Basic Digital Literacy and IT Skills for Media Production
This domain tests whether you can manage media files safely and understand the technical vocabulary that production software assumes. Expect questions on file organisation, storage and backup, codecs and containers, metadata, and basic security.
File management rules
- Folder structure: project > date > camera/card > audio > graphics > exports.
- Naming: consistent, date-first (YYYYMMDD), no spaces, version numbers (v01, v02), no 'final_final'.
- 3-2-1 backup: three copies, on two different media, one off-site.
- Metadata: clip name, timecode, reel, camera, scene/take; it drives sync, search and delivery.
Technical vocabulary
A codec encodes and decodes data (H.264, ProRes, DNxHR); a container wraps video, audio and metadata (MP4, MOV, MXF). A proxy is a lightweight copy for editing; the original stays untouched. Resolution is pixel dimensions; bit depth is colour precision; bitrate is data per second. Cloud storage is convenient but depends on bandwidth and privacy controls.
Security basics
Use strong unique passwords and two-factor authentication, lock screens, encrypt portable drives, verify unexpected attachments (phishing), and never install unlicensed software.
Worked example
A card arrives with 240 clips. Correct handling: copy to a project folder, verify checksums or file counts, rename and log metadata, create a second copy on another drive, store one copy off-site, then ingest proxies for editing. Reasoning: the original camera files remain the master; proxies speed the edit without risking the source.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing codec with container.
- Keeping only one copy on a laptop.
- Deleting camera originals after ingest.
- Renaming files without logging, breaking relink later.