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This resource was designed using the most up to date information from the specification. Specifications are updated over time which means there may be contradictions between the resource and the specification, therefore please use the information on the latest specification and Sample Assessment Materials at all times when ensuring students are fully prepared for their assessments.

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ISBN: 978 1 5104 5720 1
eISBN: 978 1 5104 5706 5

© Kevin Wells, Victoria Allen, Sarah McAtominey, Tony Stephens 2019

First published in 2019 by

Hodder Education,

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A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

Contents

Introduction

OCR Marking criteria glossary of terms

How to use this book

Acknowledgements

R081  Pre-production skills

LO1  Understand the purpose and content of pre-production

LO2  Be able to plan pre-production

LO3  Be able to produce pre-production documents

LO4  Be able to review pre-production documents

R082  Creating digital graphics

LO1  Understand the purpose and properties of digital graphics

LO2  Be able to plan the creation of a digital graphic

LO3  Be able to create a digital graphic

LO4  Be able to review a digital graphic

R083  Creating 2D and 3D digital characters

LO1  Understand the properties and uses of 2D and 3D digital characters

LO2  Be able to plan original 2D and 3D digital characters

LO3  Be able to create 2D and 3D digital characters

LO4  Be able to review 2D and 3D digital characters

R084  Storytelling with a comic strip

LO1  Understand comic strips and their creation

LO2  Be able to plan a multipage comic strip

LO3  Be able to produce a multipage comic strip

LO4  Be able to review a multipage comic strip

R085  Creating a multipage website

LO1  Understand the properties and features of multipage websites

LO2  Be able to plan a multipage website

LO3  Be able to create a multipage website using multimedia components

LO4  Be able to review a multipage website

R086  Creating a digital animation

LO1  Understand the purpose and features of animation

LO2  Be able to plan a digital animation

LO3  Be able to create a digital animation

LO4  Be able to review a digital animation

R087  Creating interactive multimedia products

LO1  Understand the uses and properties of interactive multimedia products

LO2  Be able to plan an interactive multimedia product

LO3  Be able to create an interactive multimedia product

LO4  Be able to review an interactive multimedia product

R088  Creating a digital sound sequence

LO1  Understand the uses and properties of digital sound

LO2  Be able to plan a digital sound sequence

LO3  Be able to create a digital sound sequence

LO4  Be able to review a digital sound sequence

R089  Creating a digital video sequence

LO1  Understand the uses and properties of digital video

LO2  Be able to plan a digital video sequence

LO3  Be able to create a digital video sequence

LO4  Be able to review a digital video sequence

R090  Digital photography

LO1  Understand the features and settings of digital photographic equipment

LO2  Be able to plan a photoshoot

LO3  Be able to take and display digital photographs

LO4  Be able to review digital photographs

R091  Designing a game concept

LO1  Understand digital game types and platforms

LO2  Be able to plan a digital game concept

LO3  Be able to design a digital game proposal

LO4  Be able to review a digital game proposal

R092  Developing digital games

LO1  Understand game creation hardware, software and peripherals

LO2  Be able to plan the creation of a digital game

LO3  Be able to create a digital game

LO4  Be able to review the creation of a digital game

Glossary

Index

Introduction

This book will help you develop the knowledge, understanding and practical skills you need to complete your Level 1/2 Cambridge National Creative iMedia course.

Each unit follows the required topics in the course specification. Content and detail is brief in the less popular units, but key points are still covered.

Mandatory and optional units

The Cambridge Nationals in Creative iMedia qualification comprises 12 different subject units. Each unit requires 30 hours of study time, including study time for the final assignment. All students need to complete the mandatory units R081 and R082.

Award in Creative iMedia: Complete two units, including the examined unit R081 (pre-production) and the mandatory unit R082 (digital graphics).

Certificate in Creative iMedia: Complete four units, including the examined unit R081, the mandatory unit R082 and two additional units from R083 to R092.

Assessment: Examined unit and final set assignments

•  Unit R081 is an examined unit where you will sit a 1 hour 15 minute examination paper, which is set and marked by OCR.

•  Units R082 to R092 are assessed through a series of tasks for a set assignment that you will be given. The assignments are set by OCR, marked by your tutor and then moderated by OCR.

All examination questions and set assignment tasks contain ‘command’ words. These tell you what you have to do to answer a question or complete the task. Definitions of the command words are in the OCR Marking criteria glossary of terms at the end of this introduction. Always check the command word before starting a task or answering a question. If you describe something when an explanation is required, for example, you will not gain full marks; this is because an explanation requires more detail than a description.

Once you have learned the required parts of the unit, you will complete an assignment to assess your knowledge and skills of the subject. It will be set in a vocational context, which means that it will simulate what it would be like to be given a project by a client or employer in a work situation. You will use the OCR set assignment for the assessment. This assignment will include a series of tasks that follow the same process and sequence of the unit, to explore, plan, create and review a creative media product.

Plagiarism and referencing

Your work for the OCR set assignments in units R082–R092 must be in your own words. You must not plagiarise. Plagiarism is the submission of another’s work as one’s own and/or failure to acknowledge the source correctly. Sometimes you might need to use a diagram or include a quotation from someone else or a website. If you do this, it is important that you provide a reference. Quotation marks should be placed around any quoted text. You should put the source reference next to the information used. In addition to referencing the picture, diagram, table or quotation, you should explain in your own words why you have used it, what it tells you, how it relates to your work or summarise what it means.

When producing your work for the assessment, you can use templates provided by OCR or others you find yourself. However, you must always decide for yourself how to present your information.

OCR Marking criteria glossary of terms

Accurately
Acting or performing within care and precision; within acceptable limit from a standard

Advanced
Being at a high level; progressive

All
All relevant as described in the unit content for a specified area

Appropriate
Relevant to the purpose/task

Basic
The work comprises the minimum required and provides the base or starting point from which to develop. Responses are simple and not complicated; the simplest and most important facts are included

Brief
Accurate and to the point but lacking detail/contextualisation/examples

Clear
Focussed and accurately expressed, without ambiguity

Comment
Present an informed opinion

Communicate
Make known, transfer information

Complex
Consists of several interwoven parts, all of which relate together

Comprehensive
The work is complete and includes everything that is necessary to evidence understanding in terms of both breadth and depth

Confident
Exhibiting certainty; having command over one’s information/argument etc.

Consider
Review and respond to given information

Considered
Reached after or carried out with careful thought

Consistently
A level of performance which does not vary greatly in quality over time

Create
To originate (e.g. to produce a solution to a problem)

Critical
Incisive – exposing/recognising flaws

Describe
Set out characteristics

Design
Work out creatively/systematically

Detail
To describe something item by item, giving all the facts

Detailed
Point-by-point consideration of (e.g. analysis, argument)

Discuss
Present, explain and evaluate salient points (e.g. for/against an argument)

Effective
Applies skills appropriately to a task and achieves the desired outcome; successful in producing a desired or intended result

Efficient
Performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; having and using requisite knowledge, skill and effort

Note on effective versus efficient: both express approval of the way in which someone or something works but their meanings are different. Effective describes something which successfully produces an intended result, without reference to morality, economy or effort, or efficient use of resources. Efficient applies to someone or something able to produce results with the minimum expense or effort, as a result of good organisation or good design and making the best use of available resources

Evaluate
Make a qualitative judgement taking into account different factors and using available knowledge/experience

Explain
Set out the purposes or reasons

Extensive
Large in range or scope

Few
A small number or amount, not many but more than one

Fully
Completely or entirely; to the fullest extent

High
Advanced in complexity or development

Independent
Without reliance on others

Limited
The work produced is small in range or scope and includes only a part of the information required; it evidences partial, rather than full, understanding

List
Document a series of outcomes or events or information

Little
A very small amount of evidence, or low number of examples, compared to what was expected, is included in the work

Many
A large number of (less than ‘most’ see below)

Most
Greatest in amount; the majority of; nearly all of; at least 75% of the content which is expected has been included

Occasionally
Occurring, appearing or done infrequently and irregularly

Outline
Set out main characteristics

Partly
To some extent, but not completely

Plan
Consider, set out and communicate what is to be done

Present

1.  Produce an exposition/résumé for an audience (e.g. at the conclusion of the project to demonstrate what has been done and the outcome)

2.  Set out (project) aims, content, outcomes and conclusions clearly/logically for the use/ benefit of others

Range
The evidence presented is sufficiently varied to give confidence that the knowledge and principles are understood in application as well as in fact

Reasoned
Justified, to understand and to make judgements based on practical facts

Relevant
Correctly focused on the activity

Simple
The work is composed of one part only, either in terms of its demands or in relation to how a more complex task has been interpreted by the learner

Some
About 50% of the content which would have been expected is included

Sound
Valid, logical, shows the learner has secured relevant knowledge/understanding

Support
Teacher gives training, instruction, guidance and advice as appropriate and monitors activities to assist learners in tackling/completing their projects, ensuring authenticity and a fair and accurate assessment

Thorough
Extremely attentive to accuracy and detail

Wholly
Entirely; fully

Wide
The learner has included many relevant details, examples or contexts thus avoiding a narrow or superficial approach, broad approach taken to scope/scale; comprehensive list of examples given

© OCR 2019

How to use this book

Key features of the book

About this unit

Pre-production is about planning the production of your media product. If done well, it makes the production process quicker and easier, and creates a better product.

Introduction to the topic covered in the unit and the resources you will need.

Learning outcomes

LO1 Understand the purpose and content of pre-production

LO2 Be able to plan pre-production

Prepare for what you are going to cover in the unit.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through a 1 hour 15 minute written exam, which is set and marked by OCR.

•  There will typically be three sections, at least one of which will be based around a scenario.

A brief explanation of the assessment requirements of the qualification to help you understand what you have to do.

Getting started

What is a pre-production document and where is it used?

In small groups, discuss the production of a new movie.

Short activity to introduce you to the topic.

Links to other units

You can find further information on how to categorise a target audience in unit R081.

Relevant links to other units and learning outcomes.

Key terms

Assets: the content collected or created for the final product, such as images, sound and video.

Graphic: a combination of multiple assets and text that forms the final product.

Understand important terms.

Classroom discussion

Think of your favourite website. What features make it your favourite? What makes you like it?

Discuss topics and answer questions with others in your class to test your understanding.

Stretch activity

You are required to create a comic that can be emailed to readers and printed in large scale A3 for a sample poster. What file types would you use for each requirement and why?

Activities designed to test your understanding of the topic and take your knowledge a step further.

Group activity

In small groups, share ideas about settings and compositions. Use a digital camera to take digital photographs using:

1  different camera settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO and WB)

2  different compositions and rules of photography.

Work in groups to discuss and reflect on topics, and share ideas.

Know it!

1  Explain the difference between copyright free and royalty free.

2  You have an outdoor project to complete at a public place. What planning documents and considerations do you need to think about?

Test your understanding with this end of unit task.

Assessment preparation

As part of this unit you will have learned about the importance of planning.

e

Some general guidelines on things you will need to consider when revising or working towards assessment.

Read about it

My Revision Notes: OCR Cambridge Nationals in Creative iMedia L1/2: Pre-production skills and creating digital graphics, by Kevin Wells (Hodder Education, 2017).

Includes references to books, websites and other various sources for further reading and research.

Acknowledgements

Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the Publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.

The Publishers would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce copyright material.

Adobe product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe.

Microsoft product screenshot(s) used with permission from Microsoft.

Screenshots of GIMP software reprinted with permission from Gimp.

Screenshots of Serif software used by permission of Serif (Europe) Ldt.

Audacity product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Audacity.

Slashdot Media product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Slashdot Media.

Blender product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Blender.

Apple product screenshot(s) reprinted with permission from Apple.

Screenshot(s) from the National Archives website reprinted with permission from the National Archive.

The images in Figure 9.6 are from learnaboutfilm.com, reprinted with permission.

Screenshot(s) of GameMaker software reprinted with permission from YoYo Games.

All rights reserved.

Photo credits

Page 1 © gustavofrazao/stock.adobe.com; Figure 1.2 © Petr Vaclavek/stock.adobe.com; Figure 1.4 © skmp/stock.adobe.com; Figure 1.7 © Yakobchuk Olena/stock.adobe.com; Figure 1.8 © leungchopan/stock.adobe.com; Figure 1.12 © Dmitry/stock.adobe.com; Figure 1.13 © trinetuzun/stock.adobe.com; Figure 1.19 © ojtisi/stock.adobe.com; Page 24 © Rawpixel.com/stock.adobe.com; Figure 2.2 © sakurra/stock.adobe.com; Figure 2.6 © bramgino/stock.adobe.com; Page 48 © hutangach/stock.adobe.com; Page 56 © irina_levitskaya/stock.adobe.com; Figure 4.1 © Alexei Sysoev/stock.adobe.com; Figure 4.4 © Gstudio Group/stock.adobe.com; Figure 4.6 © Lucky1984/stock.adobe.com; Figure 4.7 © Gstudio Group/stock.adobe.com; Page 72 © Julien Eichinger/stock.adobe.com; Page 94 © Miceking/stock.adobe.com; Figure 6.1 © The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation; Page 115 © sdecoret/stock.adobe.com; Figure 7.2 © scharfsinn86/stock.adobe.com; Figure 7.3 © aey/stock.adobe.com; Figure 7.4 © Anthony Kay/Loop Images Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo; Figure 7.7 © dehweh/stock.adobe.com; Page 135 © James Steidl/stock.adobe.com; Page 148 © PicturenetCorp/stock.adobe.com; Figure 9.3 © Patryk Kosmider/stock.adobe.com; Figure 9.5 © skmp/stock.adobe.com; Figure 9.9 © turbodesign/stock.adobe.com; Figure 10.2 © undrey/stock.adobe.com; Figure 10.9 © LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/stock.adobe.com; Page 192 © Rawpixel.com/stock.adobe.com; Page 202 © Africa Studio/stock.adobe.com

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