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Creative Media: Images and Sound
infoWhy this? Understanding how images and sound are represented, edited, compressed, and stored allows us to make purposeful creative and technical decisions. Knowledge of pixels, sampling, resolution, bit depth, compression, and formats helps us balance quality, compatibility, and file size.
scheduleWhy now? After introductory programming and an initial encounter with binary data in computer systems, creative media makes digital representation and its trade-offs tangible. These concrete examples prepare us to examine number systems and binary representation more formally.
neurologyYou need to know
- Digital images are represented as grids of pixels.
- Resolution is the number of pixels and affects detail and file size.
- Colour depth is bits per pixel and affects colour range and file size.
- Raster graphics are pixel-based and lose quality when enlarged.
- Vector graphics are shape-based and scale without pixelation.
- Lossy compression reduces file size by permanently discarding some data.
- Lossless compression reduces file size without discarding original data.
- Digital audio is represented by sampling signal amplitude at intervals.
- Each audio sample is quantised by rounding its amplitude to one of a fixed number of values, and a greater bit depth provides more possible values and a more accurate representation of the sound.
- Sample rate and bit depth affect audio quality and file size.
- Clipping happens when recorded amplitude exceeds the maximum storable value.
- File format choice depends on intended use and quality-size trade-offs.
- Editing decisions should match audience, purpose, and platform.
rocket_launchYou must be able to
- Apply non-destructive editing techniques to improve media quality.
- Choose appropriate image and audio formats for a clear purpose.
Revision Quiz
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