Be Mindful of TimeNot only students, but instructors can be deceived by the actual amount of production time it takes to complete a simple 3-5 minute audio or video project. The times listed below reflect the array of minor and processes, including preparation, resource acquisition, and iterative post-production editing that goes into every project.
Project Type |
Time Commitment |
| 10-12 minute informal interview for podcast (minimum post-production) | ½–2 hours |
| 10-12 minute formal interview for podcast (maximum post-production) | 1–5 hours |
| 3-5 minute informal or interview video (minimum post-production) | 1–3 hours |
| 3–5 minute remix/mash-up video (minimum post-production) | 2–4 hours |
| 3-5 minute high quality video (maximum post-production) | 4–20 hours |
Develop a ScheduleEnsure all aspects on the grading rubric are addressed on the assignment. Students save time in production when organization tools and techniques are shared.
Deliverable |
Description |
When Due |
| Outline | Key concepts, overall vision or approach, cast and roles, 3rd party media needed | Before production begins |
| Script | Dialogue (listed by speaker) - May be rough notes or exact dialogue to be spoken | First trimester of project |
| Storyboard | Sequential list of shots, sketches, direction | First–Middle trimester of project |
| Rough Cut | Final video editing, previewing, focus grouping | Third trimester of project |
Stay OrganizedWe recommend that before the semester begins, faculty meet with the Library's Digital Media Specialist to discuss the project. Library staff can help you and your students obtain the maximum benefit from this technology. It's particularly important to scheduling any in-class workshops ahead of time, and to plan ahead for the amount of lab time students will need to comfortably complete their projects.
Week |
Task |
| 1 | Introduce project and rubric to students |
| 2 | Form student teams |
| 3 | In-class workshop with Digital Media Specialist |
| 4 | Outline and script due |
| 5 | Storyboard due |
| 6 | Production begins |
| 9 | Rough cut due |
| 13 | Video completed and submitted/published online |
| 14 | Peer Critique |
Information adapted from the Instructor's Guide to Media Activities from the Penn State Media Commons
This page outlines some of the resource and time requirements involved in multimedia/multimodal assignments. Just being aware of the hidden 'overhead' in such assignments can help you create better assignments, help your students create better compositions, and help you both avoid the pitfalls that mitigate the success of otherwise great work.
 Visit The Digital Media Workspace at the HCC LibraryGet advice on designing your project and understand the resources available to the HCC community. |
| Assign Group Projects Media authoring involves multiple roles that often work simultaneously. Working in teams will improve the overall quality of outcomes. We recommend teams of 2–3 students. |
| Require mid-project deliverables Think about the logistics for project submission early on. Will students be posting their work online or submitting them via flash drive? |
| Assign Short Projects A good rule-of-thumb is that videos should be 3–5 minutes long, and podcasts should be at most 10–12 minutes. |
| Provide copyright information Issues such as copyright and fair-use are especially crucial to understand in media production. We can help you design your activity so that students leverage other media both powerfully and creatively, legally and ethically. |
| Share examples beforehand By sharing examples of excellent (and sometimes poor) final products you increase the transparency of your assignment, and offer examples that students can deconstruct for use in their own work. |