1. technology and computing
2. consumer electronics
3. camera and photo equipment
4. cameras and camcorders
5. cameras

New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
This New Media Production Methodology ver. 1 has been prepared as part of the “New Media Production
Methodology – how to increase your multimedia competencies” project, co-financed by the Leonardo da Vinci
- Lifelong Learning Programme.
Consortium implementing this project consists of:
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Nowoczesna Firma S.A. (NF)
Management Observatory Foundation (MOF)
Bürgerhaus Bennohaus – citizen centre, Arbeitskreis Ostviertel e.V. (BB)
XXI INVESLAN, S.L. (INV)
Authors:
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Piotr Maczuga (NF)
Karolina Sikorska (NF)
Marta Mazur (MOF)
Jan Leye (BB)
Arndt Selders (BB)
Amaia San Cristobal Macho (INV)
In cooperation with:
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Jarosław Sobolewski (NF)
Grzegorz Staniak (MOF)
ISBN: 978-83-63481-08-7
This work was published under Creative Common License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
Warsaw – Muenster - Bilbao 2013
New Media Production Methodology – how to increase your multimedia competencies
newmediaproduction.eu
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Table of content
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
About the project ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Project partners .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Module A – Multimedia production ..................................................................................................................... 6
Module introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Equipment and its functions ........................................................................................................................... 7
How to compose shots ................................................................................................................................. 16
Light design .................................................................................................................................................. 23
Sound ........................................................................................................................................................... 25
Graphic design basics .................................................................................................................................. 28
Directing and working on stage .................................................................................................................... 34
Film editing ................................................................................................................................................... 36
Module B – Crossmedia journalism ................................................................................................................. 48
Module introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 48
Journalism in XXI Century ............................................................................................................................ 49
Crossing of media ........................................................................................................................................ 53
Dissemination of multimedia......................................................................................................................... 57
Legal issues ................................................................................................................................................. 61
Module C – Train the Trainer ........................................................................................................................... 67
Introduction................................................................................................................................................... 67
Trainer’s role and competences ................................................................................................................... 68
Training Cycle Management......................................................................................................................... 75
Communication with training participants ..................................................................................................... 84
Transfer of Knowledge & Didactic Methods ................................................................................................. 89
How to conduct interactive online workshops? ............................................................................................. 95
Practical project: Being a trainer................................................................................................................. 100
Answers ......................................................................................................................................................... 106
Glossary ......................................................................................................................................................... 108
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Introduction
About the project
Currently, competences in multimedia creation represents important added value in occupations such as:
coach, business psychologist, specialist of the image, PR specialist. These are also occupations in which
popular form of activity is to work as an independent experts (freelance).
That is why this particular target group may have fewer opportunities to access multimedia technology in their
work, because the budget of an independent expert can’t match the budget of a large company that employs
him. At the same time, in many cases the independent experts, trainers and consultants provide a competitive
advantage to many businesses that use their services. Is therefore extremely important to give those
professionals new tools and expand the scope and manner of their communication with the market.
New Media Production Methodology is a solution to the problem with trainings for trainers (freelancers) in the
area of multimedia production and new media use. The project doesn't aim to teach a comprehensive group of
professionals a new profession, but fill the gap, which - in our opinion - is the result of the popularization of
non-classical forms of cooperation between trainers and experts in the market and their clients. It is therefore
a response to the real needs of the market and its representatives.
Project partners
Nowoczesna Firma S.A. (Poland)
The mission of Nowoczesna Firma (NF) is to create a reputable medium for managerial community. By
promoting modern managerial techniques, it reshapes entrepreneurs’ attitudes, draws service providers and
their clients together, creates a development-oriented business environment, scales mental barriers of SMEs.
NF respond to specific demands of entrepreneurs, opening opportunities in the areas where the largest
competence gaps among managers exist, in line with implementing solutions fitting individualized needs and
the peculiarities of the Polish market. NF is the owner of the 3rd biggest business internet portal www.nf.pl in
Poland, runs HRM Programmes, which lead to creating and promoting standards of running a business and
integrating a community of active firms and professionals.
NF also publishes number of periodic reports in HRM and organize events such as: HR congress - more than
2000 participants every year, regional conferences, Business Knowledge Events.
More information: www.firma.nf.pl / www.nf.pl
Management Observatory Foundation (Poland)
Management Observatory Foundation (MOF) is the nongovernmental organization supporting Polish
businesses in the area of: HRM, HR, capital/finances management and ICT use. MOF popularizes good
practices, promotes knowledge sharing and improves vocational qualifications of managers.
MOF is running such projects as:
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E-learning projects: WebQuest for HRM, Knowledge Pills Methodology, How To Webcast, Webinar 2
Learn, Knowledge Management 2.0 for SMEs,
Research and certification projects: Usable Website, Human Capital Investor, Customer-friendly
Company,
Training projects: PTM (Professional Trainings Manager), PMHR, PMK, PME,
EU funded research and education.
MOF is also the coordinator of the Educluster New Media in Education gathering 60 Polish media and
education organizations and national member of the International Federation of Training and Development
Organizations (IFTDO), comprising more than 500,000 HR professionals from over 50 countries.
More information: www.obserwatorium.pl/en
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Bürgerhaus Bennohaus – citizen centre, Arbeitskreis Ostviertel e.V. (Germany)
The citizen centre Bennohaus is a socio cultural and media pedagogical facility which is open for all citizens especially for children, youngsters and seniors. Cultural meeting point, educational institution and a media
competence centre – the modern Bennohaus has a broad sphere, in the local district as well as in an
European frame. The educational institution in the Bennohaus (BIB) is an accredited advanced training
institution.
Interested citizens, participants of occupational media qualifications as well as culture and media pedagogues
educate themselves occupationally through seminars or in the frame of qualification kits. Versatile
interdisciplinary and generation spanning projects offer possibilities of self-activity. The Bennohaus organizes
and boosts cultural and media pedagogical workshops with children, youngsters, seniors and „multipliers“,
who are aligned on a city, national and international level.
The Bennohaus possesses longtime experiences in European project work considering the field of ICT- and
Media-Competence intercession. Right now it is educating 4 audio-visual media designers and is the biggest
producer for citizen TV media in the federal of North Rhine Westphalia, cooperating with the educational TV
channel “nrwision”. The Bennohaus is an acknowledged training supervisor (IHK) and carries out educational
measures in cooperation with the Media State Authority of North Rhine Westphalia (LfM).
The Bennohaus is one of the few facilities who is acknowledged for its quality management in the frame of
cultural, voluntary work. In 2013, the official quality seal of the organization for testing quality in voluntary work
(QUIFD) was renewed for the fourth time.
More information: www.bennohaus.info
XXI INVESLAN, S.L. (Spain)
INVESLAN is a private research company, specialized in the fields of training, employment and management.
The main working fields are: training, specially professional training and adults educations; ICT mainly those
applied to learning environments and management; Gender Issues; Employment; Knowledge Management;
Disadvantaged collectives; Evaluation. It leads, coordinates and participates in the development and
experimentation of training itineraries, contents and methodologies that promote social and labour inclusion of
vulnerable collectives.
One of the main fields of activity is the research and development in the field of innovative training
methodologies, including those based on ICT. In this sense, Inveslan leaded DeinTra project looking for
cooperation for innovative training methodologies deployment in the European labour market, and coordinates
several projects in the framework of Lifelong Learning Programme.
More information: www.inveslan.com
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Module A – Multimedia production
Module introduction
The module contains all the essential information on how to create video content. Starting from familiarization
with the equipment and its features, finishing on video editing. The module should take the form of a practical
workshop.
Target group
Participation in this module is recommended for a representative of each of the target groups.
Overview
Equipment and its functions. (Duration: 03:00 hour).
This chapter shows video equipment and its construction.
How to compose shots. (Duration: 03:00 hour).
This chapter explains types of angles, perspectives, camera movements and video as a shot’s sequence.
Light design. (Duration: 01:30).
This chapter presents types of lighting and methods to use them.
Sound. (Duration: 02:00).
This chapter presents basics of sound production.
Design basics. (Duration: 02:30).
This chapter focuses on showing the essential aspects of building a the frame, including the rules of
composition and ratio.
Directing and working on stage. (Duration: 01:30)
This chapter presents the basic methods of working with the crew on the set.
Film editing. (Duration: 04:00).
This chapter presents the basic tools for video editing with practical tips on how to use them.
Requirements for Conducting Module A
In order to successfully conduct the contents of Module A, the host organization or person should ideally fulfill
the following infrastructural and personal requirements:
Personal. The trainers (this Module needs at least 2 trainers) who is responsible for the conduction of this
workshop, should have the following competences:
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broad experience in video production,
divided attention,
ability to easily transfer of knowledge to specific examples,
patience.
Infrastructural. If the seminar is taking place offline, the location should fulfill the following requirements:
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video studio or other place with equipment (e.g. cameras, lights),
access to all the necessary media (Internet, projector, flipchart etc.).
The seminar can take place online only in partial. Key issue is to show real video production environment and
give possibility to try it. Online seminar (webinar) is to virtual for that. However webinar can be good occasion
to supplement the non-practical knowledge.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Equipment and its functions
Learning objectives: Get to know the video equipment, the principles of its working and create your own
video from idea to editing.
Duration: 03:00 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
Camera
There are many different types of camera, for example very complex film cameras for cinema production, TVcameras or “simple” camcorders for the wide range of ordinary consumers. They differ in design, technical
characteristics and functions.
With a film camera, the picture can be arranged in very detailed ways. Most of the time several people will be
doing the camera work. They are responsible for different operations, for example adjusting the sharpness
and the aperture, positioning the focusing effect. For TV production it is more important to have a camera that
is reliable and fast to handle. Therefore TV cameras have buttons that are easy to handle so that the different
functions can be adjusted very easily by one operator.
Easy handling is the most important thing when it comes to consumer cameras. The non-professional user
normally does not have any technical know-how and therefore will not want to study long manuals before
working with the camera. When a consumer turns on the camera, they expect to take vivid pictures fairly
immediately. This is why consumer cameras mostly work on automatic settings.
Camcorders. A digital camera, also known as a camcorder, is a device that we usually associate with the
function of recording video and audio. Currently, the market has developed a number of almost independent
product groups. People who look at them for the first time are often astonished at the size and price difference
of devices that apparently serve the same purpose. At first sight it is difficult to assess the differences in
performance, because features such as image resolution (now almost all of the equipment records in HD), or
type of storage media on which data is stored may be similar in the case of professional and amateur
cameras. This does not mean that they operate exactly the same. Minor differences, which we will now
present, are most important. We are interested first and foremost in a group of professional and semiprofessional equipment.
Equipment designed for professional use obviously has the same capabilities as amateur cameras. First of all,
can record video and audio in the proper format and on a dedicated carrier (storage). Professional cameras
have more manual functions, so that professional operator has a greater impact on the result of his work than
when using the simple automatic camera. Here are the most common hallmarks of professional equipment:
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Possibility of manual settings of almost all parameters.
A large number of functions accessible directly from the camera body (this means a number of
buttons, switches or rings directly on the body and with easy access).
High quality lens with good parameters and - in more expensive models - the possibility of changing
lenses (as in DSLRs).
Professional interface (eg SDI) for use with professional equipment.
These elements everyone is able to assess themselves, at first sight, even if not familiar with the equipment.
Of course it is not worth taking the decision to use or purchase of the equipment only on the basis of these
characteristics, but they show some trends used by manufacturers specializing in professional cameras.
Only a few companies specialize in such equipment. Most often we can find products from the following:
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Sony
Panasonic
JVC
Canon
No matter which company produced the camera, each has a similar construction. This is due to the fact that a
professional operator has to cope with operating all kinds of hardware, just like a professional driver can drive
any car. We are dealing with certain standards for construction equipment and its functionality.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Of course, each camera model, even from the same manufacturer, differs in its construction and arrangement
of elements, but whoever understands the construction principles of any camera will cope with a different one.
built-in
microphone
viewfinder
lens
LCD screen
control panel
The camera body is the main part of the camera. The camera body contains electronic elements and
mechanisms that control its operations and record images on the magnetic tape or other type of storage.
The camera lens captures the light reflected from the subject and brings it to a focus on the film or detecting
media.
Movie cameras, as well as professional digital cameras, have interchangeable lens. The function of the
camera lenses is to direct the light source to the camera sensor and also to focus the image. The lens is used
to adjust the focal distance, sharpness and aperture.
Hobby or consumer cameras often use a lens that is integrated into the camera body and therefore cannot be
changed. Tasks such as adjusting the aperture or the focus manually may be available within certain limits or
not possible at all. The camera’s automatic settings relieve the user of these tasks, however they also narrow
down the scope for creativity.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
The viewfinder is what the photographer looks through to compose, and in many cases to focus, the picture.
The viewfinder provides control over the camera picture. Newer camcorders additionally have an LCD or
sometimes a TFT LCD screen. For professional camera work though, the viewfinder still is the most important
control device because both LCD and TFT LCD screens are not precise enough. Primarily, the precise
adjustment of the sharpness is much more manageable using the viewfinder. High quality viewfinders are
often black and white because that gives a stronger contrast which then enables more accurate adjustment of
the sharpness of the image.
Normally, the viewfinder in consumer cameras is very small and has a low resolution. It is not best suited for
picture control and so would only be used in emergency cases when making a professional film, for example
when the sun is shining outside and virtually nothing can be seen on the LCD screen.
The recorder is a system of electronic and mechanical devices that allow the video to be saved on the
medium.
Over the years, many different video-saving formats have been developed. For magnetic videotaping there
was S-VHS, HI 8, Mini DV, Betacam, DV, DVC Pro or DigiBeta. Now digital media, XD, P2 or SD cards, take
over the market and videotape is less popular. However, professional TV stations are still using Digital
Betacam as a supported format. Some stations keep it default.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
A microphone is an acoustic sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. Nearly all cameras have an
internal microphone, however this microphone is not sufficient for professional use. The internal microphone is
mostly used for recording the surrounding sound (ambient sound).
Batteries supply power to the camera during field work. Batteries are also used for the work in a studio
because they allow more freedom of movement for the cameraman. A standard set of equipment should have
at least two batteries.
The charger is used both to supply power to the camera in emergency cases, and for charging empty
batteries. In production work there is a variety of equipment used alongside the camera.
Professional cameras are changing with the whole electronics market. It is an essential effect of technology
development in recent years. The equipment manufactured today is significantly different from that produced 5
or 10 years ago. Here are the most common differences:
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Storage in the form of discs, recorders or simple memory cards almost completely replaced the
cassette.
High Definition is practically a mandatory standard. More and more cameras can record in an even
higher resolution (2K or 4K), which makes them often also used for film production.
Analog RCA connectors have been almost replaced with modern HDMI or SDI.
DSLRs. For a few years digital single lens reflex cameras (DSLRs) with video and sound recording are
increasingly replacing the camera. Why is this happening? At a relatively low cost of equipment and
accessories we can get a very good picture quality. This is related to the optics and the overall construction of
the camera. Only the highest-priced cameras can hope to achieve similar quality and visual effects.
Consequently, many video producers use the opportunities offered by digital cameras (interchangeable
lenses, a large array, etc.).
The DSLR have some major disadvantages, however. First of all, this type of camera requires proper
alignment. We usually use cameras to take pictures – static shots that occur in a split second. In the case of
video clips, both time and conditions are changing during filming. All kinds of movements and driving are not
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
only possible, but often necessary. In practice, however, it is very difficult to control the equipment and its
settings.
Using DSLR as a recording device, be sure that:
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DSLR can record only a few minutes shot. Recording single shot over that time may be impossible. It
can be an important restriction when filming long speeches.
Construction of DSLR makes this device much better suited for taking pictures than for video
recording. This is especially evident in the case of of movement and zooming, which are extremely
difficult to perform without additional equipment.
Filming a scene with a lot of movement within the frame requires an experienced operator.
It is best to record the sound through the external recording equipment, because most DSLR does
not have the ability to control the microphone at a reasonable level. In some models, it is not even
possible to connect an external microphone.
Despite these problems, the DSLR can get a very vivid picture quality and therefore a market for accessories
to better work with the equipment of this type is developed. The most important are:
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Sliders, tripods and steadicams for DSLRs to control the movement.
Follow focus system to easy change settings during shooting.
LCD preview screens to better see the relevant details of the frame.
Mobile devices & other. Today, almost every new mobile phone has the ability to record video and sound. In
addition, the most powerful models can record video in near-HD quality. It is no wonder that many people use
their smartphone as a digital camera. Does such a device make sense from the perspective of video
production?
First of all, keep in mind that despite the impressive mobile device descriptions and specifications, that seem
to place them close to professional equipment, a small camera placed into the mobile device will never
replace a professional camera. The basic limitations arise from the quality and size of the lens, construction of
the device, and its functionality. However, mobile phone or tablet is often the only tool we have at hand, so it
may happen that we will be forced to use them. If this happens, remember:
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Always operate in good light conditions, to prevent image noise.
Small mobile phone lens can incorrectly reproduce the aspect ratio.
Focus control is limited in most cases to automatic.
When using a phone to make a shot, it is important to always set the highest quality picture and sound in the
settings menu. The recording will never be of the same quality as that from a professional camcorder, but a
good editor will be able to use such material nonetheless. It is also important to record shots in a horizontal
orientation, as is the case in cameras, and not in portrait orientation, as it happens. The image should be
wider than taller. Only then can it be easily used in conjunction with other shots.
There are also special purpose camcorders on the market. Thanks to their compact design and an extensive
range of mounting accessories, they can be used to take shots in some very difficult conditions. These
cameras can be mounted on a motorcycle helmet, bicycle frame, vehicle body, and even on a surfboard or a
ski stick. This makes it possible to realize the scenes that would have been extremely difficult and timeconsuming with a normal camera.
Cameras of this type do not allow too many settings, but they can be mounted almost anywhere without
causing significant discomfort. Some models can be operated with a special application for a smartphone or a
tablet.
Such equipment may be used only in addition to professional camcorder, but it is worth considering it.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Sound
In most cases, recording high-quality audio requires the use of additional hardware and support skills beyond
the camera. Microphones and sound recorders built directly into the camera are very helpful, but often
inadequate. In many cases, we must resist the other embodiments.
Microphones. Nearly all cameras have an internal microphone, but this microphone is not sufficient for
professional use. For special tasks – for example interviews in a report or a dialogue in a scene – we usually
use external microphones. External microphones come in a variety of types. Filmmakers choose the types of
microphones according to their needs in a particular scene.
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mini-jack 3,5 mm – small connector similar to that used in headphones, usually used in amateur
cameras.
XLR – circular connector with three pins, used in professional cameras.
minijack
XLR
Before shooting, you need to know which type of connector your camera handles. Adapters are available for
matching the connector to the camcorder. Sometimes, there are also used other types of connectors, such as
RCA or jack, but not in the case of microphones.
Professional cameras have the ability to connect up to two independent microphones. So they have two
inputs.
Lights
To illuminate the filmed objects use different types of lamps. They vary in construction and used technology.
In regards to their construction we can talk about lamps mounted directly on the camcorder (top light) or
independent (mounted on special stands or ramps overhead). The first type does not give much light, but
allows for quick work in conditions like a news report. Lamps of this type are often powered by batteries.
A top light is used primarily in news coverage as a brightening light when there is not enough natural light and
the use of spot lights is either too complicated or time consuming. The top light is attached to the camera and
can be supplied with power by the batteries. Top lights that are not dimmable can create a very intense light;
the light is smoothed by the use of special filters. This might be necessary for example to avoid strong
contrasts in the face of a person being interviewed.
You will learn how to choose the right lamp in the following chapters Now we will focus only on the available
technology.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Currently, there are three popular types of lighting:
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Halogen (filament lamp) – It uses light bulbs with power from 300 to as much as over 1000 watts. It
generates a lot of heat, but because of the simple construction and small size, it is very popular.
Fluorescent – This type of lighting is elongated luminaires with built-in compact fluorescent lamps. It
is popular only for a few years, because the earlier technology did not allow for the production of
fluorescent lights of appropriate quality. These lamps consume a lot less power and do not generate
much heat. They give a soft, nondirectional light.
LED – A relatively new technology based on LEDs and lenses. LEDs give a high quality light,
generate little heat and consume very little energy.
Sometimes filmmakers also use other types of lamps. The most popular are discharge lamps. They provide a
very strong light (needed in the production of motion pictures), but they charge huge amounts of energy and
often need special aggregates to work.
Tripods
A tripod is a three-legged object, generally used as a platform of some sort. Tripods are used for both still and
motion photography to prevent uncontrolled and unwanted camera movement. They reduce camera shake,
and thus are instrumental in achieving maximum sharpness. A tripod is also helpful in achieving precise
framing of the image. News reporters often do not use tripods in their work as they need to react fast.
Making a good shot requires control of the film frame. To make this possible the camera must be stable. Even
if our goal is to prepare the shot in motion, that still cannot be an accidental movement. It can not be chaotic,
and the image should not shake or tremble.
Tripods feature a head that is used to make smooth movements while filming scenes. The quality of the head
is one of the most important parameters of a tripod. Good quality head runs smoothly. It allows to make moves
in two directions without effort, but at the same time it puts up adequate resistance, so that the camera moves
are smooth.
Each tripod also has a connector which allows you to join any camcorder or digital camera. Currently,
standard terminal studs are common, so you do not have to worry about whether it will be suitable for your
model of camera while selecting a tripod. Each camera has a tripod connector on the bottom of the threaded
hole into which it is screwed. But keep in mind that tripod and its fittings (connector) are individual for each
model.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Key features of a tripod:
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Working height – both the maximum and minimum. Specifies to what extent we can adjust the
camera. Typically, the maximum height of most tripods do not significantly exceed the height of a
man, so the camera can be set at eye level or speaker model.
The type of head - professional tripod heads are filled with special oil.
Overall quality of performance and stability. Although no one likes to carry heavy accessories, a good
tripod is usually not light. This is related to stability. Everything, camera and accessories, must be
secure and stable.
A special type of tripod is monopod. It is like a tripod which has only one leg. It may be useful as a point of
support for the camera. It is used in cases where there really is no possibility of using a heavy and
cumbersome professional tripod. But keep in mind that the monopod cannot stand on its own.
Data storage
One of the features that differentiate the cameras are different formats of storage media where data is
recorded. You can find at least four different solutions. Many of them will not be compatible.
Tape. The most popular storage media. It exists in many formats, for example Digital Betacam for professional
cameras or miniDV for amateur cameras. Cassettes differ in the way they read and write data, and in size.
There are several cassette formats currently in use, and they are not compatible with each other. You should
know that the tape is being replaced by new solutions and it is not worth it to invest in a cassette camera.
Memory card (flash). Memory cards are cheap and popular media. They are used for example in digital
cameras. They allow storing large amounts of data in separate files. Data access is easy, there is no need to
rewind the tape.
Flash recorder. Professional cameras often have special flash recorders, which are a combination of a
memory card and a hard drive. This media can save data at high speeds, allowing you to record the highest
quality material.
CD/DVD. Some amateur camera can record directly to a CD or a DVD. It is a convenient solution for amateurs
(if you want to watch recorded footage directly from DVD without editing), but it is generally not used in
professional production.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Back of professional camcorder. On the left side shown slots for memory cards or
flash recorder.
Other
In addition to the camera and basic accessories, professional filmmakers also have many additional features:
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Boxes, trunks and bags to save transport. During transportation it is easy to damage the sensitive
electronic equipment. Appropriately designed trunks and bags allow safe transport.
Chargers and battery packs. The appropriate amount of batteries and other accessories should
always be on the alert. The recording session should not be interrupted due to exhausted batteries,
because the cost of operating the crew is very high.
Extension cords and power cords. Sometimes there is a need to connect to the power away
dozens or even hundreds of feet from the recording. The crew needs the appropriate cables. It is not
only the length is matter but also the possibility of high amperage load.
Makeup box. The basic makeup kit allows for fine retouching during recording. On the set you
should always have a special face powder.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
How to compose shots
Learning objectives: To know in detail handling the camera and elements such as frame, perspective,
movement, and the relationship between them. In this way, the participant learns to control the camera.
Duration: 03:00 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
Apart from the technical tasks, the camera operator is also responsible for the artistic composition of the film.
Every little shot should be planned carefully because it adds up to the general sequence and conveys certain
information and emotions to the viewer.
Cinematographic techniques such as the choice of shot and camera movement, can greatly influence the
structure and meaning of a film.
Basic settings and dependencies between them
To record high quality material the operator has to adjust the basic settings of the camera for each new
recording. A lot of simple consumer cameras handle this automatically so there are few possibilities to adjust
some of the settings manually. Most of the following functions are only available with professional or
semiprofessional equipment.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Focal distance. The focal distance can be adjusted by turning the focusing ring on the lens. Depending on
the choice of focal distance, objects appear to be either nearby (tele area) or in the distance (wide angle area).
Zoom movement during the shooting can be used as an artistic device. Zoom-in on an object or a person can
emphasise their special meaning for the plot. Another popular device is a zoom-out from a detail to a more
general point of view.
Zooming is a very particular effect and should be used carefully. Movies that are produced unprofessionally
are often characterized by senseless zooming.
Focus. The standard definitions of focus are:
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2.
The position at which rays of light from a lens converge to form a clear and sharply defined
image on a focal plane.
The action of adjusting the distance between the lens and subject to make light rays converge to
form a clear and sharply defined image of the subject.
The focus is used to adjust the right distance between an object and a camera. Wrong adjustments –
depending on the condition of light and the focal distance – can lead to blurred shots.
To adjust the distance correctly there is a particular sequence of actions: first, the main object must be
zoomed-in, then the focus ring of the lens must be used to sharpen the picture and only then should the image
section be fixed to finally start the recording.
When the actors are moving either towards or away from the camera, the distance consequently changes so
the sharpness must be adjusted on an ongoing basis during the recording. The same needs to be done for
movements of the camera.
However, this is part of more highly developed camera work and thus is explained later in more detail.
With cheap consumer cameras it is often not possible to adjust the focus manually. Therefore the
photographer has to rely on the automatic focus. For cheap cameras it is therefore recommended not to
choose a near focal distance (tele area) because in this mode, the depth of focus is diminished.
Semi-professional or professional cameras mostly work with either automatic or manual focus. Most of the
time, manual adjustment is more advantageous: the automatic focus on a video camera is not precise enough.
Non-professional shots often have variable sharpness.
Aperture. The adjustment of the aperture influences how much light comes through the lens into the camera.
The more bright the object itself, the less the aperture needs to be opened (low value= big opening of the
aperture; high value= small opening of the aperture).
Consumer cameras mostly only have limited possibilities for adjusting the aperture manually. Professional
cameras though do have a special aperture ring as part of the lens for that purpose. For many shots, the
automatic function can lead to tolerable results and can at least be used to calculate an average value. When
the light changes during shooting, the aperture should be adjusted manually.
Colour temperature and white balance
There are three different modes of light:
•
•
•
daylight,
tungsten light
mixed light
Each of these different modes has a different colour temperature. Colour temperatures are measured on the
Kelvin scale. Pure daylight has a colour temperature of 5600 Kelvin. Pure tungsten light, produced by spot
lights, has a temperature of 3200 Kelvin.
When there is mixed light, for example in rooms with both artificial light and sunlight through the window, the
Kelvin values can only be calculated by light measurement. The human eye automatically adapts to different
colour temperatures. That means for example the color red looks more or less the same, no matter whether in
daylight or tungsten light. When using a camera, the procedure is more complicated and is regulated by the
so called white balance. If the white balance is not set correctly, the colours seem unnatural. The images have
a blue or a red tone. White balance helps to adjust the camera to the particular colour temperature.
To reproduce the colour correctly, the camera needs to be referenced to the white colour balance. To adjust
the white balance, set the aperture and focus of the camera on a white object (that should fill the whole picture
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
frame; for example, a white sheet of paper held in front of an object that is to be filmed). The director of
photography pushes the button for the white balance and keeps on pressing it until the camera adjusts all
colour values to the referential white value. A notice appears in the viewfinder, confirming the white balance
has been adjusted successfully.
As long as the light does not change during the subsequent filming, the camera reproduces all colours
correctly. Many cameras have presets in addition to the manual white balance. Presets are fixed values for
day or tungsten light.
All cameras have an automatic white balance that can under certain circumstances lead to good results.
However, manual white balance adjustment is always preferable.
Gain. With the Gain function, the picture can be lightened electronically when there is insufficient light.
Consumer cameras do this most of the time automatically. More professional cameras permit the switch
on/switch off of the Gain function. This function worsens the picture quality and so is only used in emergency
cases.
Basic frames
Choosing the correct shot composition (size) is fundamental in camera work. Beginners need to study different
types of shots and train their cinematic view. The following are types of shots commonly used in film, video,
and animation.
Establisher. The establisher is the biggest/widest shot and is used
to introduce the viewer into the setting of a movie or to present the
location. The viewer gets an idea as to the place of an action, for
example a village in the mountains.
Long shot (full shot). The long shot presents the location a little bit
more detail than the establisher. For example: a little house in a
village, children are playing in front of it, someone is coming.
Knee shot. In this shot, the protagonists (main characters) or single
protagonist are in the centre and are seen from head to toe.
Example: Two persons discuss, the door opens and somebody
comes out. This person can already be identified by the viewer.
American shot. This shot originates from Western movies and
shows the person from the head to knees (including the gun). An
American shot clearly shows gestures because the hands are still in
the picture. Example: Someone talks to the man who just got out of
the car. The women is nervous and puts his hands in his pocket.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Medium shot. The medium shot shows a character’s upper-body,
arms, and head. Medium shots are relatively good for showing facial
expressions but work well to show body language.
Close up. The close up is common in movie dialogues, interviews
or news reports. The person can be seen from the head to chest.
The facial expressions and emotions are easy to identify.
Garments, such as shirts, jewelry or ties that give hints about the
social origin of a protagonist are in the picture as well. Example: The
women is talking talking to another person and smiling.
Extreme close up. The extreme close-up focuses on facial
expression. Even the subtlest emotions can be seen by the viewer.
Example: The women is obviously surprised about the course of the
conversation. She tries to hide her emotions but without success
because her face clenches.
Detailed shot (insert shot). Detailed or insert shots focus on
objects that have a special meaning or emphasise emotions.
Informative shots with more complex information are often longer in duration (slow cut) so the viewer can
connect narration with a picture. Faster cuts produce the opposite effect, create more tension and hold up
viewer’s attention.
The shot composition influences how the viewers perceive transitions between different shots. Depending on
the intentions of the dramatic composition, transitions can be either almost “invisible” or very eye-catching.
Basic movements
There are two types of movement in pictures.
Type one: These movements happen in front of the camera while the camera itself is fixed.
Example: a person or an object moves towards the camera or in the opposite direction, from
the left to the right side or the other way round.
Type two: These movements result from the work with the camera.
Example: the camera moves towards an object or in the opposite direction. The camera tilts
top down or the other way round.
These types of movements are often used in combination. That means the camera follows a person or an
object that moves. The camera moves freely through the room, independent from persons or objects.
Pan. Camera moves horizontally from left to right side and other way round.
Tilt. Camera moves vertically from up to down or the other way round.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
How to move?
For tracking (continuous) shots, professional film productions benefit from different technical equipment. We
will briefly mention some of it, even though it is rarely used in other fields.
Dolly. A dolly is a wheeled platform on which the camera is mounted; with the help of a dolly, fluent following
shots can be filmed.
There are several different pathways for a dolly track:
•
•
•
Parallel drive: the dolly moves parallel to the object in the picture
Front drive: the dolly moves towards a person/object
Back drive: the dolly moves away from a person/object
The camera dolly can sit on a trolley, or rest on tracks, if the surface is not smooth enough. Camera dollies are
often motorised, so they can be moved effortlessly.
Crane. A crane is a special device used to lift the camera high into the air and film from above. The camera
can float above the objects. In concerts or shows, a crane often floats over the heads of the audience.
Cranes can be found in different sizes and types. Some cranes accomodate both the operator and the
camera, but remote-controlled models that allow camera control from the ground are gaining in popularity.
Such models are lightweight and easier to operate.
Professional TV stations often utilise fully-automated camera cranes that allow precise programming of their
movement. Contrary to what it seems, crane operation does not need a lot of strength, thanks to the use of
counterweight.
Steadicam. A steadicam is a stabilizing mount for a motion picture camera, which mechanically isolates the
operator’s movement from the camera, allowing a very smooth shot even when the operator is moving quickly
over an uneven surface.
The dolly and steadicam are often used for a master shot. A master shot is a recording of an entire scene
without a break.
Example: a man goes into a building. He passes different offices and greets his colleagues
until he reaches his own desk.
Master shots create bigger spatial depth and spatial orientation. They require very detailed planning and a
well-considered choreography.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
The precise use of the steadicam requires many hours of practice, because at the beginning it is difficult to
control the camera inertia. Also important is the selection of the right equipment. Steadicam occurs both in a
simplified version (see picture above), as well as more sophisticated, consisting of a specially fitted and
balanced vest (or braces).
Slider. The development of DSLR introduced a new type of light drive systems video surveillance. It is based
on a moving head rail on which you can lead DSLR camera. This system is a bit like the dolly, but it is much
smaller, cheaper and easier to use. It is perfect where it counts the time, and camera movement does not
have to be too broad.
Basic perspectives
The camera perspective is another cinematic technique that influences the viewer’s perception.
Eye level. An eye level perspective is the most natural
perspective to show people. The camera is, as the name
suggest, at eye level. This is used for talks, interviews etc.
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View form below. In this case, the camera is below eye level
and films the person slightly from below. Depending on the
context of a shot, this view shows either self-confidence or
negative characteristics such as dominance over a person.
Due to the small difference between the eye level and the view
from below, viewers mostly do not pay much attention to it.
Upper view. An upper view is the opposite of the view from
below. The camera films a person slightly from above. In
certain contexts, this perspective can show a person as weak
or cute.
Worm’s and
bird’s eye view.
Variations of the
two perspectives
mentioned
above are
respectively the
worm’s eye and
the bird’s eye
view.
The more extreme the shots of the protagonist from above or below are, the more this perspective strikes the
viewer’s attention. The interpretation of such scenes depends on many other factors though. It is not always
true that a bird’s eye view portrays a person as powerless and worm’s eye view conveys domination.
Sometimes these types of perspectives are used for creative and experimental purposes.
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Light design
Learning objectives: Understanding the types of lighting used in the video and how to use them according to
the needs and conditions.
Duration: 01:30 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
The human eye possesses an excellent natural ability to adapt to different light conditions. Technical
equipment like cameras are not so sophisticated and so need more time and special manual adjustments to
reproduce quality pictures in different light settings.
Creative light design is a very complicated process that goes far beyond adding light to make a picture
brighter. Light design helps to create a certain atmosphere and adds the desired mood to the whole picture.
A detailed explanation of light design can take many hours and dozens of pages. The following chapter is just
an introduction to the essentials of light design.
Three point illumination
In TV production, three point illumination is the standard for recording people. It is used for interviews, soap
operas or movies. Three point illumination presupposes three types of light: key, fill and backlight.
Key light. The first type of light is key light. It is the strongest one and therefore determines the shadow
shape. The key light is the first one to be positioned, a little bit away from the camera and slightly from above
so that the shadows cast down.
Fill. The purpose of this light is to brighten the scene. It is fixed on the other side of the camera axis and
should be paler than the key light. The brightening light softens the shape of the shadows caused by the key
light. With an interlayer, the fill gets smoother and therefore appears to be more natural.
Back light. The back light is positioned across from the key light. The back light gives the person a sharpened
outline and so they are silhouetted against the background. The shot seems to be more graphic and gives a
bigger spatial depth.
Background light. In addition to the three point illumination, a photographer can make use of a background
light. An interesting background colour for example can be created by the coloured interlayer.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Outside sunlight is the key light. The sun is a natural light source according to the logic of light. The phrase
“logic of light” refers to realistic and natural illumination. If the illumination appears to be unrealistic, it is called
a “dramatic” logic of light. In this case the light effects are of great importance.
Light design by direction
The head light throws frontal light on the person. Film stars in their 40’s and 50’s benefit from this kind of light
because it makes them look younger. Direct light creates no shadows so wrinkles and skin problems are not
that visible. Sided light directly comes from the side and is positioned at a 90° angle to the camera axis.
Because it creates a very strong shadow, it emphasises the dramatic nature of the scene.
In the case of backlight, the source of light is positioned across from the camera behind the object or person.
The face of the person stays in the dark. Thus, this kind of light is often used in horror movies or thriller.
Quality of light
When a person is supposed to be framed with less strong shadows, a smoother light is needed. Smoother
light is produced by an interlayer that is fixed on the wings of the spot light. The same effect is created through
an indirect arrangement of light. For that, the spot light must be focused on a white area or a light reflector
(bouncer). The reflected rays of light are more diffused and soft. In addition, most spots light have filters that
disperse the light.
To achieve sharp shadows, the light must be directed directly at a person or object.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Sound
Learning objectives: Understanding the rules for the use of different kinds of sounds in the video, including
music and audio special effects.
Duration: 02:30 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
Music, sounds and voice overs are added to all movies and videos. Even silent movies have music. Sound
design is just as important as picture composition.
Sound while recording
Ball microphone (omnidirectional). The sound is recorded from all directions at the same intensity, but over
a fairly small range. It is best suited for interviews in noisy surroundings. One has to speak directly into the
microphone. Ball microphones are also used as vocal microphones.
Lavalier microphone. This is a special form of the ball microphone, which is small and can be attached to
clothing so that it is not visible. Lavalier microphones are much more sensitive than the normal ball
microphone and are best suited for interviews in quiet surroundings.
Cardioids (unidirectional microphone). These are well suited for sound recording when noise from other
directions needs to be cut out. They are sensitive to sounds from only one direction, so the sound source can
be focused and recorded more precisely. Cardioids can also be used for filming where the microphone is not
supposed to be in the picture.
There are different forms of cardioids with different characteristics.
•
•
•
Hyper cardioids: hyper cardioids have a tighter area of front sensitivity and are less sensitive to the
sounds coming from the side. This helps to avoid background noises and is therefore often used for
interviews in reports.
Super cardioids: the front sensitivity is higher than that of hyper cardioids and excludes background
noises even better.
Lobe: This is a high quality directional microphone (also a noise cancelling microphone) and is suited
for noisy environments. Thus, it is often used as a boom microphone. When it is directly focused on
the mouth of a speaker, loud background noises (for example, traffic noise) can be avoided from a
longer distance.
Built-in microphone. Almost every video recording device is equipped with a built-in microphone. In each
case we can record sound directly into the camera. Unfortunately, the quality of the built-in microphones their
automated use leave much to be desired. Audio recorded in this way is not useful for an interview or dialogue
scenes. Sometimes, in the case of forms of journalism, it can be helpful as background sound.
If for some reason we have no choice and must record with the built-in microphone, it is advisable to become
familiar with its features. Despite the limitations we can encounter the following functions:
•
•
Sensitivity. Some cameras allow to set sensitivity level, depending on how far away from the
microphone is the sound source.
Windscreen. This feature allows you to reduce the sensitivity of the microphone to the sound of the
wind, but in practice it often worsens the quality of the sound.
Recording with external recorder
Regardless of what kind of microphone you choose, there still remains the question of the device with which
you will record the sound. Professional cameras usually have the ability to connect two separate microphones,
and a setting of parameters. In this case, the sound is recorded with the video directly to the storage.
But what if the camera is not a quality sound recorder? In this case, we can use the external recorder.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
This device looks like a digital voice recorder and basically meets the same task. Its advantage is the ability to
precisely adjust the parameters to be recorded and control it.
Live sound mixing
When recording sound on the set keep in mind the essential elements:
•
•
•
Each microphone should be set accordingly to the conditions and objectives of the recording.
Another type of microphone is applied to the recording sounds of background, another – for an
interview. Some microphones require their own power supply (battery or “phantom”). Remember to
adjust the parameters of the recording equipment to the microphone.
The person responsible for the sound should be able to listen to it directly during the recording.
Perfect for a closed headphone sound characteristics. Thanks to headphone with closed sound
characteristics soundman can focus on his work and control sound quality.
If you use an external audio recording device, you have to take care of synchronization of picture and
sound. It is important for the later process of post-production. Simply – use a simple clapper
(clappboard).
Example: If you use the camera and sound recorder separately, the editor will receive separate video
and audio files. In practice, the editor will have difficulties with the synchronisation of the picture and
sound. Therefore, right after you start recording, record clapperboard, which contains the number of
scenes and shots. In addition, the person operating the clapper says aloud the numbers and makes a
clapping-sound. With that the editor can easily fit the moment of visual impact and impact sound.
Off-tone and on-tone
The tone in movies consists of different sound sources. Firstly, there is a difference between off-tone and ontone. In the case of on-tone, the sound source can be seen in the picture, for example a speaking protagonist,
a musician or a car passing by. In the case of off-tone, the sound source cannot be seen in the picture, for
example the voice in an audio-comment. Thus, the off-tones are sound sources that do not have their origin in
the situation being presented in the picture. Typical off-tones are annotators, effects sounds or music.
The scenic off-tone is a special form. The sound source is a protagonist in the movie: however while s/he
cannot be seen in a special shot in the movie, s/he can be heard. This can also be applied to sounds or music
whose origin clearly is part of the movie action.
Music
The emotional effect of music in a movie is a very important element. Often the music influences the mood of
the viewer even more than the image. Music emphasises the atmosphere or the dramatic composition of the
scene and creates a catching dynamic. In the following videos you will see the same sequence with 4 different
types of music. This example demonstrates the importance and big influence of film music.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
The following music aspects should be considered:
Tempo. When a scene needs to be scored in a pretty dynamic and peppy way, music with a fast rhythm is
needed. A typical example is an action scene. Very accurate productions adapt the editing to the rhythm of
the music. In contrast, slower music is used to score romantic scenes. Here, the music is intended to create
a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. For informative sequences, the music should be discreet and not a
distracting element for the viewer.
Instruments and moods. Every musical instrument has its own tonal quality. In addition, some instruments
are associated with special locations, situations, motives or genres.
Example: harmonica = western/cowboy theme; bagpipe = Scotland; smoky saxophone = bar; flamenco
guitar = Spain; accordion = nightlife in Paris. Depending on the scenic context, these musical clichés
can either have an informative, humoristic, dramatic or ironic implication.
Illustrating use of music. The meaning of a picture can be underlined by music in many different ways. The
mood technique emphasises the mood of a scene by the use of music.
Example: Happy people: happy music, sad persons: sad music.
Cartoons developed the so-called “Mickeymousing” technique: each single movement in a shot is scored with
a tone. Chase music is typical for chases, as the name implies. It is a kind of jazz style; several soloists do an
improvisation and alternate periodically – they have a musical “battle”, similar to the battle on the screen.
The accentuated use of music – other than the Mickeymousing – only scores special moments or movements
that are important for the action of the film.
Contrasting use of music. To confuse the viewers, to provoke them or to concentrate their attention,
contrasting use of music is used. The score is outrageously antagonistic to the image.
Example: a war scene is scored with cheery music.
Polarising use of music. Here, a neutral image or a rather uninteresting scene is thwarted by an
exaggerated score. This use of music can produce a manipulating or ironic effect, depending on the context.
Example: a politician comes into the picture, by underlining the scene with sinister music, the
politician seems to be weird or ominous.
Additional sounds
F/X. Online databases are filled with the sounds of shots, hits, explosions and so on. We can use a creaking
door opening sound or different types of steps (or is walking on sand, or on concrete or wooden floor). It
enriches your material by additional sounds that occur in nature but can be unregistered when recording. It is
important, however, that that's only a supplement, not a dominant element.
Background. For the video soundtrack to be complete you should add the sounds occurring in the world
around us. This is particularly important when the same sound recording is realized in the studio, in terms of
silence. Then we can clearly feel the lack of background.
Silence. Can silence be a kind of sound? You may not realize that even when there is no dialogue and no
music, sound engineers usually add some noise in the background, because silence feels unnatural.
However, in some cases, silence may be an appropriate type of sound and build the atmosphere.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Design basics
Learning objectives: Knowing the rules of image composition.
Duration: 02:30 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
The camera is not merely a technical device for recording everything as it is. It is a great tool for creativity,
self-expression and spontaneous ideas. However, before trying to experiment with what the camera can do,
an operator needs to learn some graphic design basics.
Golden ratio
As was mentioned in the previous section, asymmetrical images evoke more interest and tension. Thus,
photographers like to work with the “rule of the thirds”, a simplification of the “Golden ratio” rule, also known as
“golden section” or “divine proportion”.
The rule implies that the picture is imaginarily divided
by the two horizontal and two vertical guide lines.
According to the “golden ratio” principle the depicted
object should be placed either along one of the
guidelines or directly at their intersections.
According to this rule, a flower (or its blossom) should
not be arranged right in the middle of the picture but
along the right guideline.
Picture composition
The aim of picture composition is to arrange the objects or people in the picture in the most effective and vivid
way. Picture composition is based on the golden ratio rule.
If you want to record an interview, you should consider the following:
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
1.
2.
Choose the appropriate camera distance (type of shot). Mostly, it will be a close-up, showing the
person being interviewed upwards from the chest.
Position the person in the picture. Allow more space in the view direction, thus place the person in
the right or left third of the picture. The person should sit/stand a little bit to the side of the camera (to
avoid a head-on perspective when the person looks flat). Ensure that the space above the head is
balanced (not too much, not too little).
Lines & contrast
Lines and contrasts are elements that greatly influence the viewer’s perception of the image. Lines help to
focus the view on different parts of the picture or lead the eyes along the picture. In addition, lines have an
influence on the emotions of the viewer. For example vertical lines help provoke feelings of dignity, height,
and strength. Contrast in photographic composition is an effective means of directing the viewer’s attention to
the centre of interest. Positioning of subject elements to create contrast gives them added emphasis and
directs the viewer’s attention.
Bright-dark-contrasts
The most popular type of contrast is probably the bright-dark-contrast. When a white circle lays on a black
square, the viewer automatically focuses on the white surface. In case of the bright-dark-contrast, the viewer’s
attention is always directed to the bright area.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Colour contrasts
Colour contrast is often used as a stylistic device in advertising. For example: when a picture consists of
several squares that are all blue except one red square, the attention of the viewer is attracted to the red
square. Colour contrast can often be added during post production.
Portion contrast
The same example can be used for the portion contrast: in a variety of blue squares there is only one single
red square. This difference in portion attracts the viewer’s attention to the single red square.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Contrast of form and surface
When there is just one circle in between squares, the viewer’s attention is directed to the circle.
Horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines
While horizontal lines create harmonic, quiet and static impressions, vertical lines seem to convey dominance,
power and strength. Diagonal lines create a disturbing, disharmonious, dynamic or tense atmosphere.
Horizontal lines. A long shot of the sea creates a relaxed and harmonic impression due to the clear lines
between beach, sea and sky.
Vertical lines. A long shot of the White House gives an impression of magnitude and power, created by the
vertical lines of the columns.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Diagonal lines. A shot of a forest with leaning trees has diagonal lines in it; thus, the image appears to be
disturbing and disharmonious. The viewer will have the impression that the trees are about to fall down.
Graphic and imaginary lines. There are two types of lines in the picture. Graphical lines created by the
objects and their position. Examples: urban canyons, landscapes, positioning of persons in a room.
Virtual lines are imaginary lines that are created by movements in a picture, so called “movement vectors”.
Virtual lines can be created by movements. Viewing direction, so called “view vectors”, and gestures also
create virtual lines.
Symmetry
Symmetry and asymmetry create dynamics or tension of the picture.
In a symmetrically arranged image the elements are mirrored on the axis, in asymmetry the elements are
randomly located.
Symmetry. Symmetrical pictures evoke, like horizontal lines, an impression of harmony. This type of
arrangement can get boring when it is used too often.
Asymmetry. To evoke interest and keep the attention of the viewer, a lot of images are arranged
asymmetrically. Asymmetry in images appears to be more dynamic and more exciting.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Directing and working on stage
Learning objectives: Learn the basic methods of working with the crew on the set and dramatic composition
when shooting.
Duration: 01:30 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
Dramatic composition
Dramaturgy is the art of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the
stage. Dramaturgy may also be defined, more broadly, as shaping a story into a form that may be acted.
Dramaturgy gives the work or the performance a structure.
Every narration, no matter if it is a novel, an audio play for the radio, a motion picture or a TV report, needs
dramaturgy. The purpose of a dramaturgical narration is to entertain and hold the viewer’s attention. If a
viewer is bored with a film then there is something wrong with the dramaturgy.
There are some dramaturgical models that every editor should be aware of. Utilizing the following models can
help to create an interesting film.
Freytag’s pyramid
This graphic represents the (ideal) dramaturgical composition of a narration. Basic elements of that structure
can be found in nearly all kinds of narrations (fictional or non-fictional). Such a complex model can be adapted
to short forms such as TV reports only with some restrictions.
HPP: Handling – Plot – Point
Exposition: In the exposition, viewers get to know the initial situation and basic background information:
Who? When? Where? The conflict is approaching slowly, but steadily.
Setup of the conflict: Mostly, the conflict is initiated by an impulse, for example an event or a conversation.
Conflict: When the conflict comes to its climax, the possibilities as to how the main characters can overcome
opponents and obstacles are shown. A conflict has external origins (for example, a ship is about to sink) or
internal reasons such as self-doubt, fear or unrequited love.
Turning point: Since Aristotle, a sudden change in the narration is called peripety and leads either to positive
or negative solution of the problem.
Degradation of the conflict: the conflict is solved and it becomes clear whether the “good guy” wins or loses.
For a viewer, the excitement decreases.
Conclusion: The finale of the narration can be either closed or open ended. At the very least, an open
ending needs to indicate which way the protagonists are going to go in the future.
Handling – Plot – Points mark the central moments, in which new developments are about to take place. They
are also called turning points because they lead the story in a different way. Very often, those HPP’s have a
surprising character and the strongest effect when the viewer is not expecting it.
The exposition and the conclusion often embrace the narration. This is done by letting the protagonists act at
the beginning and at the end of the story in the same or very similar situations.
Example: At the beginning of a narration, the protagonist Z lives happily with his family. In the course
of the story he participates in a dangerous military operation. In the end he returns, with only small
lesions, to his family.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Elements to build up tension
Contrasts: Appeal to emotions: for example: happiness, empathy, sadness. Humour, if it fits to the story, is
always appreciated by viewers.
Example: poor and rich, young and old, good and evil.
Retardation: The solution of the conflict or the climax is postponed.
Example: Just before a man jumps off a bridge, his cell rings, he answers and then he jumps.
Suspense: Advance in information; a viewer knows more than the protagonist.
Surprise: Viewers know less than the protagonist and are surprised with events that they could not have
possibly foreseen.
Leap in time: The narration is told not in a chronological order. The order of the scenes creates some kind
dramaturgical effect; typical examples are flashbacks or future flashes.
Working on stage
One of the biggest challenges in multimedia is to tackle an enormous variety of activities. It is especially
difficult when working in a strange place and with people you do not know well. This happens very often in
video production.
Stage organization. It is important to develop certain habits and therefore be able to control the work on the
set. In fact, during the recording the most important thing is the time before it starts. The video itself is only an
effect on whether that time was used properly.
During the shooting you may change the scenario other production documents several times. you should take
care of each member of the crew having the same version.
The rules of working and self-discipline are very important . It is easy to lose control of the situation. This can
lead to extra delays. An efficient director and video producer is primarily a good organizer. If more than 10
people are working on a film, you will need a person to handle the organizational matters.
Continuity. For the audience, it is important to be continuity between the shots and scenes. It is expressed
mainly in the care of the details, which are easy to forget when working on the set.
Often the sequential shots and scenes are not recorded on the same day. It should take care of that the
characters were just dressed and combed right. There are also important elements of decoration.
Although the detailed planning the scenes helps to avoid problems, it’s a good situation when director can
predict the consequences of his spontaneous decisions that can unexpectedly affect the final result.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Film editing
Learning objectives: Acquiring practical skills in video editing (workshop).
Duration: 04:00 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
What is editing?
This chapter presents the basics of film editing, and an introduction into editing software (pro and non-pro
systems).
Film editing is part of the post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of
shots, connecting the resulting sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture.
On its most fundamental level, film editing is the art, technique, and practice of assembling shots into a
coherent whole. A film editor is a person who practices film editing by assembling the footage.
Sequence building
Basically, during the post-production the units are defined as follows:
•
•
•
•
Take (or shot). A single continuous recorded performance, from start to stop of the camera’s
recording. It is the smallest unit.
Scene. A continuous block of storytelling either set in a single location or following a particular
character. Scenes are composed of shots.
Sequence. The string of scenes.
Act. Typically a technical unit: one roll of 35mm film with a length of 300 m. Practically not used in
video production.
Aspects of montage
The main task of film editor is to arrange individual shots that constitute a scene. Scenes should be arranged
in a logical sequence. As a result, edited material should correspond to the scenario. In addition, shots and
scenes can be enriched with music, animations and other effects. There are many ways to enrich the content
of the movie. Some of them will be discussed later (see below: Best practices and tricks).
Editing workflow
Most editing programs work on very similar basis, and contain the following components:
•
•
•
•
Project Bin
Timeline
Preview
Effects
Sometimes these elements have different names. Almost every software is a bit different, but the essence
remains the same. Operating is simple: you should appropriately arrange your footage in the timeline in the
correct order and then enhance it with effects.
We will show you some popular editing workflows with the basic components.
Review of popular offline editing workflows
Adobe Premiere. Adobe produces a number of software for creating media. The most famous are Photoshop
(image enhancement), Illustrator (vector graphics creation), InDesign (DTP) and Premiere, which is used for
video editing.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Overall view of Adobe Premiere
Project bin: here You can put all Your source files
(shots, graphics, music tracks, titles etc. You can
also store full sequences of edited material here,
before you export them.
Project timeline: Here you can sort out all source files in the correct order. You can use many video and
audio paths (V1, V2, V3…, A1, A2, A3). Colored blocks shown in the timeline are the individual shots.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Project preview. Here you can see
effect of your work. At the bottom
are also visible buttons for editing
the various shots. You can view the
entire line of time, or individual
recognition.
Mixer, Media browser and effect – here you can enhance your video. For example, on left window you can mix
a lot of audio sources, including: volume, channels, pan, effects etc.
Final Cut.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Avid.
What if You don't have so sopfisticated software?
If you do not have access to expensive editing systems, you can also use the software available on almost
any computer. Such programs do not provide too many features, but in many cases will suffice. You can use
them to learn the basics of video edition, before you decide on a professional workflow.
Movie Maker. Windows Live Movie Maker is a part of the Windows OS – you can dowlnload it from Microsoft
website and install on your computer free of charge. However, Movie Maker is a very simple sofware and
won’t let you work on sophisticated projects.
iMovie. iMovie is a program bundled with Mac OS. You don’t have to install anything if you are already a
Macbook, Mac or iMac user. Just find it in the programs bin. iMovie is a little bit more developed, but is still
amateur software.
Online editors as a popular solution. Today on the market there are also programs that run directly on the
Internet. These applications are available by the browser and does not require installation of anything. You
only need to upload your content to app server and edit online. However you need fast and stable internet
connection.
What do I need to start?
Video editing requires above all a very powerful computer. Simple editing work can be done on any modern
computer, but waiting time for the processing of scenes and shots (rendering) is a key. Rendering requires
efficient computers, because it takes a lot of resources.
Sometimes (now more often) the editors are working on laptops. Editing a very large project can be difficult on
a portable computer, but you can do smaller work in this way.
Best practices and tricks
In our handbook we will show in more detail the specific actions that executes film editor. Understanding the
professional programs in such a way as to allow trouble-free operation on them takes a lot of time. We will use
Adobe Premiere Elements, which is a bit simplified version of Adobe Premiere Pro. The program is easy to
learn, yet contains all the key elements.
How to start? After starting the program, welcome screen will appear. You can choose from two options:
•
•
Organizer – for organize, find, and view all source files, like videos, photos, music.
Video editor – for create movies with special effects and share them.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
We choose Video editor and wait for turn on. You can select existing project or establish completely new
project. Choose New Project and wait few seconds.
General overview.
Main toolbar.
Preview window with controls.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Timeline with tools, filters and effects ribbon. Timeline has different tracks for video and audio. Audio tracks
are also divided for regular audio, narration or soundtrack. You can change track’s quantity or order. Some
tracks can be hidden or delete.
Importing source files. For importing source files on the timeline or to the project assets You have to choose
Add Media. After that select source. You can capture media direct from your camcorder (through USB or firewire) or simply select files from hard disk or memory card. From now all files will be in Project Assets windows
and ready for use.
Add Media panel. As You see, you can add media files from many
different sources, including drives, camcorders, webcams or digital
photo cameras.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
From now You have all imported media in Project
Assets panel. It’s good if You collect all important
media files before You start edit. It will help You to
keep order in Your project.
Cutting.
You can click twice on take (file) in
Project Assets. Cutting window will
appear. Now You can use Set in/out
markers for mark when take should
start and end. Program automatically
adjust this take.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
There is also second way to cutting
takes. You can put take on timeline
(just put it by mouse). Find the edges
of file and drag it. Reduce the file to
the desired length.
You can use both ways. It is important that you check your cutting in practice. If you are not sure how to
combine two shots, just experiment. Remember to keep the principles of which were described in the previous
section.
Transition.
Any two shots you can connect with each other simply
(by placing one after the other) or by using a transition
effect. The effect you can choose from the menu
below Transitions timeline. You can choose from
dozens of different transitions, basic and very
complex.
Simply drag and drop effect on the Timeline between
two clips.
In the additional settings window you can select the duration
and alignment of the clips.
Be careful not to overuse transition effects, because they will
interfere with the reception of the film. Basic transitions are
as follows: dissolve and fade to black. They are most often
used by filmmakers.
In the feature films effects are most commonly used to connect together scenes (eg by fade to black viewers
can easily understand that the action moved to a different location). However, in the case of new forms (eg
music videos), the effects are used more often and in various combinations.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Titles.
In the same way, you can add subtitles to your
movie. On the bottom menu you will find the function
Titles & Text, and there're dozens of ready-made
designs to use.
Put the selected subtitle format on a timeline, above
the one, where the video clips are.
You will see automatic window Adjustments, in which you can
adjust the subtitles to your requirements.
Sample models inscriptions are quite developed, so you should work out the details to make it look the way
you want and fit your project.
Music. We can enrich our movie with a soundtrack. It's possible to use one of the default pieces in the 'Music'
section, or add your own music in the upper menu 'Add Media' section. Just drag the file onto the 'Soundtrack'
track, and match it to other elements of our movie.
Sound correction. Sound correction is the proper adjustment of each audio track. There's a separate audio
track for each video clip, as well as for every music piece or sound effect. Their parameters have to be set
properly, so the music illustrates the movie without interfering, and the dialogues have to be audible.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
In the lower screen, select
'Tools', then 'Audio Mixer'.
This is an audio mixer window. Each channel is a separate track, which we can adjust mainly in two ways:
•
Balance - left and right channel volume ratio
•
Level - general level of audio gain
It's also possible to completely 'mute' the given channel.
There are additional sound filters available with some software solutions, allowing for more complex sound
correction, e.g. noise reduction or reverb.
Colour correction. It's common to record a movie during various times of the day, inside and outdoors. The
effect is that the actors appear in a different light, so the colours of the different shots don't fit. We can fix it
during the editing phase.
In the right menu, in the 'Adjust' section, there are tools that will help with it.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
First, let's use the 'Temperature and Tint' option. If it's not enough, choose 'Color'. There, we can adjust the
settings more precisely.
We have to repeat the given settings for each shot. It's vital to pay attention how the shots work together, and
whether the colours fit better after the correction.
Graphics. Using text is a standard, common element of every TV production. It usually appears as captions
under the speakers (name, surname and a role), subtitles or end or opening credits.
You can easily add captions to your movie using the 'Titles & Text' section in the lower menu. Just select the
text project and adjust it to your needs.
The captions can also move or animate in some other way.
Exporting. For the edited movie to be available for viewing, it has to be exported into your chosen format.
This way, we'll be getting a single file, which can then be published in the internet, recorded on a disc or a
pendrive.
Let's choose the 'Publish+Share' option in the upper menu. Then choose one of the available options,
depending on what we want to achieve. The options are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
Web DVD - if you're making a DVD to watch on a computer.
Disc - if you're making a DVD or a Blu-ray disc to watch on a standalone video player.
Online - if you want to publish your movie directly in the internet at YouTube, Facebook or Vimeo.
Computer - if you want to save your file to your computer.
Mobile Phones and Players - if you want to prepare your file so it's possible to play it on a
smartphone or some other mobile device.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Test questions:
1)
Name the most important parts of the camera and their role.
2)
Name 4 different formats of storage media where data is recorded.
3)
How could you explain American shot?
4)
“Special device used to lift the camera high into the air and film from above” – what is it?
5)
Name at least 3 popular offline editing workflows.
6) Camera moves vertically from up to down or the other way round - what is the name of this move?
47
New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Module B – Crossmedia journalism
Module introduction
One of the main challenges in the new media production is the use of online resources, social networks, and
collaborative environment for news creation, video production and streaming content. So, we want to offer
interesting information about some of the resources that could make it easier to produce media content online.
“New Media Production Methodology” provides with a methodological framework to promote the media
production skills. Although Module A focuses on multimedia production, Module B concentrates on new form
of journalism, special crossmedia and transmedia journalism. In the following chapters, you will have
theoretical and practical information about different approaches if the journalism in the XXI Century as well as
some resources that will help you in media production.
Target group
Module B, as part of the “New Media Production Methodology” is addressed to freelancers and specialist in
the fields of PR, marketing, coaching, consulting etc. But it’s specially recommended for those who:
•
•
•
are interested in new journalism forms;
like to know the new developments on internet media production; and
use internet as main communication channel.
Overview
This module B is structured in 5 different chapters. The course is designed in modern, practical way: It
provides learners with a theoretical base combined with some practical examples and exercises.
Journalism in the XXI Century. Duration: 01:00 hour
This chapter aims at explaining the new concept of journalism in the XXI century. The section contains an
overview about journalism forms and trends, and how they change the viewers’ point of view.
Crossing of media. Duration: 01:00 hour
This chapter is intended to promote the collaborative creation and management of news production, especially
in collaborative online areas. Considering that the new approach of this new journalism is open to public and
intent on promoting the collaboration, it's important to focus on the different collaborative environments, and
especially on how to create and develop news in collaboration.
Dissemination of multimedia. Duration: 01:00 hour
This section of the Module B is intended to introduce the most popular media platform and how the
participants could work with and within these platforms. In addition, the section includes a specific topic about
open source platform.
Social networks. Duration: 01:00 hour
This section focuses on social networks and their potential in cross media. The main objective is to introduce
to the participants the main social networks from the point of view of cross media (multi criteria approach) and
the potential of the social network (and networking) for new media.
Legal issues. Duration: 01:00 hour
This section is intended to introduce the participants the main mechanism about legal issues related to the
online media creation. This topic is relevant because it changes the traditional knowledge about the legal
questions, and introduces new roles of the intellectual rights protection procedure in the online media
contents.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Journalism in XXI Century
We are living in the digital age. Everyone is watching others, and being watched, all the time and everywhere.
The citizens have a nearly limitless access to information, creating a critical mass of information and allowing
them to create and share their own. Anyone can be a reporter and an editor for themselves and for the others.
Multimedia and cross media journalism
Currently, the media scope is a mix of applications, platforms and
resources based on advanced navigation structures, which are
supported in different activities and include games, collaborative
environments, blogging… and much more.
Cross media is…
That is what we call “cross media” (see a proposal for definition).
The use of different resources to improve the quality of the
message and reach a wider set of users.
The cross media channels are mainly supported on the web, and
adapted to the target groups. They include applications to interact
and collaborate with other users, and tools to manage resources.
In this online environment, different platforms have been
integrated as follows: TV, radio, chat, SMS, MMS and mobile
applications, fostering the interrelation of services through the
different media. We can create a stronger statement, basing
mainly on the message, and not on the method of the transmission.
…a new communication
strategy that allows the
information, a new editorial
content, or any other
resource, to reach a wide
audience through using
diverse media (multimedia),
and reaching the highest
effectiveness of the message
in this way.
However, the interactive cross media design is not just for the internet. Games, smartphones, tablets, portable
media players, and other mobile devices play a key role in communication and the exchange of information
and knowledge with other people across the world.
Thus, cross-media is a challenge for the journalism in the XXI Century, creating a new environment that
promotes a new approach to creating information and sending the message. We are talking about a
bidirectional channel to produce information and resources where the collaboration between the “reporter” and
the target is encouraged and is presented using different media, such as video, audio, text, microblogging, etc.
Obviously, there are differences between the new journalism and the old media production. These differences
are based on the different meaning of some topics, such as: the message, the media, the audience, the
temporality…
Please look at the following comparison table between the two media approaches:
Traditional journalism
Cross media journalism
Message
Unidirectional
Bidirectional / Multidirectional
Audience
Specific group
Diverse groups
Involvement
No
Audience collaboration
Media
Using one media
Multimedia – different media are used
Channel
Direct channel
Multichannel
Temporality
Specific time
Un-temporal
Geography
Restricted
Unrestricted
In the last years, a new term has appeared, that contributes to the further development of the cross media
concept and improves the world of the mass media and communication: Transmedia.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
The relevance of the trans-media narratives is that each of these platforms, windows or elements is a part of
the message and is connected to each other. Thus, each part of the narrative is unique, depending on the
platform on which it is developed (internet, comic, social networks, video games). In the trans-media
journalism, the users collaborate on the story development, that is, they can live their own narration and define
a better one.
If you are interested, you can find different multimedia journalism websites online.
A transmedia initiative.
“Twittersodios de El
Barco”
This is a television series
based on twitter. Its fans can
interact with the characters
through twitter and they can
access the specific and
exclusive content. The fans
have to collaborate to solve
the quizzes and it’s
considered the one initiative
that connected together the
Trans-media concept and the
most innovative social TV in
the world.
Multimedia Muse: Multimedia Muse is an online environment to help
the media producers. The site focuses mainly on photojournalism, but
you can find very useful information about other types of multimedia
production, such as: tutorials, tools and books. The job section is very
interesting, you can also find some job offers.
Innovative Interactivity: is an open and collaborative environment
for old and new journalism. You can find different publications, tips
and other multimedia resources to support your production.
duckrabbit: is a private company that works in the multimedia
production field. They work mainly with photos and videos, and
produce multimedia for NGOs and similar organisation. Training
opportunities are available at their website as well as
recommendations, books, news etc. Everybody interested in new
media production should visit it.
Multimedia Shooter: One of the most complete online sites for
multimedia production. It’s friendly and easy to navigate and the
content is very good. The platform offers tips, news, commentaries
and examples of the best new media journalism.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Practical: Let’s check one of these platforms. Browse through the “categories” on the right-side of the
landing page, which offer a way to filter and find the content you are after (for example, training
opportunities, advice or interactive examples, etc.).
Overview of journalism forms
Journalism is the collection of information in different forms, and its handling (written, oral, visual or graphic).
Journalism intends to collect, analyse, synthesise, prioritise and publish the present and emerging news. We
can find different types and forms of journalism. Each is intended to explain the news from a different
approach.
Considering how we treat the news, we can find the following journalism forms:
News journalism is intended to present the
news, without any embellishments and
ornaments, in a direct and objective way. It
tells the story as it happened, it strives to
present the data in an objective way.
Columns journalism present the author’s
opinion and personality about a topic, an
event or a person. The journalism or
professional reflects the opinion of the
media also. The viewer, listener or reader
use to recognise the opinion and scope of
these professionals’ journalism.
Review journalism is halfway between
news journalism and opinion journalism
(columns). That is, the reporter analyses
and writes a story in detail and includes
subjective elements about it, giving their
opinion about what you are telling.
Investigative journalism is intended to
uncover a subject, a person, an event or an
affair. The journalist investigates and verifies
all the data and facts related to it, and then it
could be present in different ways: as a
special article in a newspaper or a
magazine, as a TV documentary, etc.
We can also talk about different types of journalism, depending on the topic or the subject developed. Thus,
we can talk about:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Political journalism
Business journalism
Satirical journalism
Sports journalism
War journalism
Cultural journalism
Environmental journalism
Scientific journalism
Gastronomic journalism
etc.
The style to produce news, articles, video, audio (and other media) is very different depending on the topic.
Finally, we can talk about the different types of journalism depending on the media used. We can find:
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Written journalism. When we refer to written journalism we are mainly talking about newspapers, magazines,
gazettes, etc., that is, about media based on written articles and contributions, sometimes supported by
photos or other graphic elements.
Audio journalism or listening media, where the main vehicle used is the human voice. Radio is the main
relevant media of the audio journalism.
Video journalism is a type of journalism based on video production to transmit an event or news.
Photojournalism is intended to tell a story or news mainly through the use of pictures and other images.
Digital journalism or cyber-journalism is a type of journalism that has its origin in the internet, and it’s using the
new technologies of communication to transmit a message. Digital journalism includes different types of media
and mixes some of these media as follows:
•
•
•
Blog and microblogging – written journalism online.
Live stream – Direct transmission of an event in the internet, using video and audio production.
Multimedia story telling – A new approach to the story telling technique, using audio and video.
Perceptive faculty of viewers
As this new journalism approaches, the viewer's perception changes, he becomes a user, rather than just a
viewer now.
As we can see in the picture below, there is a horizontal relation between the transmitter and the viewer
(receiver).
Kahn y Lenk, 2001
The editor (journalist) establishes some communication objectives that answer the receiver’s expectations,
and define a communication strategy, which deals with the receiver’s cultural approach. The editor designs
and edits the new content according to the receiver’s
perception and cognition, and finally develops the
Viewer vs user
technological solution, available using the ICT of the user.
Possible uses for the technology. We
The editor designs and edits the new content according to
can find some technological
the perception and cognition of the receiver, and finally
solutions (including a new model of
develops the technological solution, available using the ICT
TV) that automatically detect the
of the user.
viewer's most likings and deliver
So, it’s a horizontal relation, which is established between the
according to them or TV /and or radio
editor and the receiver, the audience, the target group, where
music programme that could adapt
the editor develops the media according to the needs and
the music to the users' preferences.
expectations of the viewers, and both are joint together in the
The potential market is wide.
internet.
According to the forecast published
by The Guardian newspaper, an USA
All multimedia products answer to some objectives (what we
research work paper says that in 2015
want to obtain), context (where they occur), ways (available
media production will move about 1.4
tools to obtain these objectives) and mental paradigms
trillion of dollars, twice that of a
(scenarios where the tasks, the environment and principles,
previous forecast of $200 billion.
which define their relations, are represented).
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Crossing of media
An increased use of digital technologies is changing the way of delivering digital media digital content.
Creators have to face the opportunities and the challenges:
•
•
•
•
accessibility – access to resources anytime, anywhere,
ability for remixing and sharing – interact with resources in meaningful ways,
content is current – access to real-time information,
ease of collaboration – build knowledge as a collective.
In the next section we are going to talk about different issues, which will help us work in these new
environments.
Resources of content
•
•
•
•
Before starting to develop a resource, first please think about the type of content resource you would
like to develop for media. This is important because it influences:
the message,
the design,
the layout of your project, distribution and sharing.
The different media content will require different types of content including different layout and style.
We can find these different resources of content:
1.
2.
3.
Text – Text is the main relevant type of content and is still very powerful. Text content is the root
of blogging, and the primary form of content across the web. We can create different types of
text contents, but remember that text can be improved, including the accompanying videos and
images, without forgetting its roots.
a. articles – it’s a traditional pattern, but it’s valid for news and trends, to be the first to write
about the latest news.
b. quizzes – these can be very useful especially if you want to develop a creative way to
encourage the participation.
c. white papers – think about your audience, how can you target them? What are the needs of
these audiences? What are their questions and concerns? You can use white paper to deal
with your audience’s needs.
d. case studies – include some case studies, correct and incorrect, successful and
unsuccessful, with a big impact or without any. There are some techniques that you can use
to present these cases of study: slide share, video, storytelling, etc.
e. blogs – blogs are very useful to exchange news and ideas and specially to create
collaborative media, because they can be easily updated and allow the readers'/viewers'
participation.
Video – Video is the type of content that is accessible from more devices every day. But it’s
important to create an accessible video solution to be used in the different devices and to also
introduce the different types of content. Here you will find a few of them:
a. Kinetic typography. It’s the official name for the animation technique that mixes words and
pictures, video and audio to create an intense message. When you are working on a simple
message, this technique can be very useful to boost the communication objective.
b. Live stream – is a powerful tool to produce video online. It allows all users to see the life
event. Currently, video production is available to everyone. In a few minutes, you can start
recording an event and broadcast it live via the internet. Your recording can reach
thousands of people, those who could not attend the event, and many others who are
thousands of miles away.
Interactive Graphics – Is a graphics that contains some dynamic attributes, which the user can
adjust according to her needs. We can find different types of interactive graphics as follow.
a. Slide presentation – It is a very useful resource when we want to present technical or
specialised content, in a simple and schematic way. The user navigates through the slides.
You can access all contents, from the beginning to the end, or select the slides that you find
interesting. Slide share is a channel specialised on this type of resources: You can create
your own channel, upload your presentation and share it online among other users.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
b.
4.
5.
6.
Interactive Charts – These resources are very useful when you have lots of data, and you
want to present it in accordance to the user’s needs.
Graphics – a graphic resource can be a very effective media tool. It can be helpful to explain a
specific situation, or when you want to attract people’s attention on a specific topic.
a. Photos – A picture is worth a thousand words. Using a picture can be enough to tell a story,
to transmit a sentiment or to explain a situation that could be difficult to transmit by words.
b. Graphs – You can use graphs when you are working with a lot of data and you need to
attract public attention.
Info graphics – they can be a very helpful kind of content to explain some specific and perhaps
technical information: how is the president of USA elected, or how the Fukushima accident
occurred. How can the airplanes fly? See the following info graphic
http://www.eitb.com/infografias/detalle/604777/por-que-vuelan-aviones/
Audio – the widespread use of mobile devices has made it increasingly common to use audio
content on the internet. Among other forms, we can find Podcasts. Podcast consists primarily of
audio files that we can create, upload, listen to online, and also download and listen to offline.
We can create interviews, lessons, news, conferences, workshops, etc. You can visit the website
of BBC and listen to (or download) some of their podcasts.
Streaming and distribution
Due to a large demand for content and services, various network applications for content distribution have
appeared in recent years. These networks and applications allow for reproduction of live events, exchange
music or graphics solutions or simply to share files.
User is demanding high quality streaming services: people want to access the videos and follow lectures
online, and preferably live and direct. It requires transferring lots and lots of data in the network, so people
need a very good quality streaming and distribution services.
We can find different tools to help in streaming creation and distribution, and here you will find some of the
most relevant.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
NAME
DEVELOPER
COST
LICENSE
MEDIA
MEDIA PLAYER
Darwin streaming
server
Apple
Free
APSL
Audio/Video
Any with appropriate protocol support.
Firefly
Ron Pedde
Free
GPL
Audio
Any with appropriate protocol support.
Flash Media server
Macromedia /adobe
Not free
Proprietary
Video
Flash Player
Free Cast
Alban Peignier
Free
GPL
Audio/Video
FreeCast client
Helix DNA Server
Realnetworks
Free
RCSL/RPSL
Audio/Video
Any with appropriate protocol support.
Helix Universal Server
Realnetworks
Free for 12
months (Basic)
Proprietary
Audio/Video
Any with appropriate protocol support for PC (MPEGDASH, Flash player, QuickTime, MS-Silverlight,
Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, VLC, Mplayer,
HTML5), Tablet & Mobile (Android (MPEG-DASH /
HLS / RTSP), Blackberry, iOS, Symbian, HTML5) and
OTT (HLS or MPEG-DASH) IPTV STBs devices.
Icecast
Xiph.Org Foundation
Free
GPL
Audio/Video
Any with appropriate protocol support.
IIS Media Service
Microsoft
Free
Proprietary
Audio/Video/Data
Any with appropriate streaming protocol or HTTP
progressive download support, including Windows
Media Player, Microsoft Silverlight (in-browser, out-ofbrowser, Windows Phone), Adobe Flash, VLC, Apple
QuickTime, Apple Safari, iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch,
Android, IPTV set-top boxes, Xbox 360, and others.
Logitech Media
Server
Logitech
Free
GPL v2
Audio
Various hardware and software clients available
Unreal Media Server
Unreal Streaming
Technologies
Not free
Proprietary
Audio/Video
Flash, Silverlight, iOS, Set-Top boxes, Unreal Player
VCL Media Player
VideoLAN
Free
GPL v2
Audio/Video
Any with appropriate protocol support.
Windows Media
Microsoft
Free
Proprietary
Audio/Video
Any with appropriate protocol support, including
Windows Media Player and Microsoft Silverlight
Source: wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_streaming_media_systems
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Cloud based environment
Cloud computing (also known as cloud computing, cloud services or cloud contents) is a system that provides
computing services on the Internet.
Cloud computing servers work online,
and meet the users’ requirements
anytime and anyplace, without any
special knowledge about the software
and applications used. You just need
an internet connection and you can
access all contents contained in the
cloud. The contents and apps come
from various hosting providers often
spread worldwide. This reduces costs,
ensures better uptime and web sites
that are invulnerable to hackers, local
governments and their police raids.
Cloud computing is a new model of
services and technology that even
allows the user to access a set of
standardized services with them and
respond to her needs.
The change that the cloud computing is providing allows for increasing of the number of network-based
services. This generates benefits for providers who can offer more, quickly and efficiently, a greater number of
services and users have the ability to access them, enjoying the 'transparency' and immediacy of the system
and a pay for consumption. Likewise, the consumer saves labour costs or economic investment costs (local,
specialized equipment, etc.).
Cloud Computing is characterized by a high degree of automation, rapid mobilization of resources, high
adaptability to meet variable demand and s stricter protection to avoid dishonest use of the software.
Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
Disadvantages
•
Cloud computing technology can be
integrated easily and quickly with other
applications.
Cloud computing infrastructures provide
greater adaptability, lost data recovery, and
minimize downtime.
Cloud computing enables the content
provider or cloud services without installing
any hardware
Cloud computing applications are usually
available within a couple of days or hours
with a considerable level of customization or
integration.
Automatic Updates do not adversely affect
user’s IT resources.
•
•
•
•
We can find different cloud based environment as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dropbox,
Google Drive,
Wuala,
iCloud,
SkyDrive,
Ubuntu One.
56
Centralized applications and data storage
causes an interdependence of service
providers.
The availability of applications is subject to
the availability of access to the Internet.
Service reliability depends on the "health" of
technological and financial service providers
in the cloud.
The availability of highly specialized services
could take months or even years to be
feasible to be deployed in the network.
Security. Information must travel through
different nodes to reach your destination and
they are a source of insecurity.
New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Dissemination of multimedia
Currently, we can find several platforms that could help us to develop media solutions. Platforms, open source
environments, collaborative environments, etc., that could support not only the development of the media
content, but also the promotion of collaborative media creation.
Popular content media platform
A content media platform is an online environment that offers online software (sometimes hardware solutions
as well) to create, produce, host, distribute and publish media content. It is possible to find different solutions;
each offers different resources, tools and materials that could help you to develop media content.
The first step is to decide our most appropriate activity. There are some questions we should do before
deciding which platform to use (what is the most appropriate to our goal?).
Thus, you should ask yourself
What type of an online content platform do you need (blogging, multimedia, video, live streaming...)?
What is your skill level regarding the ICT technologies (low - medium - high)?
How big is your budget?
What is the main relevant topic or topics of your media work?
What is your audience?
What is the number of people who you can reach?
After defining the previous questions, the next step would be to analyse the characteristics of the online
content platform that you can find online. So, an online content platform:
•
•
•
•
has a support area or a users’ manual to help you develop, publish and manage the resources
created
has enough critical mass of users (that is how much people are creating and working using the same
resources)
is compatible with other devices, ie. mobile devices
is compatible with different operative systems
It will be very interesting if you come back to the section How to compose shots to check again it - it could help
you to choose the most interesting one.
Here you can find some online solutions that you can use to create cross media resources.
•
Blogging: In April 2013, an internet blog entry (http://snitchim.com/how-many-blogs-are-there/)
stated that the most relevant blog software platforms hosted about 240.000.000 of individual blogs.
But it’s difficult to know the real number because there is no precise data about it. Creating a blog is
not difficult, you can find an online content platform that can guide you to create, publish and manage
a blog. Most popular are free to use and very user friendly, so you can create and design a blog in a
few hours and start managing content. Here are some of the most popular:
o tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com): Launched in 2007, it is the largest blog community in the
world (142 millions of blogs). It’s closer to social networks than to blogs communities, it has
an advantage over other blogging services: user can re-blog their notes in your blog. It can
be a very good option if you want something easy. Platform owner: Yahoo
o WordPress (http://wordpress.org: it’s the oldest blogging platform. It’s easily customisable
and friendly. WordPress contains enough themes and tools to create a blog or a web site.
Compatible with mobile devices, it could be a good option for beginners. About 65 millions
of blogs have been created using WordPress.
o Blogger (http://blogger.com): The blogging tool of Google. You need no more than a Gmail
account, and you can start creating your own blog. It doesn’t have the customisation
possibilities of WordPress or tumblr, but it’s a good and easy place to start writing
something.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Squarespace (http://SquareSpace.com/: similar to a traditional blogging platform like
WordPress) but mainly used to develop business, marketing and e-commerce solutions. It’s
not free, and the basic enrollment costs 8$. Recommended for business use.
o Typepad (http://www.typepad.com): Together with WordPress, one of the fathers of
blogging. The platform offers a very interesting set of design, unlimited storage and users’
support, but now it’s not free, and the basis fee is 8,95 $/month.
Multimedia content platforms: As in the previous case of blogging, you can find platforms that
allow creating, producing, hosting and distributing multimedia resources and contents. That is, online
platforms intended to create and produce video and audio files. Compared with the blogging platform,
this type of platform is not necessarily free for users. Here you can find some of them:
o Brightcove:(http://www.brightcove.com/): It offers a video platform and icloud video service,
to host and distribute video content. The platform includes learning opportunities. It’s not
free for use.
o Kaltura (http://corp.kaltura.com) It’s an open video platform that offers different solutions to
manage and distribute video and multimedia content. It has specific offers for entertainment,
business and education. The platform includes training opportunities and users’ support.
There is a free to use version.
o Ooyala (Http://www.ooyala.com): Created in 2007, Ooyala is a video distribution platform. In
addition to video production and distribution, the platform offers other multimedia options as
streaming or webinars. It’s not free to use.
o The Platform (http://theplatform.com): This platform offer specific solution for video
management and distribution. They also offer support for creating specific solution for
business, media or entertainment. It’s not free of use.
o
•
Practical: Let’s check four or five of these platforms. Visit their online sites and check each, according
to the proposed criteria. You can also include your own criteria to evaluate them. Please choose the
most suitable criteria for your needs, and explain why you choose them.
Own media platform – open source
Beside the online content platforms, you can find other interesting options to develop and produce your media
content: open source.
Open source can be defined as a program that has its code available for general public, it can be used and
modified. Alolita Sharma (2008 - Open Source Initiative) defines it in that way:
Open Source Software is:
•
•
•
Software licensed with a copyright license compliant with the Open Source definition (OSD),
Software is distributed with its source code in a human readable format,
Software is develops in an open and collaborative way by groups of developers.
That is, the program is under a free license allowing free use and distribution.
Thus, open source software and platforms are an alternative to the commercial software, and they allow
building digital content on open platforms, and let the users contribute to improve and further develop the open
source.
But even if they are open source, free to use and distribute, they are under some type of license that
establishes some rules for distribution and for protecting the author’s rights.
The use of these open source platforms and software has some benefits, which the products under
commercial and closed license don’t have. For example:
•
•
•
•
•
it’s the lowest cost solution for developing in-house digital content.
it’s customisable: You can adapt the software to your needs and develop new parts of software or
update other parts (according to the license).
it’s safer than commercial programs, because users are continuously improving and updating.
it’s flexible, you can use this open source software in different operating systems, even in those that
are too old for new commercial programs.
a global community supports it, so you can obtain help from other users to solve any problem.
You can find different open source platforms and software that could be very useful to create digital media
content.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
•
•
•
Wiki
o
Fosil (http://www.fossil-scm.org) – It’s a cross platform that runs on Linux, Mac and
Windows. You can use it to develop wikis and blogs. It’s very simple, because it has a built
in web interface.
o DocuWiki (https://www.dokuwiki.org/dokuwiki) is a wiki application created to answer the
small organisations’ document management needs. It’s a very simple and versatile
software, easy to maintain, and to integrate in other environments. It's available in 27
languages.
o Mediawiki (http://www.mediawiki.org) – It’s an open source software to develop wiki
websites. The software offers more than 700 setting options. Companies have used it, as
well as non-profit organisations, for both educational and professional purposes, etc. It’s
available in more than 50 languages.
Social networks
o Buddy Press (http://buddypress.org/) – Buddy Press is an open source social network,
belonging to WordPress. It’s totally free and customizable. You can easily integrate your
WordPress blog.
o Elgg (http://elgg.org) – Is a social networking platform supported by a big community of
developers and users. It’s easy to use and customisable, and eggs plugins offers additional
functionality, languages and themes.
Video editor
We can also find different open source software for video editing and encoding.
o Open shot (http://openshot.org) – As its web page says is simple and powerful. The
software can work with videos, pictures and audio files, and you can produce and distribute
videos. The software allows adding subtitles, transitions and effects, and exporting to
different online video platforms.
o VirtualDub (http://virtualdub.org) – is a video capture/process software compatible with
windows operating systems. It’s a powerful video editor that allows processing and encoding
videos.
o Other open source platforms and software to create and distribute digital media content are
available on the internet. You will find software and platforms to create and develop audio
files, pictures, etc…
Practical: We propose an exercise. Comment with you classmates (with the support from the trainer)
which of these platforms is more suitable for the media. Identify their opportunities and strengths;
detect their weakness and threats.
Social networks
After reading this section you will know about social networks and their role in the media production, and some
tips to work with social media in media production.
Before starting with some tips and recommendations about how to manage and boost the different social
networks, we will analyse the most relevant social networks used.
These three networks are the most effective channels in social and professional networking. Each has their
specific objectives and characteristics:
Facebook: with more than 1 bilion users, Facebook is the widest social network in the
world. The network's main objective is to put people in contactto concentrate and share
several resources: multimedia files, links, publications, pictures, etc. The network offers
different applications that allow networking as: private messages, creation of working
groups, news feeds, chat, etc.It allows personalising and maximising the different
applications considering the target audience. It's a general network, so the user can
reach different audiences from more specific to more general from the same “wall”,
defining different target levels.
LinkedIn: It is considered a “professional network”. With more than 238.000.000 of
users, LinkedIn promotes issues related to professional development: business
opportunities, skills and competences development, research on specific topics,
knowledge management, sharing experience, etc It could be considered a specific
environment for networking because:
59
New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
•
•
•
The membership is more restricted.
Network resources are more oriented for the professional developed.
LinkedIn offers a specific space, which can be customised by the users according to their interest,
needs and future development, making it easy to manage knowledge and networking.
In short, LinkedIn is a management tool that allows reaching to a relevant part of the project target groups.
Twitter: 218.000.000 of active regular users share information on twitter (about
500.000.000 tweets a day), a microblogging server. You can exchangerelevant
information with other users using only 140 characters. You can be followed or you
can be a follower of other users, and have access to any relevant information on a
topic of your interest. You can discuss one topic, talk and comment on it or simply
read the other contributions.
Here you can find some tips to work with social networks:
1)
Choose the most appropriate social networks for your media. Analyse all the options, and decide
where you should be present. Remember that not all social networks are alike. You have to know
what you publish and when is the most suitable moment to publish your content.
2) Don’t connect different networks. Each network has its goals and characteristics, so even if you
have the opportunity to connect two networks, remember that you should publish specific content in
each of them.
3) Interact in the community. Don’t talk about your contents exclusively, exchange information and
comments with other members of the community, and comment on others’ contribution. No other
channels but social networks allow us to create these connections.
4) Don’t publish the same post more than 5 times a week. The contents provide added value for the
user. So, be sure that your contents offer something new and attractive. This is the way to attract and
retain your followers.
5) Do not be a pessimist or negative. In the overall network everything is pretty positive so the
conversation, participation, education and kindness are highly valued.
6) Being present on social media is synonymous with being a day independently of sector or
activity that he/she develops. Being in different social networks is to say that we have been
concerned and we have adapted to the new times.
7) Talk, listen, participate. In social networks it is very important to talk, but it is also important to listen
to other users: what they want and need what they want to know. This will create value for your site.
8) Do not copy. Try to be original when you publish. There are many sites from which you received
information, but you have to be original and engage other users.
9) What to communicate? The easiest way to tell if content is appropriate for us is to put ourselves in
the customer's shoes. Before publishing you should ask yourself: How a potential customer wants it
to be my brand? Try to get closer to your users and treat them in a personal way, closer, more social,
but you should not forget the real relationship you have with them.
10) Time and perseverance. Creating your space in the social networks is simple, but takes time.
Although everyone starts opening pages or accounts at different services, social networking takes
time to interact directly with your customers. So, be patient!
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Legal issues
Digital rights
The term digital rights refers to the relationship between copyrighted digital works (such as film, music and art)
and user permissions and rights related to computers, networks and electronic devices. Digital rights also refer
1
to the access and control of digital information . Thus, we can say that the term defines the principles and
rules that allow individuals accessing, using, creating and publishing media content using ICT devices (PC or
other similar devices, mobile devices and/or other communication devices and network).
The concept focuses on the protection of the creators’ digital contents and on regulation of their use. Besides,
it develops specific approaches of “traditional” questions related to the media such as privacy and freedom of
expression. The proliferation of new media and online digital contents has made it difficult to control the
distributed materials and resources. Some questions appear again in the scenario of the media content, e.g.:
copyright, distribution and use of permissions, etc.
Currently, we can find several institutions that work in the area of the digital content protection, such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA): U.S. based organisation that work in the area of
interest of computer and video game players in the U.S. and Canada.
Free Software Foundation (FSF): supports the free software development.
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): International organization on the area of digital rights advocacy
and legal affairs.
Digital Rights Ireland (DRI): Organization that works on issues related to digital rights in the area of
civil liberties.
European Digital Rights (EDRi): International advocacy group that works on issues as copyright,
security, privacy and freedom of expression.
Open Rights Group (ORG): U.K.- based organization that works in the area of digital rights
preservation, censorship, knowledge access, privacy, freedom of information and electronic voting.
One of the main roles of these organizations has been to contribute to the sound management of the property
and privacy rights in the new media tools. Thus, a new concept emerged: Digital right management.
Digital rights management, or DRM, is intended to manage any kind of practice to stop, or at least hinder, the
practice of piracy. For that, some different tools and instruments have been created and promoted by different
institutions.
Quick glossary
Digital media is the combination and interaction of all traditional media, such as audio, pictures, video, text,
movement, touch, and capture data.
The right to privacy is a human right regulated in this way:
•
•
Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Art. 19 – UN – Universal declaration of human rights
- No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or
correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation.
- Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Art. 17 – UN International Covenant on Civil and Political rights
Freedom of opinion is a human right developed by UN as follow
•
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold
opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any
media and regardless of frontiers
Art. 19 – UN – Universal declaration of human rights
•
•
1
Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing
Posted by: Cory Janssen in Techopedia
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
•
or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.
The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and
responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as
are provided by law and are necessary:
For respect of the rights or reputations of others;
For the protection of national security or of public order (order public), or of public health or
morals.
Art. 19 – UN International Covenant on Civil and Political rights
Open-source software (OSS) is computer software with its source code made available and licensed with a
license in which the copyright holder provides the rights to study, change and distribute the software to
anyone and for any purpose.
St. Laurent, Andrew M. (2008). Understanding Open Source and Free Software Licensing. O'Reilly Media.
p.4.
Creative content and license
As stated the previous section, new kinds of communication and creation cause new ways to manage these
important rights of privacy, property, etc.
And as said in the previous section, a new term “Digital Rights Management” has appeared. We can find
several different definition of it, e.g.:
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is defined as the use of software or other computer technology to manage
the conditions under which copyrighted material in digital form can be accessed. (Free dictionary).
Digital rights management (DRM) is a systematic approach to copyright protection for digital media. The
purpose of DRM is to prevent unauthorized redistribution of digital media and restrict the ways consumers can
copy content they've purchased. (Margaret Rouse in SearchCIO).
Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies attempt to control what you can and can't do with the media
and hardware you've purchased. (Electronic Frontier Foundation).
Digital rights management is a far-reaching term that refers to any scheme that controls access to copyrighted
material using technological means (Julia Layton in How Digital Rights Management works).
As we can see in the previous paragraphs, we can find several definitions, which shows the controversial
approach to the term. So, some organizations see the necessity to protect the property of the new creators. In
the other hand, some organizations understand the term as a restriction to use the digital contents created
(Free Software Foundation defends that it’s better to use the term Digital Restriction Management instead of
Digital Right Management).
Considering this discussion about the negative or positive means of new media protection, we can find
different tools that support the creation and access to the new media creation, and they could protect the
rights of the users (how to access to the content) or the rights of the creators (how to protect the access to the
digital content.
Documents. Enterprise digital rights management (E-DRM or ERM) is the practical application of the DRM
concept to control the access to documents (created using Microsoft office, pdf), emails, and intranet pages.
The most used toll of Information Right Management, which is intended to prevent the unauthorized use of
proprietary documents.
Films. Film and video was one of the first area that had a specific DRM system. From 1996 some film
manufacturers used CSS – Content Scrambling System. The system was based on the encryption of the
content of the DVD, and the license included the restrictions to use the video. Currently, the DRM tools for
video are very similar, and most of them are based on license to regulate the uses and restrictions of video
use.
Watermarks. Watermark is a type of DRM that contains a hidden mark embedded in an image or a data file,
and it’s intended to identify the owner of the media product. It is added to the file ensuring production and
distribution and it could contain information about: the copyright owner, the distributor, the distributor chain,
the purchaser of some element included in the file, etc.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
As we commented at the beginning of this section, some collectives have not agreed with the DRM concept.
In light of this, some producers have promoted free access to media content.
•
•
•
Apple – Since January of 2009, all music is labelled as “DRM Free music”.
Tor books - From 2012, this editor is selling DRM-free books.
Go.com – a digital distributor that has a strict non-DRM policy for all products.
However, some of these DRM free policies are (in most cases) a marketing ploy, as these digital contents are
protected by additional DRM systems as watermark.
Copyright in cross media
Besides of Digital Rights Management systems, which regulate both owner and user rights and restrictions,
we can find specific tools to support the copyright in the digital content creation.
Currently, we can find different types of copyright standards developed to deal with the deal with the challenge
of the digital content protection.
Copyleft. Copyleft is a type of general license that allows making totally free digital content, often requiring
that all modified and extended versions of it will be also free.
The simplest way to make a digital content free is to put in the public domain, not copyrighted. This allows
people to share the resources and their improvements and future modifications. You can do as many changes
as you want and distribute the result as a proprietary product.
So, we can understand that copyleft could be the contrary of the copyright but here, 'free' does not necessarily
mean free of charge, but free as in freely available to be modified, and perhaps not all the parts of a content
but just some parts of them.
But depending on how we configure the copyleft, we can find different types as:
•
•
Strong and weak copyleft;
Full and partial copyleft.
Strong and weak copyleft. The characteristic of strong and/or week copyleft depends on how much of the
content is protected by copyleft. If your total content except some parts can be distributed under other
licences, your content is over a weak copyleft. On the contrary, if most of your work is under copyleft, and just
a little part of it could be distributed under toher licences, then you are using a strong copyleft.
Full and partial copyleft. To define a content as full or partial copyleft, we have to check how many parts of
the licence are under copyleft and how many parts of the content are under other licenses. If all parts are free
to use and distribute, we are talking about full copyleft. On the other hand, if some parts are under other
licenses, then we are talking about partial copyleft.
Creative Commons
Managed by Creative Commons organisation (NGO), it could be considered the most famous license for
digital content in the world. But do we know this license well?
A Creative Commons (CC) license is the most popular public copyright license to distribute copyrighted works.
We can use CC license when we want to give people the permission to share, use, and even build upon a
work that we have created. The main characteristic of this license is its flexibility. Thus, you as an author of
some digital content, can decide if you protect all your work or just part of it, or if you allow the use of just the
non-commercial part of your content.
On the other hand, it’s a very useful standard for the users, because it makes easier the use and
redistributions of the content, because the user just has to consider the content of the CC license to use other
author’s content.
We can find different CC license types. The author can opt among different combinations depending on the
terms of distribution. So, mixing and matching the different options offered by the CC license, you can find six
valid CC licenses.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
There are four basic attributions that could regulate your CC license:
Symbol
pictogram
Description
Attribution: The user has to attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or
licensor.
Non-commercial: The digital content distribution is limited to non-commercial use.
Not derivative works: The user can not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
Share alike: If the user alters, transform, or builds upon this work, the user has to distribute
the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.
Table 1: Different attributions of CC license: Source: Creative Commons web site.
Combining the above attributions you can use this six different CC license types:
Symbol/pictogram
License type
Attribution only
Attribution-NoDerivatives
Attribution-NonCommercial
Attribution-ShareAlike
Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives
Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike
Table 2: Different CC license: Source: Creative Commons web site.
The CC network has more than 100 affiliated networks that operate in over 70 jurisdictions.
You can find more information (including practical questions and case of studies) in the Creative Commons
website http://creativecommons.org/.
General Public License or GPL. The GNU GPL (General Public License or GPL) is a license created by the
Free Software Foundation (FSF) in the mid-80s, and is aimed primarily at protecting the free distribution,
modification and use of software. Its purpose is to declare that the software covered by this license is free
software and protect it from attempts to take that restrict those freedoms to users.
Free Software Foundation offers interesting information about the license and how to obtain them in its
website. http://www.fsf.org/licensing
Practical activity
We would like to propose a practical exercise. You’ve just recorded a video and you are thinking about
publishing it in internet. What could be the best license for the video? Copyleft, strong or weak, full of partial?
Creative Commons?
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Please, check the above notes and visit the web sites recommended. After analyzing of data, explain the type
of license that you have chosen and the reasons for that.
Personal data protection. Personal data refers to data, whether true or not, about an individual who can be
identified from that data; or from that data and other information to which the organisation has or is likely to
2
have access .
In 1995 the European institutions approved the Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and
on the free movement of such data.
The directive was intended to harmonise data protection laws throughout the EU. Most of the 1998 Act's
provisions came into force on 1 March 2000, although some limited exemptions are in place until October
2007. The directive also includes some reference to the protection in the case of digital data.
The Directive established the basic and main principles for data protection in the EU. Thus, according the
legislative text, Member States shall protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons and in
particular their right to privacy with respect to the processing of personal data.
Besides, the Directive contains a full regulation of the following topics related to the data protection:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the principles relating to data quality
the criteria for legitimate data processing
the different categories of processing
the information to be given to the data subject
the data subject’s rights to access to data
the data subject’s rights to object
confidentiality and security of processing
notification
transference of data to third countries
restrictions and liabilities
european scope of the directive (some consideration to be included in national regulations related to
European Acquis)
So, the Directive was the first step to set a European common framework to regulate the data protection.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31995L0046:en:NOT – you can access the
directive in all official languages in this link.
More practically, please bear in mind the following principles when you undertake any activity regarding the
data protection. So, personal data must be:
1.
Fairly and lawfully processed: Be careful with the data that you are requesting, check the applicable
legislation, and avoid asking for data that could limit the freedom of the persons (about religion,
ethnic, political ascription).
2.
Where possible, obtain permission in writing. People have to provide their consent to manage their
data. Written consent is not always a legal requirement (even for sensitive personal data), however it
would be better if you ask for a written permission.
3.
Processed for limited purposes: Please don’t forget to inform about the purpose of the data that you
are requesting. Remember that you can not include any retroactive issues.
4.
Adequate, relevant and not excessive: Only enough data to fulfil the purpose should be obtained; it is
unacceptable to hold additional data 'just in case' it might be needed.
5.
Not kept for longer than is necessary.
6.
Secure: Please use appropriate management systems to prevent unlawful use or accidental loss or
damage (e.g. password access, back-ups).
7.
Not transferred to third parties without adequate protection: Except in some cases personal data can
not be transferred to other parties.
2 Personal data protection act - http://www.pdpc.gov.sg/personal-data-protection-act#sthash.nnqn1B5A.dpuf
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Test questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
There are five principal types of journalism:
a.
investigative, news, reviews, columns and humour
b.
investigative, news, reviews, and columns
c.
Google drive, Ubuntu one, dropbox, iCloud
d.
investigative, news, sports and columns
What of these could be considered resources of content?
a.
Text and Craphics
b.
Infographics and Audio
c.
Video (live streaming)
d.
All are valid
A content media platform is:
a.
an online environment that offers online software (sometimes hardware solutions as
well) to create, produce, host, distribute and publish media content
b.
an online environment that offers online software (sometimes hardware solutions as
well) to publish media content
c.
an online environment that offers online software (sometimes hardware solutions as
well) to create media content
d.
an online environment that offers online software (sometimes hardware solutions as
well) to produce media content
Digital rights term refers to:
a.
the relationship between copyrighted digital works (such as film, music and art) and
rights related to computers, networks and electronic devices
b.
the relationship between copyrighted digital works (such as film, music and art) and
user permissions
c.
the relationship between copyrighted digital works (such as film, music and art) and
user permissions and rights related to computers, networks and electronic devices
d.
the relationship between user permissions and rights related to computers, networks
and electronic devices
What are the attribution of Creative Commons license:
a.
Attribution, Not derivative works and Share alike,
b.
Attribution, Non-commercial and Share alike,
c.
Attribution, Non-commercial, Not derivative works and Share alike,
d. Attribution and Share alike.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Module C – Train the Trainer
Introduction
The “New Media Production Methodology” should enable the participants to build new or improve existing
skillsets in the field of media. While Module A and B are focusing in the different fields of media works, like A/V
production or modern journalistic standards, Module C prepares the participants for one of the most important
requirements for freelancers and people in leading positions: How to transfer the newly gained knowledge to
other people? How to present yourself and your message? Or shortly: How to conduct a presentation or a
seminar using modern means and methods, based on an up-to-date didactic concept.
Target group
Module C is composed for people who are experts in a certain field of knowledge and at the same time are
willing to transfer their knowledge to other people.
The overall methodology is aimed at professional freelancers and specialists in the fields of PR, marketing,
coaching, consulting, etc. Among this target group, people should meet the following requirements in order to
profit from this Module:
•
•
•
•
an open, curious mind,
a high level of communication competences,
a good understanding and feeling for other people,
the ability to work in a structured way.
The Module covers all the necessary points in order to educate everyone who fulfills the requirements to be a
good trainer, seminar conductor or presenter.
Overview
This Module consists of 6 chapters, each focusing on the different key aspects. The course is designed in a
modern, practical way. It introduces the participants to the necessary theoretical base (combined with various
exercises) and ends with a practical project – aiming to prepare everyone for successful seminar
management.
Trainer’s role and competences. Duration: 03:30 hours
This chapter explains the competences a trainer has to have in order to become a good trainer. It also depicts
several possible ways of presenting oneself as a trainer and gives hints on how to deal with certain situations
during seminars.
Training Cycle Management.Duration: 04:00 hours
This chapter explains how to complete planning process of a whole and proper seminar looks: from scratch to
evaluation.
Communication with training participants. Duration: 02:30 hours
This chapter explains how trainers can approach and reach participants, in both technical (off- and online) and
personal ways.
Transfer of knowledge & didactic methods. Duration: 04:00 hours
This chapter explains the difference between didactics and methodology and how to make use of this
theoretical knowledge in order to create and conduct a successful seminar.
How to conduct interactive online workshops?Duration: 03:00 hours
This chapter pays tribute to contemporary technology and focuses on one of the most important trends in the
field of seminars: webinars.
Practical project: Being a trainer. Duration: 06:00 hours
During this chapter, theory is brought to life: Participants have to make use of the knowledge gained in the
previous chapters.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Requirements for Conducting Module C
In order to successfully conduct the contents of Module C, the host organization or person should ideally fulfill
the following infrastructural and personal requirements:
Personal. The trainer (or trainers) who is responsible for the conduction of this workshop, should have the
following competences:
•
•
•
•
broad experience in seminar conducting,
the ability to operate on a meta level,
experience in analysis of the training needs, and flexibility in adjusting to spontaneous needs,
wide media knowledge in order to conduct a modern seminar and to create modern training material.
Infrastructural. If the seminar is taking place offline, the location should fulfill the following requirements:
•
•
•
•
•
a large, bright and customizable room,
access to all the necessary media (Internet, projector, flipchart etc.),
possibility to use all the necessary equipment (e.g. cameras, lights),
possibilities for proper subsistence,
access for participants with special requirements.
If the seminar is taking place online, all participants have to be informed about the minimum system
requirements (see Chapter 6) and the trainer has to set-up the online meeting room to be an adequate
environment.
Trainer’s role and competences
Learning objectives: Get to know about the trainer’s role, his competences and management styles and why
this is important
Duration: 5 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
Anyone who works as a trainer should have different abilities and a reflective attitude concerning their tasks
and their role. Crucial competences are presented below:
Personal competence
Personal competence centers the person, their self-conception, ability to reflect on their own competences
and their role. Someone with personal competence reflects on their actions, their position and personal
attitude towards different contexts.
For a trainer this means fulfilling the role of a trainer, thinking about the requirements and about the question
as to how far one can fulfill those requirements (which abilities are missing, what else must be done to achieve
them).
The term “standing” has been developed to describe all these actions. A trainer who has “standing” fulfills the
role appropriately, functionally, professionally and is good when dealing with other people.
Social competence
Social competence shifts interest from the individual to the group and means the sum of personal attitudes
and abilities that are necessary for a successful social interaction between the individual and the group. A
trainer often works with a group in a teaching/learning context. This competence is very important, because it
influences the atmosphere within this context. Successful learning is not possible for the participant, unless
the trainer has social competence.
Professional competence
Professional competence means on the one hand that the trainer has the necessary knowledge and skills they
need to convey, but on the other, the knowledge of the content. It means the ability to put it in order and
explain it within a wider context. Alongside the detailed professional and functional context, a trainer should
always be able to think in wider contexts and to possibly transfer them into other contexts. They should be
able to “think out of the box” and realize where, and which of their abilities they can use best.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Methodical competence
Someone who works as a trainer must have knowledge about a huge variety of methods, which allows them
to convey learning content appropriately. That means that beside having the knowledge of different methods,
they must be able to realize which method is best in a given context. Not every method fits every context, topic
or participant. This competence therefore means the knowledge of the appropriate choice, as well as of the
appropriate method.
The methodical competence is important before going into teaching/learning situations, when a trainer has to
plan seminar and workshop units and has to choose the methods to use to ensure an ideal learning
environment. The trainer must be clear about and let the participants know the learning aims beforehand and
must recognize the learning processes of the participants as well as the framework of the teaching/learning
context (huge/small groups, homogeneity/heterogeneity of the group, lots/little space, which material can be
used, what needs to be bought in advance, etc.) to choose the right methods. If all of this is delivered, then the
trainer demonstrates methodical competence.
Pedagogical competence
Below we present features that are required in the profession of a trainer connected with pedagogical skills.
They relate to each type of trainings conducted for adults.
Openness to feedback. This competence means the ability of a trainer to give appropriate feedback to the
participant concerning their personal learning process and learning result. The feedback competence means
how the feedback is given, i.e. how the trainer explains to the participant what is already good and what could
be done better. Also trainer can get feedback from training participants, other trainers, supervisor or coach as
well as others who request it.
Learn from their own experience. Knowledge, skills and attitude are the three parallel development
objectives for the trainer who wants to be perceived as competent. A competent trainer is one that thanks to
the proper attitude and personal goals wants to and knows how to properly use the acquired knowledge and
skills to accomplish the tasks assigned.
A trainer should regularly take care of:
•
•
•
acquisition of new knowledge,
practicing skills,
shaping attitudes.
This should include:
•
•
•
•
continuous improvement of information / track of trends in the topic of training methods as well as in
areas in which the trainer is specialized,
the sources of reliable information should include: reference books, thematic specialized portals,
interesting research reports,
meetings among the experts in the given field (preferably seek information on such events through
forums),
the exchange of experience, which always saves a lot of valuable time for self-study, and also allows
the trainers to meet people from the industry, which may result in joint training projects in the future.
Dealing with criticism and expression of criticism. During workshops, the participants and the trainers
normally agree to follow certain rules prevailing in the training room ("training contract"). One of these is the
principle of "do not criticize, give constructive feedback." Criticism, sometimes having a base outside the
training room can cause an open conflict between the participants or between the trainer and participant. In
any case, the purpose of the workshop may be lost and finally unfulfilled.
To avoid such situations, a coach at the stage of diagnosis must ensure two things:
•
•
connection of workshop objectives that are meant to be achieved by the trainers with the objectives
of each of the participants – at the preparatory phase conversation with the project sponsors, HR,
managers and telephone interviews (and preferably face-to-face meetings) with participants. If this is
not possible, interviews with employees designated by the customer. It is very important for the
implementation of the participants' own purposes,
knowledge of the trainees, who they are, what they do, whether and who can cause problems during
the workshop.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
With this knowledge, the trainer can work much more efficiently because it is easier to steer the process and
control the opinions expressed by the participants, as well as their own.
Creativity and flexibility in thought and action. A good trainer should be creative in his work and do new
things that no one else had done before. Creativity is the driving force of all successful and great
achievements, because it draws from the reservoir of untapped opportunities that lie dormant in every human
being.
Creativity is developing smoothly in an environment where are the following:
•
•
•
the spirit of experimentation: exchange of ideas and concepts connected with the implementation of
the excellent training of the mind,
the desire to play: cultivation of the children's fascination of the world,
spontaneity: permit yourself to be guided by impulse and unexpected intuition whispers. This is the
best remedy for the lack of good ideas and assertiveness.
A good trainer should also be flexible in his method of work and thought, because very often it is necessary to
change the way in which the training is conducted, because of the specific group of participants, or technical
problems during the presentation.
Ability to analyze and synthesize. Trainer should not only speak, and lead a lecture by scrolling through the
slides. Effective training is a practical workshop conducted in accordance with the principle of 20-30% of
theory and 70-80% of practice. Bringing theory to a minimum will increase the efficiency of the training.
Exercises, discussions and case studies give the trainer the opportunity to observe the group and respond to
what is happening in the classroom.
One of the tasks of a coach is to gather information from the participants, summarize their opinions and relate
to the objectives pursued, pushing them toward self-reliant problem solving, and advise or actually provide
guidance. Trainer summarizes each block of training, and prepares a report at the end of the training, which is
a synthesis of views and best practices. A well-prepared report is the additional source of knowledge about
the employees for HR and managers, and a practical application material for the employees.
Acceptance of different points of view. Everyone has the right to express their opinions and each trainer
must keep this in mind. Respect is also an attempt to look at the problem from different perspectives, the most
important are effective solutions and goals achievement. The acceptance of diversity is reflected in the
improvement of communication and cooperation in various groups and the increased creativity and efficiency
in the later work.
Focus on the goals and people. The trainer should watch the group of participants as a whole and as
individuals – the trainers that are focusing on the training program can’t forget about the people. Sometimes
trainers work with other co-trainers – it is effective only when they know each other well and know how to work
together.
Training participants are very different and take different roles. The trainer should diagnose the participants
and what are their psychological needs, attitudes and roles in the group. If a trainer want to mobilize everyone,
she should create the opportunity to use their skills and role-play in which they feel good and which are
recognized and valued by others. The trainer must be aware of the different needs of the people in the group.
The fact that people are involved and make their contribution to the work group in different ways, must be
accepted by the trainer to approach each person a little differently.
Ability to concentrate on the problem. The most important part of the training is the goal. While conducting
a training, the trainer listens and observes, asks thought-provoking questions, directs the workshop so that noone is left with a sense of unsolved problems. They should prevent situations in which participants move away
from the training purpose. They should always be looking for the maximum number of solutions that each
participant can adjust according to his preference.
Control of the communication process. To effectively and interestingly lead the training, a trainer must
accede to it in excellent mental and physical form, have an open mind, and be ready to listen and control the
group.
Communication rules:
•
•
•
only one person speaks at a time,
we speak respectfully,
we only speak on our own behalf,
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
•
•
the opinions expressed during the workshop are not taken outside,
discretion and culture is very important.
The trainer is a facilitator of a training and takes control over participants and their emotions, but also on the
sequence and length of expression. Always summarizes the speech of others, give positive feedback.
Dealing with difficult situations. There is no single solution to the so-called difficult situations in the training
group, as each course is different because of the situation, time, place, and, above all, the participants who
create them. If a situation of serious crisis or conflict should happen during the training, the trainer should
know that the conflict in the group can be solved only by the people involved. The trainer is not a mediator! He
should not get involved in the dispute, if he is not sure that the participants are trying to solve it. The trainer
should also talk to either side. The trainer can use a group to pacify aggressive individuals. The easiest way is
to refer to the training rules.
On the other hand, the hostility of the whole group can result in an annoyance – the participants need to be on
the training, but they don’t want to. In this situation the trainer can’t stand "against" the group, but should deal
with the problem with humor and flexibility, and try to convince the participants to discuss this situation.
Technical competence
The trainer will feel comfortable in her role only if she knows the topic well. But is it enough? Regardless of the
area of training, a trainer must also perfectly control the technical aspects. In many cases, she will have to
work independently, without support from the outside. She cannot fall because of ignorance of the basics.
Trainer and tools for training materials creation. The fact that a good presentation is adapted to customerspecified model and created with the customer in mind, it becomes automatically the optimal source of
information on the chosen topic.
To create attractive presentations you can use various software:
•
•
•
•
Microsoft PowerPoint,
Adobe Captivate,
Apple Keynote,
Prezi.
The most popular is probably PowerPoint, but the choice is yours. Note that a tool does not provide the quality
of the presentation, but the ability to use it in combination with high-quality content.
No matter which tool you choose, it is important to follow a few rules:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Texts – should be in the form of slogans that you develop during the course. If you use a bigger
block of text, the participants will no longer listen to you and will begin to read the text,
Photos – avoid clipart. Try to use well-chosen photos of a decent quality, for example stock photos,
Charts – design meaningful graphs, not overloaded. It is important to be clear and transparent,
Graphics – the design of the presentation must be consistent. It is good to have elements in
common with the graphics of company logo, specific colors, shapes, etc.,
Fonts – use one, at most two types of simple fonts. Avoid italics, because it is not very clear. Try to
write headlines in larger letters, the paragraph texts smaller,
Animation – if it is not necessary, do not use animations. They are annoying, unless they play a
significant role (eg. gradual building up of a diagram).
The problem is how to make a valuable and interesting presentation. Such knowledge is nowadays very
important. It is not about preparing 100 slides and reading the content to the listener in a monotonous voice.
These materials can cause irritation or somnolence of the recipient. And although there is no happy medium
for the perfect presentation, and each topic can be represented in a hundred different ways, there are certain
rules that seem to be universal:
•
•
•
become an expert in your field: start by gathering the necessary materials, try to use as many
sources of information as possible (books, articles, films, Internet),
customize the presentation to recipients: knowledge of customer profile will help in choosing what
and how to speak,
define the purpose of the presentation: what do I want to achieve? Why do I do it?
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
•
•
•
adjust teaching aids: try to take care of various types of media, but remember that any additional
materials absorb the attention of the audience – so you should think carefully about the time at their
disposal,
specify the plan of presentation: to avoid confusion, it is important to create an outline of what is
going to happen,
start your presentation.
Trainer and the equipment. As a trainer you're still in contact with various types of hardware. Some fulfill the
same role, but the differences in their handling are important.
•
•
•
•
Laptop
o
used to store training materials presented during the training,
o
can also be used to share other didactic materials with training participants (publications,
links to important webpages, video examples, etc.),
o
do not use laptop all the time during the training – for some participants it can be boring,
remember to use different training methods without showing presentation on your laptop,
o
do not use laptop for your personal purposes during the training.
Projector
o
used to display presentations and other materials that we have stored on the computer,
o
familiarize yourself with the equipment,
o
spend the right amount of time on each slide (be sure that all participants have time to read
its contents),
o
do not look at the screen. It is acceptable to look at a computer screen,
o
during the presentation do not cross the beam of light,
o
if you want to specify the content of the slide, use a laser pointer or a cursor on a computer
screen, don’t do it using your hand,
o
if you face a longer pause in the presentation slides – turn off the projector (even "empty"
light thrown against the wall focuses the attention of the participants),
o
projector should be placed in the corner of the room rather than in the middle of the wall (the
screen is placed in the center only when all the slides are in your presentation and are the
only component).
Whiteboard / paper (flip chart)
o
for continuous, temporary use,
o
wipe or cover the text that is not needed at this time,
o
you can prepare some cards before, but during the presentation work with them – underline,
draw arrows, add words and sentences – so that the recipient does not have a sense of
dead-presentation,
o
expose either blank page or a page that contains current information,
o
write nicely and clearly, write each letter individually, continuous writing is difficult to read,
o
use both large and small letters and different colors,
o
saved card hung in the training room (you'll be able to access the content covered during
the workshop indicating a specific card),
o
do not talk to the board – talk to the audience,
o
pointing hand or the subjects felt-tip pen.
Laser pointer
o
when you want to emphasize a sentence, shine a pointer for a moment,
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
o
when presenting graphs or other more complex slides remember that the index has a very
intense light, which can be distracting,
o
do not play with the pointer.
Another device, not audiovisual, which is used very often in the course of training is the USB flash drive or
memory stick. It is a device designed to interface with the computer through a USB port and used to transfer
data between computers and other devices that support USB. The most common use of these memories is to
transfer and store files. Because of the small size it is the most commonly used as a device to move training
materials.
What if we fail? Trainers in their work meet with various challenges. The problem can be anything – technical
drawbacks, negative attitude of the participants, lack of commitment, accidents or acute conflict group. An
experienced trainer should be prepared to deal with these situations and to identify the cause. Effectiveness in
this area is a sign of professionalism and professionalism is what the trainees expect from their trainer.
Technical problems happen quite often, and it is relatively easy to prevent them:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
inscribed markers,
projector is not working with the laptop,
no matching cable ends (e.g. Mac vs. PC),
no internet,
noisy air conditioner,
lack of proper software for the presentation of training materials,
different versions of programs, eg PowerPoint,
too short cables,
spacing inadequate for workshops (room is not suitable).
Usually it’s enough when the coach brings his own aids (markers, clean sheet of paper, some pens). This also
applies to the material on which he wants to base his training – it's worth to save them on different media. This
way, the trainer will be able to play them from CD, in case of USB port failure on the computer. If a trainer
uses PowerPoint, it’s good to have it saved as a pdf. It will make sure that the slides will look the same as
those prepared by him. A good practice is also coming to the training room for at least half an hour before the
start of the workshop. Half an hour is enough time to figure out the situation and try to solve problems in the
training room.
Sophisticated sense of aesthetics and usability of materials. During training preparation, the trainer meets
the participants and the customer's company: what is the situation in the customer's industry, what is the
competitive advantage of the company, whether the company or participants have difficulties, and calculate if
some changes will be made and what is the organizational culture. With this knowledge, the trainer can
prepare a customized workshop, based on useful and practical training materials. Presentations that illustrate
the training should be clear, transparent, and support the training process. They must be written in the
"language of the customer", to avoid creating the impression of detachment from the industry and the
organization. After the training, the materials should still be useful as a practical tool for participants that will
support their actions and indicate the solutions developed during training.
Me as a trainer
Who am I while I am teaching? Content has to be conveyed, participants are supposed to learn, this part of
the job is clear. But how do I want to be perceived? In economy, three different management styles are
differentiated, based on the research of Kurt Lewin, a social psychologist. These three styles are presented
below because they can be transferred to the role of a trainer to some extent.
The authoritarian or hierarchic management style. Here, a very distinct top-down structure exists: the
chief, supervisor or trainer gives the instructions and distributes the assignments without asking the recipient
(employee or student) for their opinion. The hierarchic system is evident to everyone involved, the inferior
have to follow orders. If someone makes a mistake, punishment instead of help is the consequence.
Acceptance of failure does not exist.
This kind of leadership was very much the style teachers used to teach up until almost the end of the 20th
century. Utter allegiance and respect was demanded from the students – harsh criticism, detention and the
exploitation of fear of failure were the methods to secure that.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
The democratic or cooperative management style. Leading this way means including inferiors in the
process of decision making. It means to search for exchange and to support the involvement of co-workers in
the formation of constructive ideas and proposals. By including co-workers, their motivation as well as their
commitment will rise. Also, a higher identification with the work/ the company can result.
However, there is still a distinct regulation of competences, meaning that this style of leadership also has a
profound hierarchic basis.
What does this mean for a trainer? It means to supervise the students in their process, to be willing to let the
students decide about the pacing and to accept their right to get the maximum methodical support.
Simultaneously, the trainer is bound to the general conditions (as stated by the client) and the objectives as
agreed upon (what has to be taught by when?) and has to do justice to those different aspects.
The laissez-faire management style. As the name suggests, this style is the complete opposite to the
authoritarian style, namely, it allows maximum independence to the co-workers by letting them decide about
their work and their organisation. There are only few regulated operations, everything functions somehow, the
boss refuses to play their role and does not take responsibility.
In the course of the last century, this style as well found its equivalence in certain education systems: antiauthoritarian education, schools without teachers as authorities and the refusal of a performance principle
were the answer to the authoritarian style.
There are some other management styles that represent, more or less, hybrid forms of the latter three. One
style especially becomes important when it comes to training issues.
The supporting style. The centre of attention is the performance of the trainer themselves who, on the other
hand, very much focuses on the students. Ideally, the trainer is a person that supervises, supports and
demands in a well-balanced way and who knows what is necessary at which point in time, a person who
enjoys working with people and who concentrates on the process as well as on the results. This kind of trainer
takes the needs of the students seriously, deals with a variety of methods and possesses a high personal
sovereignty in their role. Otherwise, this style could easily transform into the laissez-faire style. It is the
trainer’s responsibility to create an atmosphere that allows both teaching and learning to succeed without
losing track of the given assignments and goals.
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Training Cycle Management
Learning objectives: Get to know about what a Training Cycle Management means, why it is helpful and how
it’s correctly applied.
Duration: 7 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists.
Introduction to the Training Cycle Management
Training Cycle Management (TCM) is a systematic approach in order to design an overall successful training
seminar. It’s therefore important to ensure that all tasks of the cycle are thoroughly completed.
Many different models about TCM exist and are often modified to meet special requirements (for example
marketing of the seminar or administrative tasks). The model shown below focuses on the essential steps that
every TCM should include:
1)
Preparation. The preparation for a training seminar can contain many different aspects. One of the
most important parts is the selection of participants, ideally by analyzing filled out application forms
(although one can argue if this step should be done AFTER the training needs analysis – more on
that later).
Preparation also means proper knowledge about the circumstances (Who provides the budget? Who
provides the location? Who is participating and why?), and, as mentioned before, even marketing
and PR activities might be demanded by a trainer.
2)
Training Needs Analysis. The proper analysis of what participants actually need is basically the
essential part of every successful training seminar. Otherwise, the seminar could turn out to be
ineffective (for example because of strongly varying skill sets among the participants) or, in worst
case, even irrelevant to the participants. It’s essential to know that different types of participants have
different training needs and therefore require different approaches. The trainer has to adjust his
seminar design and training materials according to the specific needs of his group – not the other
way around. That means that a successful TCM requires a trainer to be very flexible and open for
changes.
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3)
Seminar Design. At its core, a seminar design consists of a proper schedule of the activities which is
created according to the training needs and the related learning objectives of the seminar. Of course,
trainers can use the same seminar design several times – but according to the previous analysis of
training needs, it should always be modified and adjusted.
4)
Materials Design. After finishing the seminar design, the trainer has to create the training materials
(e.g. handouts, PowerPoint slides, exercises etc.) according to the learning objectives. The materials
should support the methodology, the conducting and the learning effectiveness of the seminar.
5)
Conduction. The conduction is the first visible part within the TCM – and its success is heavily
dependent on the previous steps. A proper preparation is essential to conduct a good seminar. Still,
the way of conducting varies according to the types of trainers and the actual workflow of each group.
Sometimes, even the best prepared concept has to be changed during the on-going seminar – a
good trainer is capable of dealing with and adjusting to this.
6)
Evaluation. There are many ways to evaluate a seminar, the most popular still being evaluation
questionnaires which are distributed after the seminar and have to be filled out by trainers and
participants.
7)
Conclusion and Improvement. Even the best evaluation has no value if it’s not seriously taken into
consideration for future seminars and can have an immediate effect on easy-to-change training
materials (e.g. typos in handouts, changing the duration of seminar design elements etc.). A good
trainer has to be able to draw the right conclusions from the participant’s feedback and his own
impressions and adopt them to all steps of the TCM.
The Training Cycle Management in detail
This chapter explains the individual phases of the TCM in detail. Before developing her own approach to TCM,
every trainer should be aware of her very own goals: Why does she want to conduct seminars at all? What
responsibilities lay in her hands? How is her training possibly affecting other people’s lives?
A training seminar can be an effective way to develop new competences and further develop already existing
skill sets. Many companies regard them as an investment in order to improve their “human resources”. What
might look like a simple seminar to a trainer, could turn out to be an essential career part for any participant.
Therefore, all planning has to be done seriously and consciously. A TCM only works with the appropriate
mindset.
Phase 1: Preparation. The first phase can be divided into two sections:
1.
2.
participants,
environment.
First of all, the participants have to be found. It depends on the seminar’s circumstances in how far the trainer
is involved in this project. Part of his tasks might include:
•
•
•
•
•
creating an application form (digital),
contacting potential participants by using network resources,
writing texts, creating ads, doing other PR tasks,
administrating the requests,
selecting participants (based on the applications).
As mentioned before, marketing activities might be a part of the trainer’s task. However, creating or at least
analyzing the application forms is an essential and not-to-miss part of every TCM preparation phase.
If the trainer creates his own application forms, he should ask the participants for all necessary information he
needs in order to decide who is going to participate in the seminar. The following information could be
included (must-haves are marked with a *):
•
•
•
•
•
full name*,
gender*,
date of birth*,
residence,
language*,
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
occupation,
level of education*,
origin (cultural background),
motivation (Why taking part in this seminar?),
special requirements (e.g. food),
possible handicaps (physical and mental),
skill sets (referring to the seminar’s topic)*,
expectations and wishes*.
Secondly, the environment comes into play. The trainer has to be clear about the following points, in case his
seminar is not taking place online:
•
•
•
•
location (if on-sight),
technical equipment (e.g. flipchart, projector etc.),
contact information for the location (who is the go-to-guy in case of problems),
subsistence (where to eat and to drink?).
For online seminars, it is important to check beforehand whether the software (e.g. Skype) or browser-related
meeting rooms (e.g. ClickMeeting) actually work.
If all of these steps are thoroughly taken, then the trainer is ready to enter the second phase of the TCM.
Phase 2: Training Needs Analysis. A Training Needs Analysis (TNA) is a valuable tool in finding out about:
•
•
the status quo (how things are),
the desired status (how things should be).
To overcome the status quo and reach the desired status, it is necessary to identify the learning objectives. If
a learning objective can’t reach the desired status, it should be dismissed. In order to check whether a
learning objective is relevant, the so called SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant,
Time focused) proves to be a helpful tool:
However, to find out what are the actual training needs of the participants, the TNA comes into play. The
TNA can be divided into four basic, constitutive elements, known as DECS chain:
Before the trainer can enter the different phases of DECS, she can decide on how to find out about possible
training needs. There are several methods apart from the usual application form as described in the previous
subchapter:
•
•
•
•
•
focus group meetings,
tests (e.g. as part of an e-learning),
interviews (online, via phone, face to face etc.),
questionnaires (in addition to the application forms),
taking a look at previous, similar assessments.
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Independent of the trainer’s choice of mapping the training needs, the following steps have to be fulfilled
afterwards:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Demands. This step is basically a gap analysis in order to identify current problems, deficiencies in
knowledge, or missing skills. The trainer has to find out what the participants can currently do and
what they want to be able to do after the seminar. This gap will finally lead to the identification of the
learning objectives.
Emphasis. In this phase, the trainer has to find out which needs are important to the course of the
seminar – or if the original idea of the seminar has to be adjusted, if there’s a clear shift to training
requirements which weren’t thought of by the trainer before. On the other hand, if a training need
seems to be of low importance in comparison to other needs, it should be dismissed to keep the
seminar effective.
Causes. The goal behind this phase is to find out why the participants have the identified training
needs at all. Thanks to that, the trainer is able to develop solutions that he can make a part of his
seminar in order to teach the participants on how to stay up-to-date. To find out about the causes, the
trainer can perform a thorough background check, using additional interviews or questionnaires.
Solutions. Based on all the former insights, the trainer should create or modify an already existing
seminar design.
Sometimes, it’s more effective to choose the participants after the TNA (e.g. if it’s an open seminar offer,
available to everyone).
Key factors which should play a role in the selection of participants are:
•
•
•
•
size of the group,
gender and age ratio,
level of education and already existing skills,
the location (important for handicapped people).
After finishing this phase, the trainer can enter the design stage.
Phase 3: Seminar Design. As described before, the design of a seminar depends on different key factors,
like the subject, the participants, the trainer herself, or the location. Many of these factors can be planned by
the trainer in advance, e.g. by analyzing the participants (TNA).
For concrete planning of seminars, the following categories are recommended:
Time
Start and end
of the unit
Topic
What is the
topic of this
unit?
Objective
Method
What should the
unit achieve?
Which method is
applied to
achieve the
objective?
Media
Which media
tools does the
unit require?
Comments
Space for any
additional
remarks
These categories are the base for a proper seminar design. Each row represents one unit or a single seminar
design element. It is up to each trainer to decide how far she wants to divide her seminar design into single
units. For beginners, it is recommended to create as many units with precise description as possible: there is
no better way to identify blind spots within the design (apart from actually conducting it, of course).
The following elements should be included in every seminar:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
greeting (including a presentation of the day’s schedule),
getting to know each other,
expectations,
breaks,
backup of results,
energizer,
feedback,
goodbye.
Of course, each trainer will have different methodological preferences. The group can be either very
homogeneous or very heterogeneous, thus the trainer has to be quite flexible to react in an appropriate way. A
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successful seminar is characterized by a variety of methods, diversion, learning results, consistency and
clarity.
Often, participants wish for something that goes beyond the pure content of the seminar. For instance, they
might want to meet new people, have fun, present themselves, exchange interests etc. A good trainer lives up
to these expectations by taking them into consideration when planning the seminar and choosing the
methods.
It is now common knowledge in contemporary pedagogy that long, teacher-centered presentations do not
secure the educational objectives, on the contrary – the participants simply lose interest. In educational
psychology there is a term “liable memory”. Objectives, varying methods and a sense for the special needs of
the participants are the toolset of a good trainer.
Chapter 7 of Module C contains practical exercises for creating seminar designs.
Phase 4: Materials Design. One of the basic questions about materials design is: what do the participants
need the training material for, if the seminar is good?
There are two major reasons, mostly proven by scientific research in the fields of pedagogics:
1.
2.
participants can use the training materials for reviewing the subject after the seminar is finished (and
therefore refreshing their memories),
during the seminar, the participants can concentrate on the training itself instead of taking notes.
When designing printed training materials, for example a handout, the trainer should take the following
aspects into consideration:
•
•
•
simple, precise language should be used (for better overview and to save space),
attractive design (if it pleases the eye, there’s a higher chance for it to be looked at again),
illustrations and images (as often as possible – if they are well-made, they can make the
understanding significantly easier).
Of course, the term “training material” is incredibly broad and can also include videos, complete manuals, slide
shows etc.
Important for all of these training materials is to keep the goals of the seminar, i.e. the learning objectives in
mind. If the training material helps to enhance the understanding and sums up the contents of the seminar, it
is good.
Phase 5: Conducting. Everyone who wants to engage in seminar conduction, should be aware what a
seminar actually is:
“Seminars are small group teaching and learning arrangements that use group interaction as a means
of engaging participants. Although seminars usually begin with a presentation or mini-lecture to
provide the basis for discussion, the word “seminar” also includes rather formal group discussions
led by the teacher and focused on the content rather than on issues arising from students.” (David
Jaques in “Learning in Groups”, 1991)
This definition from 1991 depicts seminars as rather formal learning events. Although they still make use of
group dynamics, they tend to be rather dry by definition. Nowadays, the term “workshop” is used to describe
seminars with a practical approach, although most of the times both words have the same meaning for most
people. In the course of this book, we will stick with the word “seminar”, including all possible variations of it.
As shown, seminars depend on group interactions. That’s why it’s particularly important for inexperienced
trainers to know about the different phases a seminar group goes through in order to take the right action at
the right time. And, of course, to be able to understand the way participants behave:
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When conducting a seminar, the optimal day could take place as following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
At home
a. eat a light breakfast (a loud stomach is distracting),
b. bring food and beverages to the location,
c. wear appropriate clothing (considering the location and the target group).
Arrive early at the location
a. is all equipment present and working? (projector, right number of chairs, laptop etc.),
b. is the presentation and training material prepared? (name tags, stickers, list of participants
etc.),
c. is the contact person present in case of problems? (technician, secretary etc.).
Begin the seminar
a. welcome the participants and introduce yourself,
b. present the location (toilets, food, smoking etc.),
c. present the schedule,
d. find out about the participant’s expectations,
e. give an opportunity to get to know each other (maybe combined with an energizer),
f. start the first unit of your seminar design.
From this point on, the trainer can take the following points into consideration:
a. focus on the learning objectives (don’t get distracted),
b. know the participants (read their applications carefully),
c. try to stick to the schedule (but still be flexible),
d. create a comfortable working environment (atmosphere, room, materials),
e. know what you are talking about (be an expert on your topic),
f. avoid distracting mannerisms (playing with the pencil, cracking knuckles, etc.),
g. speak loudly and as clear as possible (especially with many participants in the room), but
not too fast,
h. make eye contact (move around and make sure to stay in contact with people in different
parts of the room),
i. motivate and encourage the participants to take part in discussions, group work etc.
After the seminar is finished, the trainer should stay for a few minutes, so that the participants can
talk to him personally (e.g. some of them might be coy about asking certain questions in public).
Phase 6: Evaluation. Evaluating in general became more popular in recent years, after suffering from harsh
criticism, from “I know best about my seminars” to “Why evaluate at all?”
In fact, the evaluation process is the most essential part of the seminar’s improvement process and goes hand
in hand with phase 7 of the TCM. The advantages of evaluation can be summed up to the following points:
•
receiving feedback (which can be directly applied to the seminar design),
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•
•
•
motivating the participants (the seminar is seen as more serious if it’s evaluated),
personal conclusions for the trainer (how well-received was the trainer’s style?),
controlling whether the learning objectives were achieved.
Forms of evaluation
Evaluating can be done either orally or in a written form by using questionnaires. The oral evaluation can be
divided into group and personal situations.
•
•
•
oral group evaluation usually tends to be more superficial and repetitive in comparison to the other
ways, because it’s more comfortable to stick with the majority (especially at the end of the day, when
everybody “just wants to get out”) and it's not very pleasant to open yourself on a deeper level in front
of the group,
the personal oral evaluation can be very deep, dependent on the participant and his
character/personality. If he is very shy, he might be even more scared than during a group session,
the written form usually suits all types of characters, but is more limited because of the fixed
questions and paper space.
All methods have their pros and cons: that’s why many trainers prefer to do both – one after another. When
doing both, it is highly recommended to start with the written feedback, because if the group already “spits
everything out” during an oral evaluation, they won't see the point to write everything down again. The oral
evaluation can instead be an opportunity to add things that couldn’t be covered on paper.
In general, the trainer should always take notes during the oral evaluation to make sure that everything that
was said is going to be considered afterwards (nobody can actually remember the answers of 10+
participants).
Methods of evaluation
Considering the contents of the evaluation, they can relate to the seminar itself and/or the learning objectives.
To find out about the things the trainer wants to know, he can use several methods for the questionnaires:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ratings. Usually, the participant is offered a scale from 1 to 10 (don’t use school grades – a larger
scale like “1 is bad, 10 is good” offers more variety) connected to a question like: “How do you rate
the trainer’s pedagogical skills?” Ratings have a big advantage of being statistically measurable and
can provide a very good overview.
Multiple choice questions. They can be either used for seminar and learning objective related
content. When using these sort of questions, the trainer should provide very clear and short answers
– the question should cover most of the information required.
True-False Questions. These questions are very well-suited for a learning objective evaluation in
order to provide the trainer with a fast overview. Unfortunately, they offer a 50/50 chance of ticking
the right box – which limits their use to an overview function.
Essays. The trainer can ask the participants to simply write down some text, either focusing on a
single question (e.g. “Did the seminar meet your expectations and why?”) or a general approach to
the seminar’s atmosphere.
Guidelines for feedback
Feedback is an essential part of the whole evaluation process. During feedback, the trainer and the
participants can collect valuable insight – concerning their actual work (e.g. products etc.) and their
personality.
While giving the actual feedback, it is important to use phrases that emphasize the fact that everyone is
providing their personal opinion and want to help – not simply criticize for criticizing, e.g.:
•
•
•
•
•
use the I-narrative (no general phrasing),
use perceptional phrasing (“I see you are…” or “I’d recommend for the future…”),
be concrete and precise,
express empathy,
be descriptive and not judgmental.
Constructive feedback that you give during the training may become a key element in the participants' learning
process. At the implementation of each exercise, during which the trainees are learning, you and your group
convey information which contains both positive and negative information.
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Work feedback
When giving work feedback, e.g. feedback about a product one of the participants created, it is important to
first agree on fixed categories. These categories provide an orientation on what to focus while evaluating the
product. If the product is a video clip, the categories could be:
•
•
•
technicalities (How good is the technical quality, the editing, the colours?),
content (How good is the realized and presented content?),
communication (Does it reach the target group?).
When talking about work, there are two steps to follow:
1.
2.
present the things that are already good and don’t need any improvement. Instead, it should be kept
for the future (quality backup),
present the things that could still be improved for the future (quality development).
These two simple steps are sufficient to provide a complete and helpful feedback.
Personal feedback
When giving personal feedback, e.g. feedback about a person’s competences (e.g. during a presentation), it is
important to first agree on fixed categories as well. Categories in this case could be:
•
•
•
mannerisms (Does the person have any?),
skills (How good is the person at something?),
style of communication (How is the person perceived?).
When talking about the person, the exact same steps as during the work feedback are to follow:
•
•
present the things that are already good and don’t need any improvement. Instead, it should be kept
for the future (competences backup),
present the things that could still be improved for the future (competences development).
These two simple steps are sufficient to provide a complete and helpful feedback.
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Phase 7: Conclusion & Improvement
The last phase of the TCM, which finally helps the trainer to draw the right conclusions from the evaluation
and the experiences he made throughout the planning and conducting of the seminar.
A very helpful and simple tool in this regard is the PDCA check:
The PDCA is a circular control system which stands for
•
•
•
•
Plan (conception)
Do (conducting)
Check (control: what worked, what didn’t work?)
Act (revision and going back to P)
During phase 7, the PDCA is a very helpful tool in order to permanently improve and standardize one’s
seminar concept.
This phase highly depends on the trainer's self-discipline. For some trainers, it is not easy to permanently
challenge themselves and search for blind spots in their own concepts. However, the only way, to stay up-todate and competitive within the market, is to be the biggest critic of yourself.
Final Words
As mentioned in the beginning of this chapter, a large variety of TCM systems exist. The system depicted in
this chapter consists of the most fundamental parts: none of them should be missed, but all of them can be
modified.
How the TCM turns out, depends fully on the trainer – his preferences, character, style, his experience. The
TCM should constantly be revised by the trainer in order to keep it up to his needs.
As with every newly learned system, the TCM only works if the trainer is disciplined enough to permanently
use it until it’s assimilated.
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Communication with training participants
Learning objectives: Get to know the technical and personal way of communicating with training participants.
Duration: 4 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists.
Technical ways to communicate
In the twenty-first century, the word "training" has a lot of meanings. Some directly pertain to the technical
aspects. The training is organized in a classroom (let's call it a classical training), workshops, and the recently
popular form of multimedia trainings. All forms require a different approach and preparation.
Classical training sessions. The trainer in a classroom must first of all master personal communication.
Excellent knowledge of the training subject is useless if the trainer is not able to establish a dialogue with the
group and pass his knowledge.
Training courses usually involve several people. A trainer therefore has an opportunity to get to know each
participant and establish some sort of relationship. The trainer must remember that she is not only a speaker,
whose role is merely to provide content. We arrange the training to be best suited for proper communication
with the participants. For example, starting with “morning coffee” and “say hello” allows the trainer to speak
with the participants for a while on the sidelines, before the session. This allows her to quickly gain authority
and trust later. A tyrant who adopts the role of a “time watchdog” will make the participants lose interest. The
trainer also works during breaks, the participants still watch him, evaluate and draw conclusions.
In training courses of this type non-verbal communication is essential. Keep in mind that the participants will
observe the coach for several dozen hours. How he behaves, even unknowingly, may be conflicting with what
he says.
Workshops. Workshops usually require a practical approach to the subject of training. Imply that the
participants are actively involved in training at a level much higher than during the lecture. The coach must
remember that in this case it will be difficult for him to focus on a dozen people at the same time. Some
participants may not understand the tasks or may have problems with their implementation. In this case, help
from the trainer should come as soon as possible. Participants may be disheartened after a few unsuccessful
attempts, and it is very difficult to regain their attention.
If reducing the group to a reasonable size is not possible, ask for additional support trainers or experts in the
area of the workshop. Especially in workshops on technical topics you should have the support of
professionals experienced in the field. The authority of the trainer will not suffer, he will only gain respect in his
workshop. You must make sure that people working with a trainer are also familiar with personal
communication basics. Otherwise, they may appear inaccessible or vain for the participants.
At present workshops often deal with new technologies. The scope of these topics is very wide, so you might
want to plan specific exercises to do for the participants. It is very important to obtain a measurable effect. If
for example the participants use a photo editor during the exercise, you may want to allow them to print their
work "before" and "after". This reinforces the sense of reasonability of workshops and supports further
development of the topic.
On-line workshops (webinars). On-line communication reduces non-verbal factors to the minimum.
Participants can hear the trainer and see his picture (though not always). It's definitely not enough for the
trainer to be able to maintain full control of the group and the training process. First of all, the trainer almost
never sees exactly what the participants are doing. There can be no guarantee that they listen and understand
the matter.
Due to the specific form, an on-line training is usually quite short. A standard webinar takes approximately one
hour. This is related to the fact that it is almost never possible to engage the participant for a longer time. This
situation is much different from when the participant arrives at the all-day training time and is not distracted.
The trainer should therefore ensure concise and precise communication During the webinars, there is no time
to build relationships or get to know the participants.
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The trainer should also serve as “a guardian of time”, because a short form makes it easy to lose control of the
agenda.
E-learning (asynchronized courses). E-learning in the form of courses makes it so that the pace and
duration of the specific activity of the participants does not depend barely on the trainer. Communication is not
live, it takes form of correspondence (e.g. e-mails, forums).
In such conditions, it is important to design interactive training materials to put in a clear and precise message.
Materials should be prepared so that the participant always knows what to do and what are the next steps.
Getting lost in navigation and difficulty in understanding tasks are common reasons for dissatisfaction with
participation in such trainings.
Personal ways to communicate
Personal communication is the basis of the work of every trainer. Regardless of the subject, in which she is an
expert, appropriate communication with the group and the ability to deliver content count primarily.
Personal communication is not only the ability to express yourself or proper control of body language. Below
we present the key issues and guidelines in this regard. Let them see how difficult and demanding the job of
the trainer is.
The credibility and authority. Credibility is the impression that you make on your interlocutor or auditorium. It
is the basis on which the training participant can trust you and get involved in the presentation.
Basic indicators of credibility:
•
•
•
dress – smartly dressed people seem more credible than a person dressed informally. This can be
easily observed. Studies show that many more people will follow a person in a suit, when passing the
red light at the pedestrian crossing, than a person dressed in an informal way,
professionalism – good substantive preparation, excellent knowledge of the subject. A person who
wants to be credible must be prepared for every situation, every question or objection,
enthusiasm – you have to be sure of what you present, no matter what it is. Enthusiasm is
contagious, so if you are enthusiastic, then your recipient becomes convinced to your idea.
First impression. The first impression is the beginning of the communication process by which a complete
picture of the person you are communicating with is formed. This image substantially affects the course of
further contact, because it forms an attitude of the interlocutor set.
You should pay special attention to sitting, walking, or standing upright, with raised head. A proper posture will
increase your self-confidence. A friendly face and smile are also important. A well narrated joke, which refers
in some way with the theme of the training is a good "icebreaker".
The face is a very important source of information about emotions as it reflects the rapidly changing moods,
reactions to the speech and behavior of the caller. It expresses primary feelings. To make a good show, it is
important to have a good attitude. To achieve this objective you should keep in your mind a good attitude.
Questions. All the confidence and acceptance that you've earned during the presentation may be gone in an
instant if you do not know how to deal with the reactions of the participants. We shall now define several
categories of questions that you can ask a listener and suggestions to how to answer:
•
•
•
information question – this is a neutral question. The listener simply expects further clarification or
more information,
critical question – the participant does not agree with you and opposes your opinion,
suggestive question – the listener does not want to learn anything, but wants to share some
information (sometimes vicious).
To properly answer the question, try first to paraphrase it. This allows you to check how well you understand
the intentions and scope of the questions. If the listener confirms your interpretation, just answer as well as
you can. In this case, the listener expects to receive an answer.
If the listener begins to present his views, it means that this was a critical question. Think of it as an
opportunity to re-emphasize your strongest arguments. Here the listener (although he asked the question)
wants to talk. Sometimes the participants will want to present a story, give them the chance, if it fits into the
time frame of the presentation, and if it does not discourage other students. Otherwise, politely interrupt (for
example by thanking for an interesting point of view).
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If you have a suggestive question, try to actively listen to the workshop participants: ask questions,
summarize, show your understanding. Once you see the emotions fall a bit, give your answer. In suggestive
questions it is particularly important to abstain from your own opinions and answers, as long as they are
coloured by your emotions.
Contracting. The starting point for good communication principles and standards during the entire workshop
is a contract to respect the defined rules. You can propose the rules of good communication to the group, or
the group may determine the rules themselves, but the most important thing is that everyone agrees on them.
It is an excellent tool that accompanies the group throughout the duration of the course (rules can be written
on a large sheet of paper and hung in a visible place).
Techniques of integration. Short integration activities are used to "break the ice" between training
participants. They provide an opportunity to get to know each other. Remember, however, that the use of
integration techniques requires good preparation. Make sure not to use very popular activities and do not risk
engaging the group in a game, which they have already participated in several times over. Techniques of
integration should also be adjusted to audience, so the participants do not feel, for example, that they are
treated like children.
Establishing relationships with individual training participants. To establish a relationship with the
individual training participants pay close attention to all of them. Be sure to find out more about them than just
the name of the company that they represent.
Start by introducing yourself, and then ask each of the participants to say a few words about themselves or
ask the participants to answer the following questions: “What's my name?”, “What is my experience?”, “What
am I interested in?”, and “Why I am taking part in the training?”. You can also use projection techniques, such
as: “If I were a clock, I would stay on time...”, “If I were not who I am, I would be...”, “If I was a chocolate, I
would...”, “If I were an animal, it would be...”. This way, the welcoming will be more interesting and engaging.
When you listen to individual students:
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maintain an eye contact with the person who is speaking,
ask additional questions to get to know the participant better,
remember the name of the participant (in case you have trouble remembering the names of many
participants, you can for example ask for a list of names or use name badges).
Giving feedback. Feedback helps to build good relationships in the group of trainees. This is in reaction, on
one hand, to other peoples' activities, which allows to recognize an influence and emotions associated with it.
Giving feedback should be based on the formulation of constructive expression of both negative and positive
actions and behaviors. Therefore, you should provide feedback in a way that will not cause defensive
reactions. The more someone is set to defend themselves, the more difficult it is to concentrate on the right
context of communication. Remember that feedback serves the needs of the person who receives it. It should
be constructed so that it takes on nature of giving, rather than imposing something.
Effective communication of learning content. Effective communication during the training courses takes
place only if:
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information that you communicate accurately reflects your intentions and purposes,
your general message to the participants is consistent with your intentions and content.
Sometimes the participants understand the content differently than you would think. If you are not sure that
you were properly understood, it is possible that the exercise will be performed not in accordance with your
intentions and ideas. Then there is a one-way communication – you do not get feedback how your instructions
have been understood. Such communication is effective for simple issues only. It is said that a communication
mistakes lies always on the side of the sender.
To avoid an incorrect understanding of the content, you should:
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use at the same time several methods of communication: words and text written on the blackboard,
text and image display using a projector, or words and actions,
communicate information verbally, at least twice, using a paraphrase,
ask one of the participants to repeat how the content of the communication was understood or ask
the group to ask questions.
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It is worth taking the time to interact with the trainees by asking them questions and asking for a paraphrase.
This guarantees a better understanding of content.
Adapting language to an audience. You should adjust your language to the cognitive abilities of the
participants. The shorter your comments are, the better you will be in creating the conditions for understanding
of the content, and therefore, the correct reception of messages and knowledge. The selection of words, ideas
and examples is not only important for the objectives of the training, but also for the attractiveness of the
training. You should pay special attention to phrases in foreign languages and jargon, be clear in your wording
and, if necessary, explain. You should also make sure that the words or the content were not too difficult for
the audience. The trick is to talk about difficult things in a simple way.
Active listening. The ability to listen is an essential tool for good contact and communication. We forget too
often that communication (dialogue) consists of speaking and listening. Usually we focus on speaking and
convincing the listener. Especially inexperienced speakers abuse monologue, which imposes your point of
view on the other side without taking their needs into account.
Active listening is an expression of interest, acceptance, trust, kindness and sympathy for the other person.
Listening can be difficult when during contact with the interlocutor come to the fore emotions, nervousness
and tension. It then becomes very difficult to focus attention on your partner. Most frequently we focus on
ourselves, on our own emotions. In such situations, it helps to use a paraphrase.
The use of communication technologies that provide the ability to actively listen is very useful. These are:
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paraphrase - it is the participants' feedback about whether we understand his words. In your own
words paraphrase the basic formulations, the key phrase of his comments making sure that you
understood. Paraphrase can start with the following phrases: “From what you say, I understand
that...”,
summary - allows you to show the other side the points on which you agree. This is very helpful
especially in cases when the conversation begins to take form unfavorable for you. Example: “Let me
sum up what we have said so far…”,
clarification - that focus on the most important points of the conversation. It helps in sorting out
statements that are chaotic. With clarification, you can get the answer to the question, or correctly
recognize the needs of your interlocutor such as: “With what already has been said...”, “sum up our
conversation, keep the following things...”, etc.,
verbal reflecting - it consists of tuning your own manner of speaking to certain elements of your
interaction partner's language. Reflecting does not have to include all verbal and non-verbal behavior
of another person, it is enough if you choose only one dominant element behavior. If you properly
tune in to your interlocutor, you can consciously affect and lead the conversation in the desired
direction.
In addition, the ability to ask questions is very helpful:
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it helps to avoid confusion,
helps to identify the needs and to better define what the participant did not like in training, or did not
understand,
helps maintain control of the training,
allows you to learn from the experience and get feedback from participants,
it activates the group and encourages interaction between the training participants,
it stimulates the participants to discuss,
allows you to focus on the training participants, not just content.
To formulate clear thoughts. Remember that just sharing knowledge will not guarantee the success of
coaching if the message is not concise, understandable and most importantly – interesting.
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adjust your wording to the audience's level of receiving and understanding – it pertains to the
adjustment of the rate of expression and vocabulary,
use clear and simple, but figurative language. It is advisable to speak short, not very enhanced
sentences,
ensure the terms of conversation – the spoken word must be heard, it would give the audience the
time to react, to ask questions, to express the opinion.
Concentration of attention of training participants. The meaning of the words depends significantly on how
they are spoken. The most important elements that have a significant impact on the way of contents are:
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inflection (voice modulation) – its essence lies in the variability of high and low tones in your voice.
Changing the pitch helps in concentration and interest among the audience by showing the higher
tones of the important contents. A smile during a speech makes the voice sound friendly and open,
volume of speaking – if you speak too softly, participants can lose the thread, and this can lead to
nervousness. A speech that is too loud may cause irritation. If the participant speaks loudly, then you
talk a little more quietly, to silence him. If you want to take control of the conversation, you talk a little
louder than the participant,
speed of speaking – it should be tailored to the recipient, how much time she needs to understand
the content. A trainer who is keeping a slow pace of speaking in a group of energetic people will not
get their favor. In public speaking there is a rule – the more room, the slower your tempo,
emphasis – it is important to emphasize (to speak more slowly, clearly, a little louder), the parts of
speech that are most important for you. Participants will remember them better,
timbre – timbre may suggest emotions. Feeling the tension can (unconsciously) lead to the speaker
raising his voice, which could be negatively perceived by the participants,
rhythm of speech – you can make a short pause before speaking important information, to focus the
attention of the audience,
pseudo language – an important part of communication is to not abuse the language inclusions that
interfere with reception of the content. Frequent repetition of the words “yeah”, “true”, “well”
discourages participants, and inclusions of “aaa...”, “ummm...”, “eee…” can be perceived as a lack of
knowledge.
Adjusting the body language to speech. Body language is very important in the communication process,
because your brain gets information:
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87% through the sense of sight,
9% through the sense of hearing,
4% through the other senses.
Body language means – you can pick up messages through facial expressions, gestures, body movements,
eyes. The body has the impact on participants.
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eye contact – eyes can give the most insightful and real messages as they are the focal point of the
human body. Eyes are the most important area of visual attention – during a conversation, the focus
is on the eyes for about 43% of the time. Avoiding eye contact may suggest that you do not know
what you are saying, when you look into the eyes continuously, the receiver begins to treat the own
review with suspicion. Maintaining eye contact can help reach agreements and builds positive
relationship with the trainees,
facial expression – the face is a very important source of emotion, as it reflects the rapidly changing
moods, reactions to the comments and behavior of other people. Primarily, it expresses feelings,
body posture – a crumpled, humped body means the withdrawal and the upright posture, head up
shows confidence,
hand gestures – open your hands to increase the credibility of spoken words. If you want to be open
to the audience, turn your hand towards the participants and say, “Any questions? I will gladly answer
them.” The same message spoken with a gesture of clasped hands will be a sign of dishonesty with
your words. A clenched fist can signal hostility, but crossed arms or hiding hands behind your back –
reluctance,
dynamics – motion, presentation materials, makes the presentation more convincing,
the commitment and enthusiasm – do not hesitate to show the audience your personal
commitment.
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Transfer of Knowledge & Didactic Methods
Learning objectives: Find out about the specifics of adult education and ways to reach and teach adult
participants.
Duration: 8 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists.
Adult education
Adult education plays a special role in the field of education and therefore requires a different look on
traditional approach to teaching, as known from the traditional school context.
How is successful teaching and learning in the context of adult education defined? How does a trainer
evaluate the outcome of her work? Traditionally, as we know it from academic systems, teaching/learning
objectives are being developed and then provided. Whether these goals are actually achieved is tested
through controlling measures such as tests and exams. This kind of knowledge transfer is based on the trainer
and her objectives. The trainer defines what a participant has to know and tests the required knowledge or
skills, at a certain point of time. But, no conclusions in regard to the quality of the learning process can be
drawn out of this way of teaching. For an evaluation, certain questions can be of help, e.g.: Did the participant
enjoy it? Was he motivated? Was he able to follow? Was the trainer sensitive to individual needs of the
participants?
A high or low drop-out rate or participants who become mediators by telling other people about their
experiences – these are some other indicators for a successful learning. This point of view creates a distinct
difference to traditional systems of teaching because it focuses on the individuals and accepts that they are
entitled to do get the best education they can possibly get. Thus, it dissociates itself from the antiquated
belief that one teaching method suits every learner and that the teacher’s only responsibility is the
mediation of content without taking particular needs of the participants into consideration. Consequently, next
to clearly defined educational objectives, the trainer has to have systematical and didactical competences and
skills to guarantee a design and support of the teaching/learning process that is established in theory and
effective in practice.
Adult education in detail. Adults require a different approach than kids or youngsters, but why? There are
several reasons and consequences which should be taken into consideration during seminars:
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Transfer of knowledge. Modern knowledge transfer means to support the participant in her or his individual
process, to allow her to learn independently instead of just absorbing what the trainer says. In practice, this
can be fulfilled by providing a variety of different methods, by carefully planning and structuring seminars and
workshops, by precisely defining educational objectives and choosing the appropriate methods. Defining
educational objectives is actually phrasing the goal that is supposed to be achieved by the participant. There
should be a balance between the objectives and the needs of the participants. Naturally, educational
objectives that do not consider the present skills and competences of participants run the risk of never going
to be realized; on the contrary, those objectives could meet with a refusal on the participants’ side because
they could feel overburdened. Thus, the defined educational objectives have to take both levels into
consideration, on the one hand the content in question, on the other hand the participants’ needs.
Educational objectives can be divided into three different categories: cognitive, affective and psychomotor
educational objectives. For the teacher/trainer it is crucial to know to which category his/her objective belongs
due to each category demanding a different method when it comes to the mediation of contents.
Cognitive educational objectives. The cognitive educational objectives are based on pure knowledge and
intellectual skills (cognitive comes from the Latin word “cognoscere”: to know, to experience, to perceive), thus
they are accessible through the mind, through intelligence. The participant is able to trigger and also to use
knowledge. For example: the participants of Module A are dealing with composition. Doing so, they get to
know some quality criteria that can help them to judge whether a picture is well or badly composed (framing,
golden rule, perspective etc.). As a consequence, the participants adopt knowledge that allows them to give a
qualified judgment and to conform their very own work to this professional knowledge.
Affective educational objectives. The affective educational objectives refer to intrinsic values, opinions,
interests and attitudes of the participants. Those are to be reflected, to be manifested and/or changed. A
modified behavior can result. A convenient social example is the modern attitude towards the learning
process: whereas 50 years ago, caning pupils was a standard method to make them learn, nowadays it is
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common sense that effective learning isn’t promoted by fear of punishment. Quite the contrary, a nonthreatening atmosphere is essential for a successful learning process. Based on this new awareness, a
change of values, a change of evaluation took place; it is not only the result that matters but also the individual
progress. Abolishing fustigation in school was the mandatory consequence of this social revalidation of the
education process.
Let us consider someone who is afraid of spiders and therefore kills them, there is no reason for such
behavior on the cognitive level. Spiders are neither dangerous nor life-threatening. But, on the affective level,
the spider is being judged as disgusting, scary, dangerous, threatening etc. Different patterns results in a
strategy of avoidance (leaving the room till someone takes the spider away) or a confrontational strategy (kill
the spider). Reasonably, both patterns do not fit the situation. One educational objective can be to overcome
the fear of spiders, meaning to change your own attitude towards those animals and to change your judgment
of such situations. Thus, the person isn’t afraid anymore and the spider survives.
One purpose of Module B is for example to invite the participants to reflect their own medial impact (taken the
st
possibilities of the 21 century’s media into consideration). The participants are supposed to deal with the
responsibility that comes with public communication and to develop an individual position towards their own
journalistic works. The themes of these educational objectives are for example the reflection of the conflict
between formation and creation of opinion, the handling of the possibility to manipulate in media just by
deciding what information is included in a report, and what information is left out.
Another affective objective is to think about commitment to journalistic quality. While the participants learn on
the cognitive level about quality criteria for their medial work, on the affective level they should reflect if and
how these criteria become quality standards for their own journalistic actions.
Psychomotor educational objectives. The third category, the psychomotor educational objectives, combine
intellectual competences with physical skills. A simple example: the ability to write. Writing is the connection
between the knowledge of the written letters and the actual ability to write those. Module A contains a variety
of psychomotor objectives such as using a camera, correctly holding a microphone or handling an editing
program.
Didactics in adult education
As shown in the previous subchapter, adult and children education differs a lot. Adult education is no simple
transfer of knowledge, it involves teaching active individuals with certain interests and expectations. Therefore,
didactics in adult education is about creating an environment which enables the participants to develop their
own possibilities to learn. For the trainer, this means not only to be a teacher, but also a planner and advisor.
Many different approaches to didactics in adult education exist and often compete against each other. Within
this chapter, three exemplary schemes should be presented, to give the trainer an idea how far didactic
schemes can differ – and that certain situations might require a different didactic approach:
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Methodology in adult education
Being aware of different educational objectives is important because different methods are needed to
communicate those. The use of a certain method conforms to the favored objective (cognitive, affective or
psychomotor) but also to the trainer and the target group, namely the participants.
E.g., driving a car cannot be learned just by theory; without driving lessons and therefore practical experience
a student will never learn how to drive (a typical psychomotor objective), whereas the traffic regulations
represent a typical cognitive objective and thus can be acquired without any practice. What kind of a driver I
am in the end – a defensive or aggressive one – depends on my personal attitude; hence the possible
learning objective is an affective objective.
Each educational objective needs an adequate method.
Thus, as a trainer it is of urgent need to know at all times what kind of objective he wants to achieve, then
choose the correct teaching method. This competence requires the trainer to be highly flexible and to have a
certain intuition to foresee certain situations and to react properly by choosing the best-suited method. In
general, this kind of competence is described as situation’s and participant’s guidance.
To become capable in the field of methodical competence, the trainer has to repetitively use different methods
in order to learn them.
A method (Greek: the way) is a scheduled and justified guidance to achieve a certain educational
objective. This means that the use of a method is thought-out in its realization and accomplishment before it
is actually used.
In order to be enabled to perform methodically as a trainer, two requirements have to be fulfilled:
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The methodical competence to act means the ability to use and to present methods in an appropriate way.
The methodical competence to reflect means the ability to actually justify the usage of certain methods and
ask oneself which didactic function a method fulfills in a certain phase of a learning situation and which
learning objectives are supposed to be achieved with it.
By gaining these two competences, the trainer will be able to critically reflect his own usage of methods from a
certain distance and to become aware of the effects.
Didactics and Methodology
Teaching should always be related to learning. Therefore, methodical acting needs to fulfill didactic tasks.
To clarify the differences and synergies between didactics and methodology in simple terms: When being
active as a trainer in adult education, the first questions to be answered are of didactical kind. They represent
the base of the methodology.
These questions ask for “Why?” and “What?” and are trying to clarify the overall reason and purpose of the
learning and the contents. After knowing about the aims and the contents for the seminar, the methodology
comes into play – with their own questions about the “How?” and “With what?” She answers questions of
ways to reach the aim and the required means.
Compilation of Methods
When beginning to plan and to conduct his or her own seminar, every trainer should try to add their own
personal experiences to this compilation to have a pool of methods at hand.
Round of introductions (with individual preparation). The trainer poses three or four questions that each
participant should answer individually, during a limited amount of time. In the following, the answers are being
presented in the group. To ask for wishes, expectations or apprehensions is typical for those kind of
questions. In addition, the trainer asks the participants to shortly present themselves.
Objective: positioning, presentation, getting to know each other, foundation of the group.
Speech. Theoretical input, appropriate to cognitive objectives; typical means are flipchart, beamer, overheads,
handouts. If possible, speeches shouldn’t be presented after lunch break.
Objective: all participants should quickly get to the same state of knowledge; normally, further inquiry of the
audience follows.
Presentation of results. (Intermediary) results are presented to the whole group or smaller groups. Prior to
that, the presentation is normally group work.
Group work. Working in groups can be a helpful instrument to work on different topics and ideas. Smaller
groups benefit from the different points of view of each participant. Typical means are file cards, overheads
and flip charts for the following presentation. Group work needs a distinct assignment in regard to topic and
timing. It comes in handy for affective educational objectives.
Group work with change of perspective. Here, the first part of an assignment is distributed among two
groups which then conversely work on the second part of the assignment. This change of perspective leads to
a new interest (because the assignment is new) and completes the final result because all participants have to
deal with every topic. Moreover, this way of group work strengthens the feeling of togetherness and an attitude
of “all for each other”.
Dyade (partner work). This method is perfect to create a more intimate and intensive working atmosphere
and also supports the exchange between the participants. A dyade is a very convenient follow-up e.g. to the
active imagination.
Individual work. Individual work depends on topics and assignments clearly instructed by the trainer. The
participant has to work uninterrupted. The main objective is the concentration on oneself or on experiences, a
reflection of the own behavior.
Peripatetic stroll. Two participants go for a walk, in a certain time limit, and discuss an assigned topic.
Typical topics for such a stroll is to discuss the satisfaction with the process and the results. The objective is,
amongst others, to reflect, exchange and compare.
Breaks. Almost strictly necessary, the breaks allow not only informal communication but also a possibility for
informal group formations. Also, the breaks can be used as an intervention, e.g. to finish a certain topic and to
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start a new one when re-entering the room. Especially in tensed situations this can be a very helpful solution.
However, in that case, the break should be used to clear conflicts outside the classroom so that it won’t stress
the following phase.
Flashlight. Every participant gets the chance to say something about how she feels about a certain topic or
situation – in just one word or sentence. The audience doesn’t comment, and neither does the trainer. The
trainer guides this method by assigning the topic and the rules. The objective is to catch momentary moods of
the group (anger, joy, weariness etc.) to make possible troubles such as weariness or excessive demands
transparent.
Mood level. Similar to the flashlight, the mood level can be used as a follow-up to a finished unit/exercise to
make certain moods transparent so that the trainer has the possibility to react. With the help of self-adhesive
circles the participants can visualize their mood or their satisfaction on a prepared scale. The participants
should adhere their circles at the same time to guarantee anonymity. In the following, the mood level should
be shortly discussed.
Change of perspective. A change of perspective (e.g. on the meta-level) can be affected by the trainer. It is a
helpful approach to clarify things that have just been learned on the meta-level. The objective is to enlarge
methodical competences of the participants to facilitate new points of view on oneself and on the group. The
change has to be announced, either verbal (“I change to the meta-level.”) or through an action (e.g. by putting
on a hat).
Role-play. In the frame of role-plays, real situations are simulated in a controlled context. A role-play needs
clear instructions and a distinct role allocation, a leader who takes care that the rules are observed, and – last
but not least – rules that are evident to each player. The objective of a role-play is that the participants can try
out different roles and therefore can learn to diversify their actions and competences. Typical role-plays are
used e.g. in the prevention of conflicts.
Group division. There are many different ways to divide groups. It depends on the objective, e.g. to mix the
participants again and again to create a team feeling or, on the contrary, to separate certain participants to
break up some constellations. A free and independent division of groups demands a high level of social
competences from the participants and should therefore only be chosen if the trainer is certain that the result
won’t have counterproductive effects on the following assignment.
Method 1: enumerating 1, 2, 1, 2, 1... or 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 etc.
Method 2: allot the participants
Variation: allot the participants with the help of different chocolate flavors (arrange the participants in
groups according to their preferred chocolate flavor: happy, nice, perfect after lunch when you need
something sweet.)
Variation: sound-memory: vessels (e.g. film canisters) are filled with different things, two (or three
etc.) with the same filling. Each participant gets a vessel and has to “hear” the other member(s) of the
group.
Method 3: division of groups by “a leader”. This method is only advisable in groups that have a
healthy social base, otherwise some members could feel excluded (e.g. when they are chosen last).
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How to conduct interactive online workshops?
Learning objectives: Get to know how to prepare, conduct and evaluate online workshops.
Duration: 4 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
How to get started in an easy way?
Online workshop technology is not already popularized, but now on the market is more and more solutions
that enable independent work. With special tools, trainer is able to provide training at a distance, even for a
large number of participants.
The most typical features of an online workshop as a webinar can be summarized as follows:
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on-line environment:
o use of software,
o webinar providers require specific software,
participants must have an internet access,
live event (scheduled at a precise time),
limited duration of 1-2 hours presenting content (using audio, video, sharing screen, PowerPoint
presentations, etc.),
interaction with participants (audio, chat, quizzes, surveys, whiteboard, “hands up” button, etc.),
partial anonymity of participants.
SaaS tools for webinars - what's matters? Popularity of online communication makes the tools – including
those for trainings – are accessible to everyone. At present programs to conduct online workshops, which do
not need installing, are standard. To use them simply go to the appropriate web page and log in to the
application. Software is therefore sold as a service. Hence the term software as a service (SaaS). This
solution has the advantage over conventional software implementations:
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everyone, both the trainer and the participants, has easy access to the application through a web
browser,
trainer does not need the infrastructure in the form of specialized servers or above average internet
connection,
developers which own such software continuously care about its development and improvement.
There are also disadvantages of this solution:
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unable to install the application and have full control over it,
a negligible real impact on policy of development of application,
the need to keep all materials in the cloud.
For the trainer, a huge advantage of SaaS is that he can order and start these types of applications literally in
minutes. In addition, you can use a number of different solutions, because instead of an expensive software
implementation, you have a monthly subscription fee. If the application does not meet your expectations, you
can change the supplier.
Many companies provide solutions to conduct online workshops dealing with. Among them we can highlight
programs such as:
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ClickMeeting and ClickWebinar (www.clickmeeting.com, www.clickwebinar.com),
Adobe Connect (www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html),
GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar (www.gotomeeting.com),
Cisco Webex (www.webex.com).
Most applications can be tested completely free for several days. That allows you to choose the best solution
for your needs.
Key features for training. The following functionalities are generally found in most, if not all, webinar software
suitable for education:
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video transmission (allows trainers and participants to see each other),
chat (allows communication between participants by typing text. Therefore they do not interfere with
the person who speaks using the microphone),
real time whiteboard (allows one to draw on a shared whiteboard),
file sharing,
note sharing,
screen sharing (ability to view the screen of the presenter/lecturer),
surveys/quizzes (on-line questionnaires).
Further options which may be useful and are available in some of the more advanced software options are:
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the ability to toggle moderator/trainer roles during the session – this can be helpful for webinars for
smaller groups as it allows the trainees and trainers to work collaboratively by switching roles,
the ability to view a downloaded file through the software – this is helpful for discussion purposes,
webinar recording ability – this can be very helpful as it not only allows the trainees who have not
attended the webinar to view the content while also working as a form of digital note taking. This
ensures that the trainees can devote their full attention to the webinar during a live session. The
recorded webinar must be published by the trainer,
polling application – this can be an excellent way to carry out assessment,
the ability to publish this questionnaire – this can be an excellent way to give feedback to the trainees
on this assessment quickly and easily.
Restrictions. The main restriction in the workshop is the need for access to a computer connected to the
internet and full availability during training. A few applications run on mobile devices, but the size of the phone
screen would significantly impede active participation in the workshop. Internet access is a necessity, because
without it you cannot connect to the application. Problems may also appear because of different types of
public wireless networks or GSM connections. This includes both the stability and the speed of the connection.
The conclusion is that in order to take part in the workshop, in addition to time, we need to secure the
appropriate location and equipment. Fortunately, computer connected to broadband Internet is now standard
at work and at home.
How to design training materials for webinars?
Using different media with a large number of graphics is becoming a standard. Internet connections are
getting faster and the trainer’s knowledge of well-designed graphics is increasing. All this is affecting the
results of training. The key to a rich presentation is not only the presentation itself, but a good mix of different
multimedia elements.
Graphics should always have a communication and educational value; simple and straightforward graphics
are most effective. The most popular presentation tool that can be easily used during a webinar session is
PowerPoint. This format of presenting a series of slides with text, images and simple animations is a great
way to illustrate information provided during a lecture. Although PowerPoint is a common and well known
presentation tool many users actually keep making the same mistakes. A trainer who presents slides should
avoid legibility problems such as too small fonts or lack of style consistency.
Unlike in a traditional classroom, there are a variety of forms for presenting content in a webinar. You don’t
always have to use slideshows, but they can be very useful as visual aids, they help to draw the participants’
attention, facilitate learning and enhance memory. But you need to use them wisely. Remember that during a
webinar you communicate primarily with your voice; don’t overload the participants with additional text on
screen. Instead, use images to grab their attention and illustrate the main points. The visuals should be
informative and serve learning goals; avoid graphics that are merely decorative. A good example of
instructional graphics are: drawings, charts and diagrams, symbols, photos or screen grabs.
Keeping in mind that materials used in webinar workshops usually come from various sources and will be in
an assortment of formats, it is important for the trainer to have at least a basic knowledge of different
technologies, software tools and possibly hardware.
3
Effective Slide Presentation Tips
1.
2.
3
use a simple PowerPoint template in a landscape format,
use dark print with a plain light background or light print and a plain dark background,
Webcasting Processes and Best Practices, Ontario Telemedicine Network 2007
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
allow for a 1 inch margin along all borders,
limit the number of words per slide:
a. use no more than 5 bullets of information per slide,
b. use brief phrases instead of sentences,
keep any graphics simple:
a. use simple bold tables like pie charts or bar graphs,
b. avoid complex tables and scatter plots,
use a consistent font size:
a. at least 30-point font for text and 44-point for headings,
b. select a simple, clear, and bold font such as: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana.
c. avoid italics,
d. use lower case for text,
avoid animation and special effects such as: sounds, fly-ons, fade-ins:
a. use simple slide transition,
b. keep it simple.
How to engage the participants?
The trainer cannot expect that the trainees will focus on the webinar lecture if there is only one-way
communication. A live lecture broadcast on the web is like a television program. It is a one-way message
received by a passive audience. However, television productions will rely on an editor to perfect their
message. Webinar lectures or trainings usually have lower production values. In fact a webinar session if
viewed as a one-way technology can be seen as very low quality television. This could be one of the reasons
why trainees disengage during one-way presentations. We can be sure that interaction between the trainer
and the learners, communication and activities will change the trainees' reactions.
•
•
•
•
•
•
audio,
video,
chat,
whiteboard,
hands-up button,
polls and quizzes.
You can try interaction between trainees or more sophisticated tools, like:
•
•
•
•
discussion,
brainstorming,
an assignment to create something,
role playing.
Also, the number of trainees in a group is significant when organizing a successful training. There is one
general rule for webinar use: the more users – the less interactivity. This rule of thumb has to be considered
when planning the structure of the webinar session.
Number of
trainees
Interactivity level
Structure of the webinar
6 or less
High level of interactivity – the session
can be led as a dialogue. The trainees
can interrupt the lecturer spontaneously.
The interactions between particular
trainees are allowed – e.g. via chat. Also
bidirectional audio or video can be
applied, if technology permits.
Structure and content can be changed, if
necessary, according to feedback and level
of interaction.
7-20
Limited audio/video responses (lecturer
can select who will be allowed to talk).
There will be special polling tools to
express the particular learning progress
of the trainees (e.g. “raising hand” button
or yes/no buttons). Polls, voting and
The structure and content are moderately
flexible. Session length may be
extended/shortened per trainee feedback.
Each topic area should be followed by a
Q&A.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
similar tools are important.
More than 20
The level of interactivity depends on the
size of the webinar team. If the trainer is
on his own, only polls can be used. If
there is at least one moderator (and
possibly additional trainers/experts) chat
can be allowed and will be pre-sorted for
the trainer/experts.
The structure needs to be firm. The users
will be more or less anonymous and the
likelihood is high that there will be late
starters and early finishers.
Attendance discipline is a matter of content
and its implication for the future of the
trainees.
How to activate new media in the training process?
Online workshops do not have to be an independent training, and are perfectly suitable as a supplement or
complement to traditional workshops. In addition, modern tools also allow for the transmission of multimedia
presentations. The trainer can use the online workshop to reach out to more trainees. If you know that the
traditional workshops take you (and the participants) a lot of time, try to convey part of the content as an online
form. It works great regarding subjects that do not require exercises with equipment.
How to evaluate online workshops?
The evaluation of the training, whether it be during (evaluating learning of key concepts) and/or afterwards
(feedback on delivery methods and other aspects of the training experience), can be obtained using qualitative
and/or quantitative methods. Evaluation can be formative, summative and impact oriented. These types may
be conducted in the following ways:
•
•
•
formative evaluation: e.g. by discussion or interview – this is useful at an early point of a training to
get the trainees’ feedback on the course up until that time. It can be either formal or informal.
summative evaluation: end-of-session questionnaires or interviews.
impact evaluation: after the session has finished – this can be an interview or questionnaire with
trainees.
Thanks to the possibility to record a webinar, evaluation of trainings gets facilitated considerably. Above all,
the webinar recording help to re-evaluate the training. This way it is easier to grade the process and personal
work, especially when time has already passed.
Technical aspects of online workshops
As with education in the classroom, webinars should be available to all and therefore webinar software should
be compatible with the majority of computers currently in use. The physical hardware required varies
depending on the level of user's engagement To view a webinar, the bare minimum required is a personal
computer with a broadband internet connection. This will allow a minimal level of interaction. However, as the
level of interaction is raised, the more engaging the experience is for the user. For example, the addition of
speakers to the computer set will create a richer experience for the user. This hardware will allow the user to
interact at a basic level with the webinar, allowing them to see and hear the content being transmitted, typing
notes and perhaps writing to forums or chat rooms regarding the webinar. The introduction of a microphone
and/or a webcam raises this level of interactivity as it gives the viewer the ability to broadcast themselves
through the webinar. The addition of an audio/visual representation of the user being broadcast brings a more
flowing interaction with the webinar and will more clearly communicate the persona of the user.
To conduct an online workshop properly, a trainer needs software and the knowledge and experience to use
the software as intended, requiring the trainer to spend additional time learning the software.
Participants have a few technical issues to consider besides installing the software and following onscreen prompts. The majority of users will have access to computers that meet the minimum
requirements for workshop participation.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Trainer
Participant
Internet access
•
•
•
Download: 2 Mbps
Upload: 2 Mbps
Broadband connected by
cable if possible.
•
•
•
Download: 2 Mbps
Upload: 0,5 Mbps
Connected by cable, wifi or
GSM network.
Computer
•
Multimedia computer
•
Middle end computer
Camera
•
Both: trainer and participants can use the camera and microphone, if
provided for the form of training. In most cases only the trainer is
using them. It is recommended that participants used headphones.
•
•
•
Adobe Flash
Java TM
Adobe Air
Microphone
Headphones
System plugins
•
•
•
Adobe Flash
Java TM
Adobe Air
Minimum requirements for the trainer and participant of online workshop.
Internet access. A stable internet connection is very important, both for the coach and for the participant.
Cable will be a better option for the trainer, but the participants can also use WiFi. The minimum speed is 2
Mbps.
Computer. The most important features are the capability to run a web browser and an up-to-date
installations of Adobe Flash player and Java (JRE). Often some technological myths can be heard, regarding
the participation in online workshops, such as that in order to take part in an interactive webinar you need a
very powerful computer.
As a rule, an average computer designed for office work or home use can handle the workshop software as
long as the software running is current and complete. Therefore, the percentage of people who, for technical
reasons, are unable to participate in a webinar is very low.
The camera, microphone, headphones. During most of workshops, the trainer uses a camera and a
microphone, and participants only listen to his messages. This is related to bandwidth limitations and web
performance. If several people at the same time would turn on their cameras and microphones, it would create
a huge mess. However, in smaller groups, the participants often have the opportunity to comment on or use a
camera. Hence, it is important to let them know about whether a camera and a microphone will be required
during the workshop.
It is recommended that all participants use headphones. Headphones allow for a better focus on the content,
and do not disturb other people.
System plugins. It is essential that all system plugins are up to date . First of all, Adobe Flash Player and
Java Runtime Environment. It is also important that the operating system is up to date. Otherwise, there may
be problems with participation in the workshop. Some items may not display properly, and sometimes it may
not even be possible to access the workshop.
It is recommended that the trainer does not limit herself to properly preparing their own computer, but also
give appropriate instructions to the participants.
Place – acoustic and visual conditions. As webinars are internet-based, they can be delivered from virtually
anywhere. However, selecting a superior location is recommended.
A webinar is crucially dependent on high-quality audio. Using excellent equipment will not guarantee a
successful webinar if a background noise is present. Disturbances such as street traffic, co-workers,
ventilation systems, and buzzing lights will have a detrimental impact on the production quality of the webinar.
The level of these disturbances can be evaluated by listening to the space and being mindful of potential
sources of noise. Please note than an empty room, devoid of furniture and fixtures, may lead to a low-quality
sound experience. It is recommended to employ acoustic mats wherever possible, to eliminate excess noise.
If you intend on using video, an appropriate background is crucial. Find a clean wall or hang a cloth or paperboard behind the presenter to ensure a professional look. The presenter should be on an uncluttered
background, free of advertisements, slogans, or copy-written images.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Practical project: Being a trainer
Learning objectives:
•
•
•
Learn how to make use of media for presentation
Enable the participants to actually conduct training seminars
Make practical use of the knowledge gathered in the previous lessons
Duration: 6 hours
Target group: Image & Publicity Specialists, Public Relation Specialists, Sales & Marketing Specialists,
Coaching Specialists, Consulting Specialists, Writing & Content Specialists
Technical requirements and recommendations
Nowadays, anyone who works as a trainer should be able to use modern media and communication tools –
especially when coaching specialists in said fields.
This subchapter focuses on different highly usable hardware and software tools, essential for designing and
conducting a professional and effective seminar.
Hardware
•
•
•
•
•
•
Material case,
Projector/Overhead Projector/TV,
Flipchart/Whiteboard/Blackboard,
Laptop/Personal Computer/Smartphone,
Video camera,
Photo camera.
Material case. The material case contains tools like file cards, pens, stickers etc.
which can be used for presentations and different methods (e.g. clustering, mind
mapping, mood board) during a seminar.
It’s the trainer's responsibility to keep a proper case and to have it fully equipped
(according to the planned methods) before a seminar.
Trainers can’t expect to have all the materials provided by their clients or project
partners.
Projector/Overhead Projector/TV. Projectors and televisions can be used to show
presentations (e.g. Powerpoint), movies, written text etc. They can also play an important role for the
presentation of actual (group) work results. The trainers have to make sure that the hardware used is
compatible with the projector/TV. All cables, adapters and other potential sources of error need to be
thoroughly checked in advance.
Nowadays, projectors or TVs are connected to notebooks or computers via VGA or
HDMI. Usually, they should automatically detect the hardware and connect to the
source. In case this doesn’t happen, the trainer can simply press the Windows Key
and “P” on the keyboard in order to open the projecting menu, where different ways
of connecting to an external screen are displayed. Alternatively, the trainer can
access this function on laptops using the “FN” keys in combination with another key.
Beware: Projectors and the older overhead projectors require a screen or at least a flat, bright
surface and a darkened room to present the information, while a TV can work at any time.
Flipchart/Whiteboard/Blackboard. Flipcharts, whiteboards or even blackboards are still
important to present basic information and to depict ad-hoc information during certain methods
like lecture-style teaching or instructions. One of their most important functions is to present the
daily schedule at the beginning of each seminar. Flipcharts can even be used several times –
after the seminar, the trainer can simply take them with her.
Beware: Always use proper pens on whiteboards! They shouldn’t be water-proof or permanent.
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Laptop/Personal Computer/Smartphone/tablets. Probably the most important tools of a modern and
professional training seminar. It is highly recommended to be proficient in using such devices.
The notebook and PCs can be used to display all prepared information
(via using certain software), to save results, in certain cases they are
even essential to the learning aims, e.g. during editing workshops.
Before the start of a seminar, the trainer should make sure that all the
necessary software is installed, that the laptop battery is at full charge or
can be conveniently recharged during the seminar, and, as it becomes
more and more important, that a connection to the internet can be
established on location.
Smartphones or tablets can be very important for documentation
purposed and for planning because of the built-in calendar tools.
Video cameras. Video cameras can be very helpful for presentations (connected
to a projector/TV) and for certain methods, e.g. recording of partner interviews.
Usually, consumer cameras already have fitting cables included (usually RCA or
HDMI cables/adapters) which can be connected to any modern projection device.
Professional cameras have many different outputs, which all can be connected to
modern devices.
Photo cameras. Photo cameras are perfect for documentation purposes. The trainer can
easily photograph flipcharts or other visual results. Additionally, they can be used to
document the work-in-progress which sometimes is necessary for certain clients.
Nowadays, smartphones and tablets can be used for this purpose as well, especially
among the younger generations they are already replacing the photo camera.
Depending on the chosen methods, photo cameras can be used as part of seminar elements as well.
Software
•
•
•
•
•
Microsoft Powerpoint/OpenOffice Impress/Apple Keynote,
Microsoft Word/OpenOffice Writer/Apple Pages,
Mediaplayers,
Skype, Google Hangout, Clickmeeting,
Dropbox/Google Drive.
In the course of this chapter, different software solutions are presented. While the programs by Microsoft and
Apple are well-known and popular, they are not free and specialized to their respective operating systems
(Microsoft Windows and Apple OS). The “OpenOffice” software package is provided by “Apache” and a free
open-source solution for everyone to use – despite of his or her OS.
Microsoft Powerpoint /Apple Keynote /Apache OpenOffice Impress. Presentation software like “Microsoft
Powerpoint” is essential for modern training seminars. In comparison to “old-fashioned” presentation devices,
the software combines flexibility (each element of the presentation can be changed quickly and at any time),
mobility (it can be transported via USB sticks etc.) and variability concerning visualizations and graphic tools.
Helpful links:
•
•
•
http://office.microsoft.com (the official “Microsoft Office” help site, provided by Microsoft, with different
tutorials and general instructions),
http://www.apple.com/support/ (the official support and FAQ site by Apple which also provides
tutorials and general instructions on Apple office software like Keynote),
http://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/FAQ/Impress (the “OpenOffice Impress” support page
is incorporated within a Wiki, so it has easy access and works like any other Wikipedia-like page.
Microsoft Word/Apple Pages/Apache OpenOffice Writer/Google Docs. The named software tools can be
used to write down seminar designs, concepts, feedback forms or any other written text. The newer versions
offer enhanced functions for easy-to-get, good-looking visualizations (e.g. “Smart Art”) and crossover-features
with other software included in their respective office packages.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Google Docs, however, plays a special rule. It is Google’s browser-based office package, which means, that
anyone can simply turn on their Firefox, Chrome or Safari browser and access the free-to-use online editor
under docs.google.com (although you have to sign up first). The advantage is that no installation is required
and that the files are automatically saved to the Google Drive account of the logged in user. They can be
shared and edited online within a team. Unfortunately, all files that are edited online are automatically saved
as a spreadsheet file and the functions of the online editor are very much limited in comparison to the offline
office packages.
Helpful links:
•
•
•
•
http://office.microsoft.com (the official “Microsoft Office” help site, provided by Microsoft, with different
tutorials and general instructions).
http://www.apple.com/support/ (the official support and FAQ site by Apple which also provides
tutorials and general instructions on Apple office software like Keynote).
http://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/FAQ/Impress (the “OpenOffice Writer” support page is
incorporated within a Wiki, so it has easy access and works like any other Wikipedia-like page).
http://docs.google.com (link to the online office package by Google. If you don’t have a Google
account, you have to sign up first and use all other Google services as well).
Media players. Many presentations or methods require a media player in order to play video or audio files.
The trainer should pick a player based on its compatibility since many participants tend to take no care of the
file formats, used codecs etc.
A free and widely spread solution is the VLC player which has a lots of built-in decoders and can play almost
every available file format/codec.
Helpful link:
•
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ (the official page of the VLC player with download options and
explanations on how to setup and use the player).
Skype, Google Hangout, Clickmeeting. Either for preparation or online seminars (webinars), online
communication tools play an essential role within seminar conception and conducting.
“Skype” and “Google Hangout” are very popular solutions because apart from simple text and voice
communication they offer additional, helpful features, like file transport, desktop publishing, video transmission
and group meetings.
“Google Hangout” is completely free and can be used with any google account, while “Skype” requires a paid
premium account for group video meetings (other features are for free). “Clickmeeting” is a commercial,
specialized software solution for video conferences and presentations – therefore it is highly recommended for
webinars.
Helpful links:
•
•
•
http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/,
http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/learnmore/hangouts/,
http://www.clickmeeting.com/.
Dropbox/Google Drive. “Dropbox” and “Google Drive” are cloud solutions to exchange files. Nowadays, they
are essential for project planning and can be used for seminars as well. For example, the trainer can upload
the daily photo documentation or share any other important information with the participants, without relying
on e-mail communication, which usually requires smaller file sizes.
Helpful links:
•
•
https://www.dropbox.com/install
http://drive.google.com
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How to be a trainer
“Tell me – I will forget it!
Explain to me – I will remember!
Allow me to do it myself – I will understand”
While the previous chapters focused on the theoretical base of being a trainer and methods that media
trainers could use, the last and final chapter enables the upcoming trainers to test their knowledge and bring
their seminar ideas to life – in two steps.
Designing a single seminar element. Each participant is asked to prepare a single seminar element which
has to be related to the contents of module 1 or 2. In the end, the conducting of this element shouldn’t take
longer than 15 minutes. For example, the participant can decide to explain the camera with a certain method,
play a “getting to know” game, do a brainstorm activity etc. The participant should consider everything she
learned in the previous chapters and must be able to choose appropriate methods regarding the contents that
she wants to deliver.
The conception of this element should be done according to the forms which were conveyed during the
“Training Cycle Management”.
The participants have one hour to prepare everything necessary to enter the role play phase:
•
•
•
session plan/seminar design,
materials,
setting.
Role play & Feedback. During the role play phase, each participant is asked to play the media trainer role
and conduct the prepared seminar element, while other participants act as students.
She has a maximum of 15 minutes, afterwards the trainer steps in to stop the session.
Subsequently, the trainer conducts a feedback session, containing the following elements:
•
•
•
self-reflection of the role play trainer (What does she think was good? What could be improved?),
feedback by the group,
feedback by the trainer.
Each element shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes.
Ideally, this session part works with a maximum number of 6 participants, in order to stay within the module’s
timeframe.
If the number of participants exceeds the recommended number, the course can be split, which would require
a second media trainer, though.
Another possibility is to let two participants prepare and present a single seminar element in partner work.
Time
Topic
Objective
00:0000:15
Introduction:
Presentation of the
schedule
Orientation
00:1501:00
Technical
requirements and
recommendations
for the trainers
The participants should learn
about concrete hardware and
software tools which can be
helpful/essential for seminar
conceptions
01:0001:15
Short break
Recreation, New energy
01:1501:30
Repetition of the
previous chapters
Bring the new and necessary
knowledge back to mind and make
it ready for the upcoming practical
Method
Presentation
Media
Flipchart/Whiteboard
Notebook/Projector/TV
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Presentation,
Group
Flipchart/Whiteboard
Group
Flipchart/Whiteboard
Notebook/Projector/TV
Notebook/Projector/TV
New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
of this module
session
01:3001:40
Explanation of the
practical session
Thoroughly prepare the
participants for the role play and
their tasks
Presentation
01:4002:40
Designing the
seminar elements
in single work (or
partner work if
necessary because
of a high number of
participants)
The participants design their very
own seminar elements (their topics
should focus around contents from
module 1 or 2) for the first time.
The element should be created
according to the standards they
learned before. Additionally, the
participants should think about the
settings and the materials/media
they are going to need during the
role play
Single work
02:4002:50
Short break
Recreation, New energy
02:4004:50
Role play #1
Each participant conducts his
single seminar element.
Flipchart/Whiteboard
Notebook/Projector/TV
Partner work
Pen & papers,
Notebook
Role play,
feedback
Chosen by the
participant
First, they arrange the location (if
it’s on-sight) or folders (if it’s
online) and give a short
introduction to the upcoming role
play.
Then the role play begins. The
participant acts as the media
trainer who conducts his session
according to the worked out plan.
The other participants are “his/her”
participants for the time of the
session.
The trainer stops this session after
15 minutes and starts the
feedback. First, the role play
trainer reflects his session, then
the gorup and finally the trainer.
The feedback session lasts 15
minutes, so all in all, one role play
session takes 30 minutes of time.
Then the next participant slips into
the role of a trainer. During this
first role play block, four
participants should be able to
present their seminar design.
04:5004:55
Short break
Recreation, New energy
04:5505:55
Role play #2
Same as “Role play #1” with time
for only two participants.
Role play,
Feedback
Chosen by the
participant
05:5506:00
Final words and
Farewell
The trainer reflects the day with
the participants and holds a
feedback session
Plenum,
Feedback
Flipchart/Whiteboard
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Test questions
1.
Name at least 5 pedagogical competencies (from 10 described in this module) of a good
trainer.
2.
“This style allows maximum independence to the co-workers by letting them decide about
their work and their organization” is the definition of:
a.
authoritarian or hierarchic management style
b.
democratic or cooperative management style
c.
laissez-faire management style
d.
supporting style
3.
Name all 3 basic indicators of credibility.
4.
How large can the group of webinar participants be if the trainer wants to led the session as
a dialogue, the trainees can interrupt the lecturer spontaneously and there are allowed
interactions between particular trainees?
5.
a.
6 or less people
b.
7-20 people
c.
more than 20 people
What trainer can’t do when giving feedback?
a.
comment the behavior of participant
b.
separate the praise from critics
c.
judge participants
6.
Name the seven fundamental steps of every Training Cycle Management.
7.
Which method can be used in order to identify the usefulness of a single learning objective?
a.
DECS
b.
SMART
c.
none of these
8.
Name at least five element that should be part of every seminar.
9.
Name the five phases a group goes through during a seminar.
10. Which two steps are required to provide a helpful work feedback?
11. “These education objectives are based on pure knowledge and intellectual skills, thus they
are accessible through the mind, through intelligence” is the definition of:
a.
cognitive educational objectives
b.
affective educational objectives
c.
psychomotor educational objectives
12. Name five common methods for use during seminars.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Answers
Module A
Question 1:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Camera body - contains electronic elements and mechanisms that control its operations and record
images on the magnetic tape or other type of storage.
Camera lens - captures the light reflected from the subject and brings it to a focus on the film or
detecting media.
Viewfinder is what the photographer looks through to compose, and in many cases to focus, the
picture.
Recorder - system of electronic and mechanical devices that allow the video to be saved on the
medium.
Microphone - acoustic sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal.
Batteries supply power to the camera during field work.
Question 2:
•
•
•
•
Tape
Memory card
Flash recorder
CD/DVD
Question 3: Shot shows the person from the head to knees (including the gun). An American shot clearly
shows gestures because the hands are still in the picture.
Question 4: A crane
Question 5:
•
•
•
•
Adobe Premiere
Avid
Movie Maker
iMovie
Question 6: Tilt
Module B
Question 1: Investigative, news, reviews, and columns.
Question 2: All are valid.
Question 3: An online environment that offers online software (sometimes hardware solutions as well) to
create, produce, host, distribute and publish media content.
Question 4: The relationship between copyrighted digital works (such as film, music and art) and user
permissions and rights related to computers, networks and electronic devices.
Question 5: Attribution, Non-commercial, Not derivative works and Share alike.
Module C
Question 1:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Openness to feedback,
Learn from their own experience,
Dealing with criticism and expression of criticism,
Creativity and flexibility in thought and action,
Ability to analyze and synthesize,
Acceptance of different points of view,
Focus on the goals and people,
Ability to concentrate on the problem,
Control of the communication process,
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Dealing with difficult situations
Question 2: laissez-faire management style
Question 3:
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Dress
Professionalism
Enthusiasm
Question 4: 6 or less people
Question 5: judge participants
Question 6:
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Preparation
Training Needs Analysis
Seminar Design
Materials Design
Conduction
Evaluation
Conclusion and Improvement
Question 7: SMART method
Question 8:
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Dasd Welcoming (including presentation of the day’s schedule)
Getting to know each other
Expectations
Breaks
Backup of results
Energizer
Feedback
Goodbye
Question 9: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning.
Question 10: “Quality backup” and “Quality development”.
Question 11: Cognitive educational objectives.
Question 12: E.g. group work, speech, role-play, flashlight, change of perspective.
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Glossary
American shot – it shows the person from the head to knees. An American shot clearly shows gestures
because the hands are still in the picture.
Blog or weblog: A web site where in chronological order one or various authors publish texts, news, articles
containing their own ideas and/or opinions about diverse issues. It can serve to publish Readers can
collaborate adding their own contributions and comments. The author is free to modify the text and to decide
about maintaining the other users’ contributions.
Cloud computing: A system that provides computing services on the Internet. "Cloud computing" is a new
model of services and technology that even allows the user to access a set of standardized services with them
and respond to her needs.
Content media platform: it is an online environment that offers online software (sometimes hardware
solutions as well) to create, produce, host, distribute and publish media content. It is possible to find different
solutions; each offers different resources, tools and materials that could help you to develop media content.
Copyleft: A type of general license that allows making totally free digital content, requiring that all modified
and extended versions of it will be also free.
Crane - a special device used to lift the camera high into the air and film from above.
Creative Commons (CC) license: It is the most popular public copyright license to distribute copyrighted
works. We can use CC license when we want to give people the permission to share, use, and even build
upon a work that we have created.
Cross media: New communication strategy that allows the information, a new editorial content, or any other
resource, to reach a wide audience through using diverse media (multimedia), and reaching the highest
effectiveness of the message in this way.
Didactics: A theoretical scientific approach which deals with the theory of teaching.
Digital journalism or cyber-journalism: A type of journalism that has its origin in the internet, and it’s using
the new technologies of communication to transmit a message.
Digital rights: The relationship between copyrighted digital works (such as film, music and art) and user
permissions and rights related to computers, networks and electronic devices. Digital rights also refer to the
access and control of digital information
Digital media: The combination and interaction of all traditional media, such as audio, pictures, video, text,
movement, touch, and capture data.
Digital rights management: A procedure to manage any kind of practice to stop, or at least hinder, the
practice of piracy.
Establisher - the biggest/widest shot and is used to introduce the viewer into the setting of a movie or to
present the location.
Evaluation: In the context of this handbook, evaluation is an appropriate and professional process to identify
weaknesses and strengths of a seminar and the trainer, conducted with the help of various evaluation tools.
Feedback: Information about the results of someone’s work. Giving feedback should be based on the
formulation of constructive expression of both negative and positive actions and behaviors. Feedback serves
the needs of the person who receives it.
Focus - the position at which rays of light from a lens converge to form a clear and sharply defined image on a
focal plane and the action of adjusting the distance between the lens and subject to make light rays converge
to form a clear and sharply defined image of the subject.
GNU GPL (General Public License or GPL): is a license created by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) in
the mid-80s, and is aimed primarily at protecting the free distribution, modification and use of software. Its
purpose is to declare that the software covered by this license is free software and protect it from attempts to
take that restrict those freedoms to users.
Info graphic: It’s the visual description of the text. They can be a very helpful kind of content to explain some
specific and perhaps technical information.
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New Media Production Methodolody – how to increase your multimedia competencies?
Journalism: The collection of information in different forms, and its handling (written, oral, visual or graphic).
Journalism intends to collect, analyse, synthesise, prioritise and publish the present and emerging news.
Knee shot - in this shot, the protagonists (main characters) or single protagonist are in the centre and are
seen from head to toe.
LED – A relatively new technology based on LEDs and lenses. LEDs give a high quality light, generate little
heat and consume very little energy.
Long shot - presents the location a little bit more detail than the establisher.
Medium shot - it shows a character’s upper-body, arms, and head. Medium shots are relatively good for
showing facial expressions but work well to show body language.
Methodology: A pedagogical branch which centres on ways and methods of teaching.
Microphone - an acoustic sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal.
Open source: A program that has its code available for general public, it can be used and modified
Personal data: Data, whether true or not, about an individual who can be identified from that data; or from
that data and other information to which the organisation has or is likely to have access.
Recorder - a system of electronic and mechanical devices that allow the video to be saved on the medium.
Seminar design: A Seminar Design is an all-embracing concept of a seminar, including a full schedule and
other relevant information or papers (handouts, material lists etc.).
Steadicam - stabilizing mount for a motion picture camera, which mechanically isolates the operator’s
movement from the camera, allowing a very smooth shot even when the operator is moving quickly over an
uneven surface.
Training Cycle Management (TCM): Training Cycle Management describes a system of different processes
and tools in order to successfully plan, conduct and evaluate a training seminar.
Training Needs Analysis (TNA): A Training Needs Analysis is a tool or a process to identify training gaps of
future participants.
Tripods - a three-legged object, generally used as a platform of some sort. Tripods are used for both still and
motion photography to prevent uncontrolled and unwanted camera movement. They reduce camera shake,
and thus are instrumental in achieving maximum sharpness.
Webinar: Web-based seminar with transmission of video and audio content online (over the internet) from one
source to a limited audience with the purpose of training.
Workshop: Practical approach to the subject of training - participants are actively involved in training at a
level much higher than during the lecture.
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