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One of the greatest necessities under the toolbelt of anyone working in visual media is the use of stock footage. Stock footage can be a great resource for video and film creators alike to fully communicate their vision, while saving both precious time and money. In short, stock footage or video are short clips of general, non-specific footage placed within a larger production. They can come from a range of different sources, include archives, websites or snippets from other unfinished projects. Those in charge of making this stock footage create them with this generic perspective in mind, so that any creator can be able to use them to fit any purpose they desire. Stock footage is important for properly displaying the story and and maintaining its flow. Without them, film producers would unnecessarily spend valuable resources creating these important shots for their projects.

There are many options available to be able to own and use stock footage. There are many stock and microstock agencies that offer libraries of stock footage to purchase. When purchasing stock footage, the rights to be able to use it are given, instead of the actual video itself. More specifically, there are different types of these licenses, and each one comes with its own unique agreement. The most popular among these are royalty free videos, or videos that allow one to use it however they want for a one-time fee. While they are affordable, they are also very common to the public, and any other person can buy and use the clip as well. Another type of license is rights managed footage, or footage that offers the temporary rights to use it. This offers exclusivity and uniqueness in your film projects, and is more catered towards large-scale productions and big companies.

Video stock footage can also be affected by what is called the creative commons license, a public copyright license that allows for the free distribution of copyrighted work, under certain conditions. These conditions vary depending on the work, such as accrediting the original creation, licensing work it is used in under similar terms, or not using it for commercial purposes.

Many websites in particular are good sources for stock footage. Of the most popular are Shutterstock and iStock, which contain footage that anyone can use. For more professional footage however, Pond5, Adobe Stock and Getty Images are better alternatives, offering both royalty free and rights managed licenses.

Sources

• Stock Footage- What It Is and How To Use It to Your Benefit
• About The Licenses – Creative Commons
• What You Need to Know About Stock Media Licensing | MotionElements

Behind many of the films and various other visual forms of media we see in our everyday lives are a dedicated team working to produce this content for televisions, social media, promotions and commercials. These video production teams usually involve themselves in many subjects and areas including scripting, audio and video developing and logistics. Each role within these video and film production teams are equally important, and some can even be performed by multimedia designers.

At the forefront of any film production team is the producer, the group leader managing the production from start to finish. Further on is the director, responsible to overseeing and putting together the film. Screenwriters produce the scripting for the film while production designers and art directors translate it to a visual medium. Cinematographers and editors are responsible for optimizing the recordings and making them suitable for video, and make any adjustments needed.

When developing a film, a video production team goes through multiple phases before reaching the finished product. One of the first is the development phase, where the team plans writes and sets down the foundation of the project. If producing a film or movie, a budget is set, a script is made and locations for the film are decided. Storyboards are produced by directors and writer to lay down the planned sequence of the film and to persuade producers to finance the film. Next, pre-production takes place, where adjustments and changes are made to plans before they become finalized. Production teams take this time to prepare and make final arrangements to the budget, actors and location before heading to the cameras. Then, production takes place, and filming is done in accordance to plans. After all scenes are recorded, post-production begins, where production teams take the raw recordings and add additions, adjustments and effects for the best results. This can sometimes take place in conjunction with production itself. Finally, distribution takes place, where the finished product is handed out to its respective mediums and companies. Film production is a collaborative process, and all hands from the production team are needed to make the process as smooth as possible.

Those in the field of multimedia design can also hold a place in a film production team. They can become cinematographers, paying attention to a cameras technical capabilities to achieve certain qualities. They can become editors, organizing and arranging shots into one sequence. Audio technicians are also needed to record and adjust audio levels. Storyboard artists can interpret the script to a visual form to plan shots and ensure continuity. Digital Imaging Technicians are also needed to manipulate color profiles, contrast and brightness. There are many positions available for those in multimedia design.

Sources

• The Roles and Hierarchy of a Video Production Team – 522 Productions
• The Roles of The Production Team
• What are the Phases of Film Production – IPR
• What Does a Production Company Do? – The Film Fund

In the field of multimedia, sound design can be seen practically everywhere, but what exactly is it? In short, sound design is the process of acquiring or generating various audio elements and manipulating them into a single piece, which is then used in various forms of media. Some examples of media where audio design is used include filmmaking, television advertisements and video game software. Sources of audio used include music or sound effects given from others or created by scratch. Sound design can range from a catchy song to the sound effects in horror films, and these different audio elements are used in unison to achieve that desired effect or mood.

Those who are responsible for the developing and creating sound design are known as sound designers. The job of a sound designer requires both a high understanding of technological and artistic skills. They also need to have extensive knowledge in creating and mixing together different effects to get the exact product they are looking for while making it as interesting as possible. A comprehensive understanding of musical history and knowledge also goes a long way. This can include rhythm, melody, musical structure and the different kinds of equipment used for making sound elements. Music and sound design is a tremendously powerful tool in aiding the sequence, mood and storytelling of media, making it more important than ever to have a firm understanding of all these subjects.

The sound designers themselves work with other colleagues in order to create these sound effects. They begin by gathering as much information as they possibly can, and meet with a director and their team to discuss a plan of action. Once they all reach a general understanding, sound designers get to work composing and arranging effects and music to be used in the final product. Specifically, sound designers create different effects, atmospheres and ambiences or edit and remix music and working with musicians. They also get the say in what works best for the performance, making adjustments and suggestions when necessary.

There are many tools and equipment available for a sound designers to use. The primary one where sound designers will work will be the digital audio workstation or the DAW. DAWs serve as a hub for all audio creation and allow the designer to add elements, tracks and use digital instruments to create music. Of the most popular and widely used DAWs include Logic, Pro Tools and Cubase. Some can include unique instruments or allow you to create your own, and allow for a range of customization. It is always important to choose the right equipment for the job, and the one that works best for you.

Sources

• 9 Software Suggestions for Sound Designers : macProVideo.com
• What Is Sound Designing & The Role OF Sound Designer
• 4 Tips for Becoming a Sound Designer – 2021 – MasterClass

As the demand for responsive websites grows there becomes a larger and more apparent need for adaptive web design. There are many different ways to implement responsive elements to your website. This can range from screen size to the very device the website is being viewed from. They create a more intuitive and inclusive user experience, and make a website more attractive and pleasing to interact with than it already is. Being in the same branch as animated web content, responsive web design goes a step further in that it responds appropriately to its environment moving, resizing and re-organizing its content in response. This concept can be applied in more ways that one.

There are many things to consider whether responsive web design is appropriate to implement. On the pros side, responsive web design can provide customers to a friendly interface, and open to new demographics such as mobile device users. It can also save cost on expensive design development, as it can automatically adjust as necessary. One of the cons of responsive web design is that it may increase loading times for less-optimized devices. It may also become time consuming, as responsive web design relies on certain preset positions to base off of such as common screen resolutions. This time is increased for those converting an existing website to a responsive one, and may even require a complete re-work of the layout and code. Generally, whether or not to make a website feature responsive web design is a decision best made at the start, to avoid these downsides and make the most of it.

One of the most common forms of responsive web design is screen resolution. More specifically, the website will have an adjustable screen resolution to fit different sizes. It may also adjust content based on orientation such as portrait or landscape. Another method websites responding to devices themselves. This can mean a website responding differently on a mobile device than on a computer for example. Regardless, all responsive design is done through use of a blend of HTML and CSS. This is done by creating CSS media queries that reformat the HTML to different styles depending on an element it targets such as screen size or type. This can be further defined by use of breakpoints, allowing you to specify the best possible layout of a certain screen width and height.

Among some of the companies that make the best use of responsive web design include Blue Fountain Media, WebFX, Big Drop Inc, Eight25Media and EvinceDev, among many others. These companies are always offering web design positions for any with the experience to create highly responsive websites.

Sources

• What Are The Pros and Cons of Responsive Web Design
• Responsive Web Design Basics
• Responsive Web Design – What It Is And How To Use It – Smashing Magazine

While creating animated content can be very beneficial and bring the ideas of a website to life, it is a methodical process that takes time, effort and consideration. Web animation elements can be used to visualize what is important in a website or make it easier to understand and take in. It could be used to visually lay out complex concepts and ideas, or send a marketing message to visitors. They can also be implemented more subtly, and incorporating them in navigation or interactable elements will always yield a positive reaction. Applications such as these should all be addressed when considering whether animation is necessary, and whether it will be beneficial or distracting.

There are various approaches to the creation of animated web content, but all serve the same purpose. Developers make use of animation software and programs that can generate responsive content that can adapt to the many screen shapes and sizes of today. The programs themselves must be flexible, and able to complete any task fitted to the requirements of what a client may want. Some of the most popular software for animated web content is Animaker, Visme and Crello. These simple, easy-to-use tools allow anyone to create the animation they need. Of the more professional grade tools for those with experience. are Adobe Animate and Adobe Edge Animate, both of which are capable of creating responsive animated web content.

All animation within these programs consist of the same fundamental components. Of the most important is the timeline of the animation. The timeline is a table that controls the movements of the animation over time. It is measured in layers or frames, and can be manipulated to control how the animation will move. Each element of the animation is additionally further divided into layers, each independent of themselves. Playing through and manipulating this timeline gives you an overview of the complete animation with all the components, which helps provide consistency and clarity. Another important component to animation is keyframes. Keyframes refers to the individual actions of an animation and adding them to components is what gives them motion. Different types of keyframes can be used, each with their own effects such as speed or behavior. After developers make use of these components, the finished product is what the animation becomes.

There are different formats for animated web content, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. In the past the most common was through the GIF file, essentially a compilation of images. Over time however many have turned to modern files such as HTML5 or JavaScript. These files allow the animation to be responsive and friendly to a range of devices. Regardless, animated web content has come a long way, and always enhances any website using it.

Sources

• What formats supporting animation are suitable for the web? – Graphic Design Stack Exchange
• 3D Animation: Keyframing
• Web Animation in the Post-Flash Era | Toptal

All websites are developed by a determined team of web specialists. For example, the job of a web developer is to create a website from the ground up, with use of coding. While it is their job to ensure the website functions and works as intended on a technical level, they do not work on its appearance. This important responsibility is handed down to web designers, who work to make the website aesthetically pleasing. Together with web developers, they make use of their skills to create a fully functional website. Apart from the website itself though, web designers can also be tasked with creating the advertising from which customers are attracted by. More recently though, companies have begun to realize the power of animation in marketing, and web designers can be given the job of animated web designers.

Animated web designers are those that become focused on web animation. Essentially, web animation refers to the moving or “animated” properties on a website. There are multiple types of animations, and some can interact directly with users while repeat themselves on loop. They are used on all different kinds of web pages, and can be used to attract attention, or convey a message more clearly. Web designers work in files such as GIF or CSS to create their animations, which are then embedded into web banners and interfaces to create the illusion of motion. Main advantages of incorporating animation in web design include audience appeal and retention, and can improve the popularity and credibility of a business.

One of the more popular ways of incorporating animation is through animated web advertisement banners. Web ad banners are advertisements places on external sites, that lead to it to gain more customers. With animation though, they can be greatly improved and expanded upon. They provide uniqueness to banners, and users will be interested and interact with it for a longer period of time. Some positions for animated web designers include graphic designer and digital designer jobs for certain companies.

Many examples of animated advertisement campaigns exist on the internet. One of which is Hallon, makes use of looping to simulate a realistic window. Ladbrokes uses the advanced HTML5 code to make their advertisements responsive. Casumo uses HTML5 as well, using eye attracting animation to draw in users. Bwin’s dynamic banners can display data in real time to users. Shutterstock is also known for its simplistic animation, using their colors and imagery to captivate users. Generally speaking, there are many ways to use animation in web design.

Sources

• Animated Adverts | Banner Ads | The Bannermen
• Best Banner Ads: Examples Of Remarkable Display Advertising | 2021
• 7 Advantages to Using Animation on Your Website
• Boost Your Web Design: Different Types of Web Animations | by Iryna Vasiutynska | UX Planet

Across the internet exists a number of resources and software used for the creation of websites. Among these are WordPress, used by the likes of casual bloggers, to even the most experienced of website designers. With WordPress, they create websites ranging from social networks and business platforms, in a relatively effective manner. Although there do exist other programs built for this same purpose, WordPress reigns as the superior, and is the most popular choice by far compared to its competitors. WordPress is able to achieve this by introducing features never seen prior to its creation, and continues to improve them even today.

At its core, WordPress is a free, open-source platform that anyone can use to create websites. More specifically, it is classified as a content management system with its own database to store content. This allows it to be a flexible and versatile tool, used to power websites from hobby blogs to professional high-end websites. First created in 2003 with the intent of offering an alternative to the blogging platforms of the time, it has grown to host over sixty percent of all websites with its content management system. Over time, it has added features and reworked its structure to fit the needs and desires of web designers worldwide.

It comes as no surprise to learn that WordPress is the most widely used platform to create websites. Because it is open source, it may be downloaded and used however one would like, and any wishing to improve or add onto the existing software can do so at no cost at all. The program itself is easy to use, with a simple and intuitive interface that can quickly add or change content with little to no coding involved. WordPress allows for the complete control of created content with no limit to what you can create, and offers a built-in management system to customize, arrange and sort it. This combination of features makes WordPress the standard choice for website creation.

The process users go through to create a website with WordPress is a somewhat uncomplicated one. First the domain name is chosen and registered with the website. Templates and themes can then be chosen for the design, from a library of thousands of options. Pages and various other forms of content can then be added with the tools WordPress offers. After customizing the website with custom plug-ins and ad-dons, it is published and available to the public. The result is a responsive and dynamic website that can be used for practically any purpose, all thanks to the power of WordPress.

Sources

• How To Make a WordPress Website – Easy Tutorial – Create Website (2020)
• What Is WordPress? Explained for Beginners
• What Is WordPress?

There is a wide range of products Adobe offers for those in the field of multimedia, created for specific purposes. Among this family of software is Adobe Dreamweaver, otherwise known as Dreamweaver CC. Adobe Dreamweaver is a program used for web development, from the designing of website layouts to various web applications. It supports multiple coding languages and many translations. It is also known for having an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, a trademark trait found across all other Adobe products as well. Dreamweaver was initially created by a company called Macromedia around 1997, who owned it until around 2005 where it was picked up by Adobe and transformed over time into the application we see today.

Dreamweaver CC sports many useful features that make it worth specializing in for those in web development. Dreamweaver supports a wide range of coding languages, the most popular being CSS, Javascript and HTML. If someone is familiar with a certain coding language, Dreamweaver allows them to take full advantage of it, or switch between languages at any time. It provides a responsive, flexible way to code websites, with the help of a simplified coding engine. The engine provides users with code hints and corrections when an error is found, and allows them to create various website elements with shortcuts, almost like building blocks. Users can also see the results of their code visually in real time with the help of live-view, which can be useful to catch errors early on. A built in file organization system is also included, which provides an easy way to manage and link the many files of a website. Dreamweaver also allows you to easily set up and publish websites, and offers simple starter template for those on the more casual side. These are all characteristics that allow for Dreamweaver users to achieve a streamlined and efficient workflow for their projects.

While there are many positives about Dreamweaver CC, there are certain downsides that can be improved upon. The Dreamweaver interface is the most apparent, which can seem confusing and disorienting for more newer web developers. Dreamweaver may also not accurately represent what a website will look like on browsers. The building blocks of code that it offer are more than often are too rudimentary for more seasoned developers. Unnecessarily long paragraphs of code is also not uncommon, which can be a problem of convenience to some. There is also a vastly large resource of snippets and elements of code that Dreamweaver offers, many of which are never even used by most. Surely, if Adobe were to address and work upon these issues, Dreamweaver can become an efficient tool for web development.

Sources

• 16 Adobe Dreamweaver Pros and Cons – BrandonGaille.com
• What is Dreamweaver? 5 Reasons To Start Using it
• Adobe Dreamweaver CC Reviews: Pricing & Software Features 2020

When spreading and marketing your services to the infinitely large and busy network known as the internet, the most effective technique is the use of website banners. A website banner, otherwise known as a web ad banner, is a form of advertisement that consists of an embedded element on a website. Interacting with said element brings users to the website of those who own the banner advertisement, yielding both traffic and profit. Web ad banners themselves can come in many different layouts and formats, from animated and interact-able to large scale and billboard-sized. It is through this careful and well -thought combination of elements that web ad designers use to create powerful and effective web ad banners.

The main job of an ad banner designer is to create powerful banner advertisements that successfully convey the message of the company or services they represent. This is done through the use of various elements and key design principles. For one, designers should stay within standard guides, such as the most effective sizes as given by Google. Another is to remain on the simplistic side, as too many elements can confuse users. The layout and arrangement of elements such as buttons on your banners is equally as important, as they direct a user where to go and gives them provides a line of attention for them to follow. While there are no official guidelines that exist, their message of making the most use of what is given remains consistent.

With these guiding principles and specifications in mind, web ad banner designers must go through a strategic and concise process in order to create these advertisements. They must first decide who exactly is the client, and what their goals are for the campaign. Various testing is then done on customer traffic to pinpoint where and how to create a banner most suitable. Once this is done, the planning and design of the banner is done, using programs such as Illustrator. The banners are then published and sent out to the internet, on websites the company pays to place them on.

A web ad banner designer who knows and follows these concepts while also applying them in their own work may earn quite the satisfactory job position in a company. Many can be hired as web designers, or find a position in the advertising department of a company. They may also be graphic designers, web developers or communications specialists. The average yearly salary for a web ad banner designer is $50,000, but those who display an excellent understanding of ideas can earn upwards of $80,000. There are endless opportunities available for those who choose the path of online advertising.

Sources

• The Ultimate Process of Creating Effective Banner Ads
• 5 Design Rules for Effective Banner Design
• What Types of Banner Ads Exist? | Articles | Outbrain Help
• Who Makes Banner Ads? – How Banner Ads Work | HowStuffWorks

Before any proper website can be developed or created, there must be a phase in which its structure is planned and organized. In this stage of idealization, designs and concepts for the layout of the website are brainstormed. This is where prototyping comes into play, which displays these ideas into a visual format in order to communicate the overall idea in a thoughtful and effective manner. There are various prototyping methods, each varying in fidelity or quality. Among these many prototyping styles is the process of wire-framing. Wire-framing refers to the creation of a visual prototype of a web page. Rather than focusing on specific details, it focuses on its structure and the arrangement of visual elements, in a simplistic and plain manner. Basic shapes and boxes are used to symbolize elements, and arrows or lines are used to show relationships between the multiple pages of a website. Once a wire-frame is complete, the finished product is presented to those responsible for website development, who provide critique on it.

There are many reasons why wire-framing is a useful tool. Wire-framing allows for the fast output of design ideas, while also allowing for easy re-iterations to be made. It also provides valuable feedback from clients or other team members before more higher-quality resources are used. Wire-framing keeps the vision for the website across all team members consistent and coherent. Any potential problems and issues arising from potential ideas can be addressed and resolved early on, before they become larger setbacks later on. With more higher quality wire-frames such as those with  interactability, elements of the user experience can also be tested and reviewed, such as usability and ease of access. In general, wire-frames provide low-effort displays of potential ideas that provide useful feedback while also keeping website development clear and focused.

Before creating any wire-frame, the purpose of the website as well as its requirements as given by the clients must be considered. Along with this, research should also be conducted; this can come from surveys, focus groups and analytic data. This research is used to identify and address the needs customers themselves when using the website. Ideas are then brainstormed and made by drawing from these sources of information, which are then arranged into a wire-frame. The wire-frame itself should consist of placeholder elements in place of distracting words or images, using generic fonts and styling. Once the wire-frame is complete, errors are addressed and ideas are refined, eventually leading to an optimal blueprint for the website.

Sources

The guide to website wireframe design – Justinmind

A Comprehensive Guide To Wireframing And Prototyping – Smashing Magazine

Website Wireframes – What are Wireframes, Mockups, and Prototypes