Seller Media Guidelines

 Seller Media Guidelines
Tell the story behind your art
Contact Information:
Brian Oh
Creative Director, ZIIBRA
[email protected]
Support Team
[email protected]
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
3
2. Media Requirements
4
a. Video
- Restrictions
- Uploading your video
4
4
b. Photography
- Restrictions
- Uploading your photography
5
5
5
3. Media Tips and tricks
7
a. Video
7
7
8
8
9
- Interview guideline
- Lighting
- Audio
- B-roll
b. Photography
- Banner Image guidelines
- Headshot Guideline
10
10
10
4. Questions
11
5. Journal
11
6. Final Check List
12
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 2
Executive Summary
The Creative Team has developed the following list of guidelines and best practices to help you
(Artists and Makers) create media content for your ZIIBRA page and best showcase your story.
Media Requirements
• Video Requirements
• Photography Requirements
Media Tips and Tricks
• Video Tips and Tricks
• Photography Tips and Tricks
These recommended guidelines have been created for the following:
•
•
•
Artist video
Banner image
Headshots
Feel free to share these guidelines with third party photographers and videographers who can simply
follow our suggested standards to best represent yourself, your story and your work on the ZIIBRA
platform.
These tools were carefully fashioned to support the creation of media and should be strongly
considered for implementation, but are not necessary for submission.
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 3
Media Requirements
Video
Restrictions
Tell us YOUR story
•
•
•
You must own or hold all necessary rights to your video
You must own rights or have all the necessary rights to the audio in your video
If someone created the video for you, you must have the necessary permissions from the
copyright holders
Do not upload
•
•
•
•
Copyrighted footage of ripped movies, music, television, photos, screen captures, etc.
Sexually explicit material
Videos that uses discriminatory visuals or speech.
Videos promoting unlawful acts, violence, self-harm, or cruelty towards animals
Uploading your video
For the best results
•
•
Export video using H.264 (best) or MP4
Frame rate: 24,25, or 30 FPS (Constant)
•
Bit Rate (if you have this option) - Quality: SD
Bitrate (kbit/s): 2,000 - 5,000
- Quality: 720p
Bitrate (kbit/s): 5,000 - 10,000
- Quality: 1080p
Bitrate (kbit/s): 10,000 - 20,000
•
Resolution -Format: Standard Def (SD) 16:9 aspect ratio
-Format: 720p (HD) 16:9 aspect ratio
-Format: 1080p (HD) 16:9 aspect ratio
•
Audio - Codec: AAC-LC (Advanced Audio Codec)
- Data rate: 320 kbit/s
- Sample rate 48 kHz
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 Resolution: 640 x 360 pixels
Resolution: 1280 x 720 pixels
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
4
Media Requirements
Photography
Restrictions
Don’t be shy - Be yourself!
•
•
You must own or hold all necessary rights to your photo
If someone took the photo for you, you must have the necessary permissions from the
copyright holders
Do not upload
•
•
•
•
•
Copyrighted footage of ripped movies, music, television, photos, screen captures, ect.
Sexually explicit material
Photos that uses discriminatory visuals or speech
Photos promoting unlawful acts, violence, self-harm, or cruelty towards animals
We reserve the right to remove and change images sizes at any time.
Uploading your photography
For the best results
•
•
•
•
•
Upload Jpeg
sRGB Color 8bit
Web optimized
Final Banner Image
o Ratio: 16 x 6.5
o Pixels: 2880 pixels x 1170 pixels
Final Headshot Image
o Ratio: 1 x 1
o 400 pixels x 400 pixels
Banner images tips & sizes
•
•
•
•
•
When possible, always upload images larger than the required size.
We have tools for cropping and selecting center focus
The 16 x 6.5 image will be used on your artist page
The image will be cropped to 16 x 9 for the Explore page and some social sites
The image will be cropped to 1 x 1 for use on some social sites
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 5
Examples below
Banner Image
Explore Image
Social Media Image
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 6
Media Tips and Tricks
Video
Overview
Your video should draw the user into your creative space and highlight a day in your life. The
interview questions below are general enough to give you room to come up with unique answers.
People are not only interested in the story behind the work you create but especially the personality
behind it. The purpose of your ZIIBRA video is to give viewers just enough information to know who
you are and why what you do is unique. Once a viewer subscribes or purchases an item, you’ll use
your journal to go more in depth about your process.
Interview Guideline + Tips and Tricks
For the best results
•
•
•
Keep your video under 2:30 minutes long
Shoot your interview at 1080p
Shoot at 23.9fps (frames per second)
During the interview
•
•
•
•
•
•
Look directly into the camera. (directly address your community/audience)
Sit in a chair that doesn't spin or have wheels
Place your seat with 3-6 ft between you and the closest wall behind you
If you have multiple members, sit in a row together and make sure everyone is in frame
If you have multiple members, you can interview each member in separate shots and cut
the story together in the editing process
If someone else is filming your interview, make sure they are silent
Don’t be nervous, here are some pointers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Write out your answers to the questions ahead of time.
Bullet pointed answers are more affective
Practice in front of a mirror or with a friend
Talk as if you were talking to a friend
Try to avoid remembering what you wrote word for word, natural is better
Do not read your answers directly from your notes (its obvious)
Try to repeat the question you are answering without saying the question word for word.
Refrain from saying, “um”, “like”, “ya know” ect.
Keep your pitch the same tone throughout the interview
Take your time speak more slowly than you usually would
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 7
Camera set up
•
•
•
•
•
•
During the interview use a tripod or set the camera on a flat surface
Do not move the tripod once you have recorded
Set up your frame
Frame from the belly button to a few inches above the interviewee's head
Use a low aperture to blur the background
Frame the interview using the rule of thirds – aka sit on the left or right side of the frame,
never in the center
(Example below)
Lighting
We want to see you shine
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Set up the interview in a quiet, well-lit space
Use natural light if possible (sit near a window)
Shoot your video during the day
If it’s a bright day, pin a thin white cloth over the window to defuse the light
Hang a white cloth on the opposite side of the window with you in the middle to bounce
light and even out the light on your face
If you are in a room without windows use as many lamps as you can find
Make sure the lamps light bulbs are similar light temperatures (Kelvin)
Light yourself as well as your background
Light yourself evenly
Audio
Audio quality can make or break a video
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use an external audio recorder
Suggested external audio recorder is the H4N
Use a Lav (lavalier) and mic yourself or use a boom mic
Place Lav directly under mouth and point Lav in the direction towards your mouth
Wear a shirt that can support a Lav. V-necks and loose shirts are not ideal. Wear a button
up or a fitted t-shirt
Do not touch mic during the interview
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 8
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Do not breath into the mic
Hand gestures and excessive movement can cause rubbing and noise issues
Remove any jewelry that could rub against Lav
Use a boom mic (if you don’t use a Lav)
Use a rode mic (if you don’t use a Lav)
Close all your windows
Turn off fans or air conditioning
Conduct the interview indoors
Talk loud, clear, and slow
B-roll
Tools to use
•
•
•
•
•
B-roll is used to cover cuts made in your interview
Use a tripod. One with a fluid head works best
Stick to a fixed focal length
Manually focus the lens
Use a slider or a steady cam
Shots to take
•
•
•
Show of your studio, workspace or creative space. These shots should be still and at a fixed
focal length.
Show yourself working on your craft
Show us a glimpse into a regular day as you go about your creative process
Tools to use
•
•
•
•
•
If you have one camera, shoot the same thing twice from a different angle
Shoot from below, from above, and at a birdseye view
Match what you talk about in your interview with your shots
If someone is shooting your video, avoid conversing with each other to avoid unwanted
mouth movement
Record at least 5 seconds of footage before moving into a different angle or a different
focal length
Video Basics
White Balance
•
•
•
•
Make sure your white balance setting is in “AWB” (Auto White Balance)
Use a grey card (advanced)
White Balance by Kelvin (advanced)
Suggested Kelvin adjustments depending on lighting situation
- Sunrise/Sunset (2500K)
- Lamplight, standard bulb (2800K)
- Moonlight (4000K)
- Daylight, sunny natural light (5500K)
- Daylight cloudy natural light (6000K)
- Light Shade (7000K)
- Deep Shade (9000K)
Test your whites on “Live preview”
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 9
Media Tips and Tricks
Photography
Banner Image Photo guidelines + Tips and Tricks
Follow these rules
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Shoot in RAW
Shoot your photo horizontally
Shoot your photo wide
Be cautious of a singular focal point
Try to avoid having a central focal point because the play button will cover your subject
Use an editing software to bring your photo to life
For a successful Banner image, remember that there is one point of focus. If you have
multiple band members, keep them close to one another so that no one is left out of frame
when your banner image is used in the Explore page.
Draw people into your page
•
•
•
•
•
Take a photo of you and your craft
Photos of your hands painting, cooking, writing, strumming etc.
Over the shoulder photos of your process are highly recommended
Show us your personality!
Be creative and thoughtful when shooting your banner image
Headshot guidelines
Smile!
•
•
•
•
•
Shoot your photo near a window
Smiling helps make a positive first impression
Use natural light
Look into the camera
Keep in mind that your final photo will be circular
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 10
Questions
For your interview
Questions to answer
Generic overall questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
State your name, where you are located, and what you do
Give a brief history of yourself and how you got started in your craft
Explain your concept, themes, and vision behind your art (if you have multiple projects give
a brief overview of your series of work)
Explain your creative process from idea to final product
Why do you do it? (let your passion shine through!)
Talk about your fans, community, and their support
Any struggles and how it made you stronger?
Journal
Create content
Keep your audience engaged
Overview
Your Journal is a place to share your creative process. If you are a musician for example, show them
your rehearsals, how you create your songs, who or what influences you, and so on. As you create
your album walk them through that process and keep them on the edge of their seats for the next
journal update until you ultimately release your work! Below are some tips, tricks, and ideas to help
you understand this awesome engagement tool.
Make sure you put the same amount of care in your Journal updates (videos/photos/text entries) as
you would in your creative work. This content should serve as an ongoing documentation of your
creative evolution – allowing your subscribers to experience the journey with you.
Journal ideas
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use your laptop’s webcam or set up an iPhone
Give out shout-outs to your most recent subscribers
Record a monthly Q and A video
Keep a camera with you at all times or a friend to follow you.
Collect all your favorite clips from that month and create a mini series of videos
When you create something new record a portion of it and give your exclusive subscribers a
teaser
Film your process on new works and share that process to the subscribers who received
that particular item and enrich their experience
Take advantage of your ability to upload various forms of media, engaging your followers
with artistic photos, mp3s, videos or phone pictures of handwritten notes etc.
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 11
Final Check List
We’ve prepared a short list to make sure you’ve got everything prepped to make an amazing page!
Write out your answers to the Interview questions
Shoot Interview footage
Shoot B-roll footage
Take a Banner image
Take a Headshot image of each member
Edit Video
Export Video (according to the media guidelines)
Edit Banner image and Headshot image(s)
Export Images (according to the media guidelines)
Upload media to your ZIIBRA page
Create Content for your first Journal Entry
Copyright ZIIBRA Inc., 2014 12