Videos, posters, websites, presentation materials——in Information II, you will develop the ability to create and share these kinds of "content" on your own. Good content does not come from a sudden idea. Let us learn from the upstream stages of production, where you design who will receive what, and through which medium.
What Is Content?
Content refers to the information itself (the substance or material) expressed through media such as text, audio, still images, and video. Some content uses a single medium, such as only text or only photographs, while other content is multimedia, combining multiple media as in a video. Digital content has features such as being easy to copy and edit, being instantly distributable through networks, and allowing interactivity (such as quizzes and games). On the other hand, as you learned in Information I, the ease of copying also makes copyright infringement easy, and the convenience of sharing also makes it easy to spread misinformation. Creators must accept responsibility for both sides.
Production Begins with "Planning" — 5W1H and Clarifying the Purpose
The process of content production generally proceeds as planning→design→production→evaluation and improvement. The things that should be decided during the initial planning stage are ① the purpose (why it is being made: to communicate, entertain, or encourage action), ② the audience (target) (who will receive it: age, knowledge, and interests), ③ the content (what will be communicated: collecting and selecting information), and ④ the media and means (what format and route will be used for delivery). Setting the audience is especially important. Even for the same "school introduction," the focus should be on the enjoyment of clubs and events for prospective students, but on academic results and safety for parents, so both the content and expression will change completely. Describing the audience as a specific individual profile, called a persona, is effective for aligning the understanding of the production team.
Design — Making the Structure Visible
Once the plan is settled, do not immediately begin filming or production; put the structure into a blueprint. For a video, create a storyboard that arranges the images, content, dialogue, and number of seconds for each scene. For a website, create a page structure diagram (sitemap) and a screen layout diagram (wireframe); for a presentation, create a structural plan showing the flow of the slides. Blueprints have advantages such as ① allowing you to examine and revise the overall flow before production begins (revising paper is much less expensive than reshooting), ② allowing work to be divided among several people, and ③ making the list of materials (footage to film, images to prepare, and music) clear. In addition, knowing common structural patterns shared by many stories and videos, such as "introduction→development→climax→conclusion," makes it easier to design a flow that does not bore the audience.
Production and Evaluation — Do Not Stop after Making It
During the production stage, collect materials (filming, recording, and drawing) and edit them. When using other people's copyrighted works (music, images, and fonts), it is essential to check the conditions of use and comply with the license (discussed in detail in Lesson 5). Once the work is complete, do not consider it finished after publishing it; carry out evaluation and improvement. Evaluation includes quantitative evaluation (evaluation based on data), such as the number of views, viewing time, and points where viewers leave, as well as qualitative evaluation based on impressions and interviews. If you know that "the video is not being watched to the end" or "where viewers leave," you can improve the structure of your next work. Repeating the planning→design→production→evaluation cycle has the same structure as the PDCA problem-solving cycle you learned in Information I.
- Content = the substance of information expressed through media. Combining multiple media is multimedia.
- Production process: planning→design→production→evaluation and improvement. Do not begin making it immediately.
- The core of planning is "purpose, audience (target), content, and media." The appropriate answer changes when the audience changes.
- Persona = a method of portraying the audience as a specific individual profile. It aligns the team's understanding.
- Blueprints (storyboards and wireframes) enable low-cost trial and error and division of labor.
- Evaluation should use both quantitative data (number of views and dropout data) and qualitative information (impressions), and apply the results to the next work.
Practice Questions
- Among the four stages of content production (planning→design→production→evaluation and improvement), list at least three things that should be decided during "planning."
- Even with the same theme of "introducing a school club," explain, using specific examples, why the content and expression change depending on the audience (target).
- List two advantages of creating a storyboard during video production.
- Explain the difference between "quantitative evaluation" and "qualitative evaluation" of content, and give an example of each.
Answers and Explanations
- Answer: ① Purpose (what it is being made for), ② audience (who it will be delivered to), ③ content (what will be communicated), and ④ the media used and means of delivery (what format and route will be used).
Explanation: The three elements of purpose, audience, and content are essential. Deciding them "before production begins" reduces uncertainty and rework during production. - Answer: (Example) For new students, it is effective to communicate "the enjoyment and atmosphere of the activities, and a welcome to beginners" with a bright tempo, while for parents, it is more appropriate to communicate "activity times, costs, attention to safety, and achievements" in a calm structure. Because the interests, knowledge, and positions of the recipients differ, what they "want to know" differs even for the same theme; therefore, both the selection of content and the tone of expression must change.
Explanation: The key is whether both the reason—that "what recipients want to know differs"—and contrasting specific examples have been provided. - Answer: (Example) ① The overall flow can be examined and revised before filming, allowing trial and error at a much lower cost than reshooting. ② The content and necessary materials for each scene become clear, making it easier for several people to divide the filming and editing work.
Explanation: The two key points are "low-cost revision before production" and "sharing and division of labor." Listing the necessary materials is also correct. - Answer: Quantitative evaluation is evaluation based on numerical data, such as the number of views, viewing time, points where viewers leave, and numerical survey results. Qualitative evaluation is evaluation based on qualitative information that cannot be expressed numerically, such as impressions, interviews, and open-ended responses. Quantitative evaluation objectively shows "what happened," while qualitative evaluation tells us why people "felt that way," so both should be combined and used for improvement.
Explanation: An answer is correct if it distinguishes between "numbers and words" and provides examples. Mentioning that the two complement each other earns top marks.