Unit 3: Digital Media Skills

Level: 3
Unit type: External
Guided learning hours: 120

Unit in brief
Learners look at the creative digital media technical skills required to produce a product to a
prescribed brief.

Unit introduction
This unit allows you to demonstrate, through constructing a digital media product, the skills
you have developed in media production across other units. You will learn how to work to a
client brief relating to a specific media sector and its associated digital skills. You will choose
the format and medium for your digital media project and demonstrate your creative and
technical skills in the production of a complete product. You will demonstrate your
understanding of production and post-production activities by working on the skills required
to produce the product, and prepare appropriate documentation to support them. To
complete the assessment tasks within this unit, you will need to draw on your learning from
across your programme. Working independently and using media hardware and software
will prepare you for further skills development, both in employment and higher education.

Summary of assessment
This unit is assessed through a task set and marked by Pearson. Final outcomes will be
completed in a 20 hour supervised assessment period.

Learners are provided with a brief 8 weeks before the supervised assessment period.
All final outcomes will be submitted electronically in file types specified by Pearson.
Please see Issue 3 of the Sample Assessment Material to help prepare learners for
assessment.

The number of marks for both versions of the task is 60.

The assessment availability is May/June each year.

Assessment outcomes
AO1 Apply knowledge and understanding of media production processes and skills when
responding to a brief

AO2 Demonstrate application of knowledge and understanding to create appropriate assets

in responses to a brief

AO3 Demonstrate selection and use of appropriate skills required for asset management

AO4 Demonstrate application of appropriate technical skills in the creation of a media

product

AO5 Synthesise ideas in order to produce creative responses that meet the needs of the
brief

Essential content
The essential content is set out under content areas. Learners must cover all specified
content relating to their sector before the assessment.

A Source and create assets

Learners will source and create a range of assets for the creation/build of a digital media
product in a specific media sector. This could include footage, recordings, digital images,
text and files.

A1 Understanding the brief

Read and understand a brief:
 purpose of the brief
 intentions of the client
 timings of the brief
 length of the finished digital media product
 time constraints of the brief.

Identifying an appropriate format for the digital media product:

 skills required to complete the brief
 availability of resources to complete the brief.

Identifying the target audience for the digital media product

 age of the target audience
 relationship of demographic and media platform.

Ideas generation:
 mind mapping, mood boards, decisions and revisions to select final idea.
A2 Identifying assets and required material
Learners will source and create assets appropriate for the brief and their response to it.
• Assets required to fulfil a brief.
• How assets are to be created.
• How assets are to be sourced (searches, research enquiries).
• Where assets may be sourced (royalty free sources, picture libraries, open source,
 creative commons licenses, public domain).
• Considerations for each asset (copyright, royalties, clearances, permissions,
 acknowledgements).

A3 Creating assets and materials

Create own assets as per chosen medium.
Video:
 filming on location
 filming in a studio/interior
 lighting:
– natural light
– artificial light
– portable flash
– studio flash, filters, flags, reflectors
 composition:
– rule of thirds
– crossing the line, 180 degree rule
 mise-en-scène (costume, setting, figure expression)
 sequences, scenes, takes
 camera ‘set-ups’ within a scene (repositioning the camera within a scene)
 shooting for continuity (eyeline matches, shot-reverse-shot, match on action)

 shooting cutaways
 camera framing:
– wide, close up, medium close up, long, point of view, over the shoulder, two shot
 camera angles (low, high, neutral)
 camera height
 camera movements
– tracking, panning, craning, whip pan, dolly, tilt, handheld
– pull focus, zoom.

A4 Index of sources
Digital index format:
 e-folders with links
 blog with links or embedded assets
 annotations
 sourced materials: copyright, acknowledgements, references, ownership,
 permissions, clearances.

Identification of the location of sourced assets.

Identification of the appropriateness of the materials for the intended product
(brief, length, size, content).
• Where in product materials will be used.

A5 Storing assets
Assets labelled and logged with appropriate file names.

Assets stored securely.

Assets able to be retrieved:

 on demand
 in the correct file size and type
 in the correct format.

B Preparing editing and/or manipulating assets

B1 E-portfolio
E-portfolio (digital folders of prepared/edited/manipulation of created and sourced
material).

How original indexed material has been modified.

Comparisons with original and fully prepared material (‘before and after’).

Digital portfolio of process with annotations and justifications.

B2 Editing material/assets
Editing to ensure:
 material is prepared for construction/build
 material is the required length
 material is the required size
 material is fit for purpose
– for the client/brief
– for the audience
 the asset has aesthetic qualities that meet the needs of the commission brief
 appropriate for the chosen medium.

Video:
 labelling and logging prepared material
 removing unwanted material and outtakes
 combining images
 syncing sound:
– lip sync
– cut to music, beat
– sound bridges
 editing style:
 – continuity editing - match on action, eyeline match, cutaway, shot-reverse-shot,
split-screen, cross-cutting (parallel editing)
– non-continuity editing - montage, flashbacks.
 adjusting audio (for time, length, quality)
 resolving colour balance or grading issues
 adding and modifying titles, captions, graphics and credits
 adding cuts and transitions: standard cut, jump cut, cross dissolve, wipe, fade-in/out,
 J and L cut, smash cut, invisible cut
 making selections through masking
 adding effects: motion, opacity, speed, colour correction, audio, blur,
 superimposition.
 editing footage shot with a green/blue screen.

B4 E-portfolio of preparation, editing and/or manipulation process

E-portfolio format:
 content page
 folders (labelled and organised as per the chosen medium)
 files (types and names)
 accessibility
 stored on hard drive, stored on the Cloud, stored on a VLE.

Annotating the edit/manipulation process:

 screen grabs, notes, slide shows, audio commentary
 justifications for decisions and revisions.

How the asset has changed and why:

 comparisons (before and after)
 screen grabs of process and technique
 video/photos of the process technique
 audio commentary.

How this has affected the asset.

C Create/build a media product

C1 Meeting the brief

The product is the required length.

Standards are appropriate

 as per medium chosen.

The product is fit for purpose

 for the client
 for the audience.
Aesthetic qualities that meet the needs of the commission brief.

C2 Digital skills
• Dependent on the chosen medium.
• Independent use of software.
• Independent use of hardware.
• Organised system to build/construct.
• Understanding of technical requirements.
• Creativity in meeting the brief.
• Clear communication of the message through technical skills.
• Production of a functioning digital media product to the brief.
• Accessibility.

C3 Saving final media product

• Check functionality.
• Check usability.
• Check accessibility.
• Labelling.
• File type.
Grade descriptors

To achieve a grade a learner is expected to demonstrate these attributes across the

essential content of the unit. The principle of best fit will apply in awarding grades.

Level 3 Pass
Learners will be able to understand the set brief and be able to consider the assets required
to produce a media product. They will be able to produce or source some appropriate assets
and prepare an index to demonstrate this. They will be able to demonstrate some skills in
editing, manipulating or preparing assets and be able to provide evidence of these
processes in an e-portfolio. Learners will be able to produce a media product that meets
some of the requirements of the brief.

Level 3 Distinction
Learners will be able to fully understand the set brief and be able to source and create the
assets required to produce a media product. They will be able to source or produce a range
of appropriate assets and prepare an in-depth index to demonstrate this. They will be able
to demonstrate accomplished skills in editing, manipulating or preparing assets and be able
to comprehensively provide evidence of these processes in an e-portfolio. Learners will be
able to produce a media product that fully meets the requirements of the brief.

Kevin.ward@nwrc.ac.uk