Interactive Media

Understand interactive media products.

• Purpose: to present content to and engage an audience using a collection of assets, such as video and graphics, to provide an enhanced multi-sensory experience.
• Content: video clips, sound effects, music, animation, sequences and images, as well as text.
• Uses: to present information, e.g. interactive slideshows, virtual tours, communicate with people, e.g. social networking, video conferencing, entertainment and leisure, e.g. computer games and movies, commerce, e.g. promotion of products and services, education, e.g. computer- aided learning, interactive assessments, develop skills, e.g. flight simulators.
• Types: linear products (presenting pages or screens to an audience in a pre-determined sequence, e.g. a slideshow or movie), interactive products (built in screen navigation and other features that allow users to interact with the product, e.g. computer games and simulations).
• Features: ease of navigation, interactivity, appropriateness of content, game elements (i.e. light effects, characters), game play (i.e. scoring, levels, rules, controls), understand how these features are used to improve the user experience, for example, how sound effects are used in computer games, video clips are embedded in learning packages, or animations are used in information points.

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1

  Explain the purpose, uses and features of different interactive media products.

• 1.2

  Explain how the features of interactive media can be used to engage an audience and enhance usability.

Be able to design an interactive media product in response to a design brief.

Learners must produce design documentation for either a linear or interactive product that includes:

• Ideas/prototypes that clearly indicate the idea and what the multimedia products might look like.
• Storyboard, containing a number of panels, to illustrate the layout, content (including interactive features) and structure of the product.
• Timelines for any animations and movie clips, with synchronised audio.
• Sources tables identifying ready-made digital assets, e.g. animation, graphics, music and sound effects, voice over, video clips (also include details of any ready-made assets), showing understanding of copyright and intellectual property law in relation to creative works, obtaining permission, acknowledging sources/referencing.
• Test plan to test functionality, usability etc.

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1

  Produce detailed design documentation for an interactive media product.

• 2.2

  Source and collect assets and content and showing consideration of the legal implications whether ready-made or created.

Be able to develop and test an interactive media product.

AC 3.1:

Edit assets (text, images and other graphics, video clips, e.g. cut and join together, add effects, navigation, e.g. menus, hyperlinks (internal and external), interactive components, e.g. hot spots, buttons, menus, rollover images, colour schemes, fonts and styles, animations, such as cut-out (i.e. tweens), rotoscoping and skeletal, audio, including synchronisation of sound effects, music and voice over.

AC 3.2:

Use interactive media tools/techniques to: combine assets to create interactive media products, export and compress assets into suitable file types and sizes.

AC 3.3:

Exporting and publishing: consideration of file size, rendering, optimisation, cross-platform, cross device compatibility, publishing (app for mobile devices or exe for PC).

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1

  Apply editing techniques to assets and content.

• 3.2

  Apply tools and techniques to develop an interactive media product.

• 3.3

  Export and publish the interactive media product into a suitable format.

Be able to review and refine interactive media product.

AC 4.1:

Test multimedia products for functionality, quality and usability to assess effectiveness, content, presentation, interaction, usability, performance and purpose, make improvements and/or refinements in response to testing.

AC 4.3:

Review the finished interactive media product in relation to: fitness for purpose, audience/user requirements, functionality, user experience, e.g. usability, quality, performance, constraints, strengths and improvements.

Learner should include reflections on how well they worked (strengths and areas for development), take into account user feedback, own self- assessment, feedback from others (peers, tutors).

Suggested improvements to own work: more efficient or effective ways of working, develop own digital skills (graphics, animation, video, etc).

Assessment Criteria

• 4.1

  Test the interactive media product, make refinements and document changes.

• 4.2

  Review how the interactive media product meets requirements, making suggestions for further improvements.