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Digital Image Overview

Image design is all about establishing an engaging atmosphere that advances the plot in films and television. A movie's professionally created visual design elements add to the immersion and bind everything together for the audience. But , a lot of us still might have no idea about what makes an image, commonly used image/video formats, wrappers, and codec. So, today i’ll be talking about all those things on my blog including a lot of other information which you should know if you are a Film Student.

Let's start with the basics.

What is Image and Video? What are they made up of?

When hearing the term Image everyone comes with the common sentence : a visual representation of something. And to say it in a simple way that’s what it is.

A person's public perception can also be considered while defining an image. For example, a rock star trying to improve his image would dress like a professor and pick up chess. But that’s not the ‘Image' I am talking about right now.

In simple sentences, Image is a still visual representation of either subject or object while Video is an electronic representation of moving visual image in the form of encoded digital data.

Now what are they actually made up of in the context of the digital world? Are they just the pictures?

Pixels is the right response. A picture is made up of pixels. The smallest addressable unit on a screen is a pixel, and the number of pixels an image uses determines its quality.

Understanding Image/Video Format, Codec and Container/Wrapper

There are a lot of Image/Video Formats, Codecs and Wrappers that are being used nowadays but today i’ll be talking about most commonly used image & web video formats, wrapper and codecs.

The Codec word itself is a blend of the words coder and decoder, as well as compression and decompression.It refers to what encodes and compressees, then decodes and decompresses the data that makes up your image/video.Data is compressed for storing and sharing via codecs. The data is then decoded and uncompressed for viewing and modification. H.264 or AVC is the most widely used codec for video compression. Audio file formats or file extensions are the container or wrapper for those codecs i.e. these codecs are housed or wrapped in audio file formats or file extensions.(https://www.adobe.com/au/creativecloud/video/discover/best-video-format.html#:~:text=Video%20file%20format%20and%20codec%20basics.&text=Codecs%20encode%20data%20to%20compress,or%20wrappers%20for%20these%20codecs. )

The varieties of video file formats are numerous. To assist you better understand when to utilize each, we've compiled information on some of the most popular.

1. MP4

The most typical and widely used video format is MP4. It can store audio, video, subtitles, text, and still images and is the most widely compatible. For use on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter, it is the ideal choice.

2. MOV

The MOV file format was created expressly by Apple for use with Quicktime Player and is relatively similar to the MP4 format. The greatest video format for Apple devices is this one.

3. AVI

Microsoft's response to the MOV video file format was the AVI format. It is one of the earliest video file formats still in use, having been created in 1995. Because of the big file size, it is less suitable for streaming and sharing but is perfect for short videos and television.

4. WMV

WMV files, which are AVI's replacement, may be played on both Windows and Apple devices as long as Windows Media Player is installed. One of the few video file types that can compress data more efficiently than MP4 is WMW.

5. WEBM

Google created WEBM, another open source video file format, for HTML5. There is no need for Flash Player or any other plugins because it plays right in the browser.

(https://www.techsmith.com/blog/video-file-formats/ )

Image file format that are mostly used in web are listed below:

APNG

Animated Portable Network Graphics(.apng)

Good choice for lossless animation sequences (GIF is less performant). AVIF and WebP have better performance but less broad browser support.

Supported: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari.

AVIF

AV1 Image File Format (.avif)

Good choice for both images and animated images due to high performance and royalty free image format. It offers much better compression than PNG or JPEG with support for higher color depths, animated frames, transparency, etc. Note that when using AVIF, you should include fallbacks to formats with better browser support (i.e. using the <picture> element). Supported: Chrome, Firefox (still images only: animated images not implemented), Opera, Safari.

GIF

Graphics Interchange Format(.gif)

Good choice for simple images and animations. Prefer PNG for lossless and indexed still images, and consider WebP, AVIF or APNG for animation sequences.

Supported: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, IE, Opera, Safari.

JPEG

Joint Photographic Expert Group image(.jpg, .jpeg, .jfif, .pjpeg, .pjp)

Good choice for lossy compression of still images (currently the most popular). Prefer PNG when more precise reproduction of the image is required, or WebP/AVIF if both better reproduction and higher compression are required. Support: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, IE, Opera, Safari.

PNG

Portable Network Graphics (.png)

PNG is preferred over JPEG for more precise reproduction of source images, or when transparency is needed. WebP/AVIF provide even better compression and reproduction, but browser support is more limited. Support: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, IE, Opera, Safari.

SVG

Scalable Vector Graphics(.svg)

Vector image format; ideal for user interface elements, icons, diagrams, etc., that must be drawn accurately at different sizes.

Support: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, IE, Opera, Safari.

WebP

Web Picture format(.webp)

Excellent choice for both images and animated images. WebP offers much better compression than PNG or JPEG with support for higher color depths, animated frames, transparency etc. AVIF offers slightly better compression, but is not quite as well-supported in browsers and does not support progressive rendering.

Support: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari

(https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Formats/Image_types#common_image_file_types )

Export setting used for popular platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Twitch e.t.c.

While many video formats can be used effectively with these platforms, it’s important to consider details like time required to upload, process and play the video – this is tightly tied to the file size associated with the video. To maximize effectiveness, and for optimal results:

Youtube:

It itself recommends the MP4 video file format with AAC-LC audio Codec and H.264 video Codec.The optimal resolution is 1080p (1920x1080), or for better quality, 4K (3840x2160). These options strike a compromise between device compatibility and quality.

Facebook:

MP4 and MOV are the most highly recommended, with MP4 coming out on top once again due to its smaller file size and fewer losses during compression. The target audience and device capabilities should be considered while choosing the resolution.

Twitch video format:

MP4, MOV, AVI, and FLV files. AAC audio. Depending on the viewer's internet bandwidth and desired level of quality, a resolution of 720p (1280x720) or 1080p is advised.

Commonly used image manipulation tools and techniques:

Tools for image modification are necessary for altering and improving images. Here are some often employed methods and instruments along with what they are utilized for:

Adobe Photoshop - Photoshop is a flexible image editing programme that is useful for operations like retouching, color correction, and compositing.

Lightroom - With capabilities like exposure correction, color grading, and batch processing, Adobe Lightroom is ideal for organizing and enhancing photos.

GIMP - GIMP(GNU Image Manipulation Programme) is a free alternative to Photoshop that provides tools for editing and manipulating images that are similar to those of Photoshop.

Canva-An easy-to-use internet application for designing graphics and social media material. For non-designers, it makes design jobs simpler.

Image Copyright Essential and Important Legal Information that artists need to know regarding intellectual property:

Copyright is intellectual property law. Copyright and moral rights, and are legal tools that practitioners can use to protect their work from unauthorized use, to protect their reputation or brand, and generate income.

Copyright regulations must be understood by artists and content producers in order to safeguard their creative property. Important copyright requirements include:

Ownership: When a work is created, its creators immediately acquire the copyright to it. However, registration offers further legal protection.

Fair Use: Fair use permits the limited, unrestricted use of copyrighted content for functions including criticism, commentary, news reporting, and teaching without seeking prior authorisation.

Creative Commons licenses, for example, allow creators to grant certain conditions under which their work may be used while still upholding their rights.

Attribution: When using copyrighted material, proper attribution is often required to credit the creator.

Public Domain: Public domain works are free to use and are not covered by copyright.

DMCA Takedowns: Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), content that violates copyrights can be removed from online platforms upon request.

For content makers, whether amateur or professional, understanding digital image and video formats, codecs, export settings, image modification tools, and copyright essentials is crucial. Creators may make sure their work is of a high standard, gets seen by the correct audience, and is shielded from unauthorized usage by following legal requirements and best practices. Whether you're an aspiring photographer, YouTuber, or graphic designer, the information provided in this blog article might be a useful tool for navigating the world of digital material.

References :

Arts Law Centre of Australia 2010, Copyright - Arts Law Centre of Australia, Arts Law Centre of Australia.

Attorney-General's Department 2022, Copyright basics, Attorney-General’s Department.

Image Manipulation: The What, How, and Why 2021, Clipping Path Campus.

Image Processing: Techniques, Types, & Applications [2022] n.d., www.v7labs.com.

How to choose the right video format | Adobe Australia. Available at: https://www.adobe.com/au/creativecloud/video/discover/best-video-format.html (Accessed: 10 October 2023).

Owen, A. (2023) Understanding video file formats, codecs and containers, The TechSmith Blog. Available at: https://www.techsmith.com/blog/video-file-formats/ (Accessed: 13 October 2023).

MozDevNet (no date) Image file type and format guide - web media technologies: MDN, Web media technologies | MDN. Available at: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Formats/Image_types#common_image_file_types (Accessed: 08 October 2023).

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