  A step-by-step guide to diagnosing and rectifying some common technical problems encountered when preparing a recording system

• Audio/Video Production: Recording Lectures, Seminars and Events

  The principles and practice of location recording of sound and video for educational use.

  In this paper we discuss requirements and issues to consider when recording events. We look at both sound-only and combined sound-and-vision recording. The discussion focuses on considerations applicable to any scenario the reader may encounter; for issues specific to different types of event the reader is directed to the appropriate Basic Guide.

  We conclude with some example scenarios.

• Audiovisual Signal Types and Interconnects

  Over the decades various technical standards have been adopted for analogue and then for digital video and audio. As the popularity of systems declined they were generally replaced by improved technologies, making many system configurations entirely obsolete. Obsolete interconnects can be difficult to use in conjunction with modern equipment.

  This paper looks at the nature of audio and video signals and then surveys significant historical interconnects (such as RCA) and contemporary, digital equivalents (such as SDI and SPDIF).

  Any method of transferring digital data, such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) can potentially be used to transfer digital audiovisual files, but such technologies are not primarily associated with audio video signal data and so are not discussed here.

• Basic Audio Editing

  This document addresses some basic techniques used when editing digital audio within a DAE (Digital Audio Editor). It assumes little or no previous knowledge and experience of audio editing and offers advice on how and when to use common tools within the editing environment

• Basic Audio Mixing

  This paper offers an introduction to the basic principles of audio mixing within digital audio software.

  The principles of mono and stereo audio are summarised in this short screencast.

• Basic Guide to Field Video Recording

  This document is intended for users who wish to record 'in the field'. This includes both the videoing of resources (animals, plants, sculpture, buildings, etc.) and the videoing of people (students, interview subjects, crowds). The common thread is that the work occurs 'outside' in a number of environments.

• Basic Guide to Shooting Video

  This paper looks at practical concerns and techniques used in the shooting of video. The intention is to give the beginner tips and tools as well as to highlight some common pitfalls the beginner may encounter.

• Basic Guide to the Flip

  This document is a guide to the use of the Flip video camera and similar miniature camcorders.

• Basic Guide to Videoing Audiovisual Materials

  This document is intended for users who wish to record teaching materials such as those used during a lecture. This includes both projected materials, materials shown on a television screen and printed materials. It covers everything the novice should need to know from the first step to the last.

• Basic Guide to Videoing Groups

  This document is intended for users who wish to record groups. This includes events like workshops and seminars where more than one person is speaking; for events where only one person is speaking the user should refer to the Basic Guide to Videoing Lectures.

• Basic Guide to Videoing Interviews

  This document is intended for users who wish to record an interview. It is a complement to JISC Digital Media’s advice paper Audio/Video Production: Recording Lectures, Seminars and Events. In that document, we discussed the details common to any type of event that might be recorded. This document looks at issues and considerations specific to the recording of interviews. It covers everything the novice should need to know from the first step to the last.

• Basic Guide to Videoing Lectures

  This document is intended for users who wish to record a lecture. It is a complement to JISC Digital Media’s advice paper Audio/Video Production: Recording Lectures, Seminars and Events. In that document, we discussed the details common to any type of event that might be recorded. This document looks at issues and considerations specific to the recording of lectures. It covers everything the novice should need to know from the first step to the last.

• Choosing a Digital Audio File Format

  The choice of file formats can often prove overwhelming for someone new to the world of digital audio. The aim of this document is to discuss some of the key factors that should be considered before choosing a format and suggest suitable file formats for specific applications.

• Choosing a microphone

  This guide looks at some of the different types of microphone you may encounter, and gives an introduction to some of the features which may help you choose the right type for your needs, and the techniques you can use to get the best from them.

• Choosing an Audio Interface - Project Requirements

  The implications of different types of audio and video project for your choice of audio computer interface.

• Choosing your Digital Audio Software

  It can be a difficult task to choose the right audio software for your specific project, especially if you are new to the world of digital audio. This paper discusses some of the key factors to consider when choosing audio software and provides a comparison guide to some of the most popular packages.

• Copyright and Other Rights for Creating Time-based Media Resources

  This advice document provides some basic information on rights issues associated with creating time-based digital media resources. By time-based we mean resources that change over time - including spoken audio, music, animation, and video - as opposed to still images or screen shots, which do not change over time. Rights issues include copyright, recording rights, moral rights and performance rights.

• Creating an Audio Ident

  This paper discusses some of the design considerations and practicalities when using and/or creating idents for audio resources. The paper is divided into two halves - the first offers an overview of audio idents, discussing areas including when idents can be effective, and the types of sounds that can be used in idents. The second provides a how-to guide on constructing and adding idents to existing spoken word recordings using the software Audacity.

• Creating an Audio Podcast

  An introductory guide to recording an audio podcast on a computer with a microphone and free open-source software.

  This advice document will help users with little or no experience of recording audio to record their voice onto their computer using free software and simple peripherals. It then covers basic processing and editing of their recording and mastering it to a final format - in this case MP3. Simple instructions are then given for delivering this recording as a podcast through an institution's VLE and for archiving projects.

• Digital Equalisation

  An introduction to the most common types of equaliser available within software, and equivalent purpose-built hardware units, suitable for live sound reinforcement, recording and mixing.

• Do Digital Images Exist in the Real World?

  While the traditional photographic print or negative is a 'real' tactile object, the digital image is just a series of ones and zeros stored on computer media. This document explains how the digital data is used to display or print a digital image.

• Free Online Audio Editors

  There is a wide range of both free and commercial software which you can install onto your computer to record and edit digital audio, whether for podcast or music production. But what if you don't have the ability to install software on your machine, or it isn't powerful or fast enough for the task, or there isn't enough space, or if you simply don't want to?

  For simple audio editing and processing tasks there are now a few versatile audio tools which you can access online via their providers' websites, and which run on remote servers while you remotely operate their interface through your familiar web browser, and stream audio to and from them via the internet.

• Free Online Image Editors

  You don't need Photoshop if you want to edit your digital images. There are now countless alternatives - this advice document looks at free-to-use online image editors which let you work on images via your internet browser. As these free image editors are web-based, you don't need to install anything on your computer.

• Free Online Screencasting Tools

  A guide to free online services which enable you to use your internet browser to capture on-screen computer activity, along with input from peripherals like microphones and webcams, and which offer users the ability to download and/or share the resultant videos in a variety of ways and formats. This advice document will be of interest to those new to screencasting, who would like to try it out with simple tools which require no purchase or installation. Online screencast services will also interest experienced screencasters needing access to screencast tools 'in the field', and the quick publishing and sharing tools which accompany them.

• Introducing Screen Capture Software

  We introduce a number of screen recording software options for capturing moving image and audio activity on a computer screen.

• Introduction to Digital Video

  We look at a variety of concepts and issues relating to digital video. The intention is to give the reader enough knowledge to make informed choices about digital video equipment, to create digital video and to read more advanced documents about digital video on the JISC Digital Media website.

• Introduction to GIMP Image Editing Software

  GIMP is a free open source image editing program. It has a comprehensive set of tools comparable to those available in commercial software such as Adobe Photoshop. GIMP can help you with simple and advanced image editing tasks. This document will look at the GIMP features that are of most use to those wanting to edit images for use in teaching and research.

• Introduction to Lenses

  This document looks at the camera lens (stills or video) and how it contributes to the quality of the photographic image. It describes the component parts of the lens and how they contribute to the final image. The document should also help the reader to select a specific lens for a task.

• Introduction to the Vector Image Format

  Digital image formats fall into two main categories: raster and vector. The raster format lends itself to continuous tone images such as photographs. This document introduces the vector image format which is more suited to the defined lines, curves and shapes of charts, logos, web graphics, technical drawings, cartoons and fonts.

• Is There Still a Role for Film?

  As digital cameras become more popular, we ask whether there is any need for traditional analogue cameras and film.

• Light Sources for Still and Moving Images

  The word photography means drawing with light, without light it is impossible to record a video or still image. So lighting whether in a classroom, office or dedicated photographic studio is an essential component in a photograph or video. The captured image is a record of the light that is emitted, reflected or absorbed by the subject. With a basic understanding of light and how it can be modified the photographer or filmmaker should be able to improve the appearance of their images. This document will look at commonly used light sources and how the user can get the most from them.

• Microphone Technique

  A guide to using microphones in some of their common applications in recording. Covers good practice in setting up and connecting microphones, and includes tips on getting the best from your equipment and subject.

• Model Release - Permission to Use Images of People

  This document answers some frequently asked questions on getting consent to use images or recordings of people and includes links to sample model release forms.

• Photographic Guidelines

  There are many factors that need to be considered before and during a photographic session, this document provides a set of guidelines which will assist in planning a photographic project.

• Planning Your Video Production 1 - Introduction

  This is the first part of a five part advice document that provides background information on video pre-production.

  The five parts are:
  1. Introduction to planning
  2. Define and analyse your production
  3. Activities and dependencies
  4. Estimates and schedules
  5. Analyse risk and evaluate

  Although these advice documents may be useful if you are involved in filming a single activity (e.g. a lecture or interview), they are primarily aimed at those developing more complex projects. For basic guides to filming, please follow the links to related advice on the right.

• Planning Your Video Production 2 - Define and analyse your production

  This is the second part of a five part advice document that provides background information on video pre-production.

  The five parts are:
  1. Introduction to planning
  2. Define and analyse your production
  3. Activities and dependencies
  4. Estimates and schedules
  5. Analyse risk and evaluate

  Although these advice documents may be useful if you are involved in filming a single activity (e.g. a lecture or interview), they are primarily aimed at those developing more complex projects. For basic guides to filming, please follow the links to related advice on the right.

• Planning Your Video Production 3 - Activities and dependencies

  This is the third part of a five part advice document that provides background information on video pre-production.

  The five parts are:
  1. Introduction to planning
  2. Define and analyse your production
  3. Activities and dependencies
  4. Estimates and schedules
  5. Analyse risk and evaluate

  Although these advice documents may be useful if you are involved in filming a single activity (e.g. a lecture or interview), they are primarily aimed at those developing more complex projects. For basic guides to filming, please follow the links to related advice on the right.

• Planning Your Video Production 4 - Estimates and schedules

  This is the forth part of a five part advice document that provides background information on video pre-production.

  The five parts are:
  1. Introduction to planning
  2. Define and analyse your production
  3. Activities and dependencies
  4. Estimates and schedules
  5. Analyse risk and evaluate

  Although these advice documents may be useful if you are involved in filming a single activity (e.g. a lecture or interview), they are primarily aimed at those developing more complex projects. For basic guides to filming, please follow the links to related advice on the right.

• Planning Your Video Production 5 - Analyse risk and evaluate

  This is the final part of a five part advice document that provides background information on video pre-production.

  The five parts are:
  1. Introduction to planning
  2. Define and analyse your production
  3. Activities and dependencies
  4. Estimates and schedules
  5. Analyse risk and evaluate

  Although these advice documents may be useful if you are involved in filming a single activity (e.g. a lecture or interview), they are primarily aimed at those developing more complex projects. For basic guides to filming, please follow the links to related advice on the right.

• Portable Digital Audio Recorders

  A guide to choosing and using a portable digital audio recorder, covering everything from digital dictaphones to professional field recorders. If you need a self-contained device for recording audio on location, audio note taking, or for any other scenario where recording with a computer is impractical or inconvenient, this document examines the alternatives.

• Preparing for an Interview

  Aside from correctly addressing the technical concerns when conducting an interview, the success of a good interview also relies heavily on the interaction between the interviewer and the subject and the pre-production preparation undertaken. This document aims to provide some useful tips and thoughts to help you enhance your interviews and create a relaxed and productive conversational environment.

• Print Size and File Size Calculator

  This calculator will help you work out maximum print sizes you can expect from digital images. It will also work out approximate file sizes for Raw, TIFF and JPEG images. As long as you know the pixel dimensions of your image, the calculator will work out the rest for you. You can use it with digital camera images or other digital images.

• Recording Audio Voiceovers for Teaching and Learning Materials

  This paper introduces the concept of voiceover for media resources and provides information and links to technical resources to help in creating voiceover resources.

• Recording Skype Calls

  This is a simple step-by-step ‘how to' guide to recording Skype phone calls. Skype is a free VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) software tool which allows free calls to be made over the internet. This guide assumes that you already have Skype installed and running on your computer and that your speakers/headphones and microphone are already configured to make and receive calls via Skype.

• Recording Telephone Conversations

  Guidance on the principle, ethics and practice of recording telephone conversations for Remote Interviews and Oral History.

• Resolving the Units of Resolution

  Much confusion is caused by the over-use of the generic unit of image resolution 'dpi'. It is always much better to use the correct unit specific to use. This paper looks at the definitions of spi, lpi, ppi as well as the generic dpi.

• Screencasting Workflow

  An overview of all the elements involved in producing screencasts at different levels of complexity, and for a variety of educational purposes. We examine some technical tools and methods for screencast creation from the ground up, and for those already familiar with screencasting there are ideas and tips for improving quality and effectiveness.

• Screencasting: Broadcasting On-screen Activity

  Here we introduce the process of recording the actions on your computer screen, then making them available - known as 'screencasting'. Screencasting software is a flexible tool, suitable for many tasks and in a variety of roles, and the ease with which it can help provide widely enhanced support to learners make it an area of keen interest to anybody wishing to use mixed digital media.

• Setting up an Audio Workspace

  A guide to some of the considerations when installing a Digital Audio Workstation, and preparing and optimising the space for recording and listening.

• Stands and Supports for Still and Moving Images

  One of the easiest ways to improve the quality of still or moving images is by using a support. Supports and stands can reduce or eliminate vibration or movement which otherwise would degrade the quality of the captured media. Supports come in all shapes and sizes: this document looks at a variety of support types including tripods, copy-stands, clamps and brackets as well as improvised solutions.

• Stereo Recording Techniques

  A more advanced guide to various stereo microphone techniques.

• Taking Care of Your Digital Camera

  It is almost impossible to avoid dust and airborne particles from entering your camera, but if a few precautions are taken, specialist cleaning can be postponed.

• Taking Pictures under Available Light

  Most modern digital stills cameras have built in flashes, however these do not always produce a pleasing light, have a limited range and the flash can be distracting in some situations. Professional photographers normally like to have complete control over lighting in order to produce the highest quality images. It is however possible to produce high quality images without the cameras built in flash or in situations where you do not have total control over the lighting. Available or ambient light is the light in the scene before the photographer starts work and this FAQ document looks at common problems associated with available light and how to overcome them. You may also be interested in our Light Sources for Still and Moving Images advice document.

• Tethered Camera Operation

  As technology has improved digital cameras have become more and more portable. Smaller and more ergonomic cameras have made digital photography more practical - however, there are times when it is preferable to use a more static system with camera and computer connected. This is known as tethered camera operation. This document is aimed at anyone who might need to operate their camera from a distance, in an awkward position or wants to preview the image on a high quality computer screen.

• The Camera Raw File Format

  The Raw file format is the native format offered by most digital SLR cameras. The format can offer greater levels of control over the conversion of capture data to more widely accepted formats such as TIFF or JPEG formats. This document is an introduction to the format and how to make use of it.

• The Digital Audio Software Environment

  At first glance the interface of your digital audio software (DAS) can be somewhat intimidating. This document breaks down the main components of the software environment and introduce you to their functions and features.

• The digital camera in detail

  Digital cameras come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, this document details the different technologies used to capture a digital image. This document also covers the features that a user should consider before choosing a digital camera.

• The Digital SLR Camera for Teaching, Learning and Digitisation

  Digital SLR cameras have improved dramatically over recent years, they have also become much cheaper. Consumers can now buy an entry level digital SLR for around the same price as a top of the range compact. This paper explains the difference between a digital compact and digital SLR and shows how to get the most out of this type of camera.

• The Digital Still Image

  The digital image is a more than just a loose arrangement of pixels; to accurately represent an image it must have a resolution and colour depth. This document explains what makes a digital image and how to use the resolution and colour depth appropriately.

• The Physical Principles of Sound

  An introductory guide to the physical properties of sound and a basic introduction to the acoustics of enclosed spaces.

• The Video Enabled Digital SLR

  Until very recently if you needed to shoot video you purchased a video camera and if you needed to shoot stills you bought a stills camera. However, over the last couple of years manufacturers have started to release stills SLR cameras that can also capture video. With many of the middle and higher range camera models now offering video capture we should look at this new feature and try to identify its strengths and weaknesses. This document is aimed at anyone who has or is about to purchase an SLR camera and needs to know if the video option is of use to them.

• Top Tips for Recording Audio

• Top Tips for Recording Voice-overs

• Top tips for video editing

• USB Microphone Guide

  Everything you need to know about choosing and using a USB microphone for voice recording and communication.

• Using a Budget Digital Camera for Teaching, Learning and Research

  Over recent years the price of digital cameras has tumbled while there has been a corresponding improvement in image quality. Compact digital cameras are compact flexible devices that work well in the modern workflow. This document provides an introduction to the compact camera and how to get the most from it.

• Using a Mobile Phone as an Audio Recorder

  Examining the potential uses of mobile phones and other mobile devices as simple voice recording and audio blogging tools.

• Vector Drawing Software

  If you need to create your own diagrams, illustrations, logos or other graphics, there are a number of programs to choose from. This document looks at the main applications as well as some more specialist programs. It also highlights the main points to consider when choosing software.

• Vector Graphics Illustrated Glossary

  An alphabetical list of commonly-used terms in vector graphics. Each term is defined and accompanied by one or more illustrations.

• Video: Setting Up a Video of an Interview

  In this video document we look at some of the things you should take into consideration when filming an interview.

• Which Digital Camera Do You Recommend?

  Unfortunately we are not able to recommend specific brands or models of camera. However, we can provide pointers to help you decide if a particular camera will suit your needs.

• Which Digital Camera File Formats Should I Use?

  Our camera offers so many file formats, which one should we use?

• Working with Digital Audio Files

  In the physical world we learn how to interpret sounds through hearing and perception. In the digital realm sound waves are traditionally represented in graphical form. This document introduces some of the precepts helpful when beginning to work with digital audio in audio software packages.