Before our designers take the reins, you’ll communicate your vision in as much detail as you can. Clarifying your expectations early ensures you get what you need, and your project stays on budget. To communicate your vision and project needs, you can use a creative brief as a helpful guide for both you and the design team.

Share your Feedback When you work with Creative Services, you are entering into a partnership with the design team. We are here to help you and want to meet your needs. Speak up if you don’t like a color or typeface. Feel free to offer examples of designs you like to steer us in a different direction. We want the final outcome to serve you and support the institution’s brand.

Put Your Trust in Us Our design team is made up of experts in the graphic design world. Trust our designers to offer fresh insight into what you’ve already envisioned. We have extensive experience in balancing polished typography, dynamic images and layout to create a design that will linger in your audience’s minds.

Timelines vary depending on the complexity of the project. It’s best to discuss the timeline with our design team and if possible, develop a production schedule that includes objectives for each step.

It depends. It is best to make sure that any graphics and photos used are of the highest quality and align with the university’s brand, and that we have permission from the source to actually use it. We recommend you reach out to us, as our design team has access to stock images and art databases that can be used for design work.

We charge $75 per hour, but are happy to discuss budget limitations.

We work with the Adobe Cloud (primarily InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects and Edge) and prefer vector or high resolution photos, especially for printing.

Photo Services

• Set-up fee: $25 per shoot
• Photography: $75 per hour
• Editing: $75 per hour
• Travel (outside the City of Moscow): $40 per hour
• Cancelation/No Show fee: $25 (For cancelations with less than 24 hours’ notice)

Video Services

• Set Up Fee: $25 per shoot
• Filming: $75 per hour
• Editing: $75 per hour
• Archive fee: $10 minimum, $1 per GB
• Travel: $40 per hour (outside the City of Moscow)

To schedule a photo or video session and receive an estimate, please fill out our request form.

External Clients
If you are a non-university client, please email visuals@uidaho.edu to request a quote.

University of Idaho brand productions are key to showing the Vandal Family in web, print, digital and beyond. Our goal is to gather authentic, high-quality photos and videos of the U of I campus and students to share in our marketing and informational materials.

Capturing the right moment to communicate your message takes careful planning and an understanding of best practices. Everything from lighting to location to attire can influence the outcome of your photo.

How long does a session take?
Outdoor sessions benefit from natural lighting before 10 a.m. or in the late afternoon. Allow approximately 20 - 40 minutes per shot/scene. Indoor sessions can be done anytime. The average indoor session takes about one hour for setup and shooting. Our studio is in the Bruce M. Pitman Center Room #30, the Video Production Center. Larger or more complex locations may take longer. Scheduling ample time for photographers, videographers and subjects will result in better images.

Student models are booked for one-hour sessions. On set, they will hang out with other students in various settings: they might be sitting or walking or doing a different planned activity talking and acting naturally. Students do not need to prepare any “top model” poses ahead of time, just relax and have fun.

Please be prepared to sign a model release form.

Where is the studio?
Our studio is in the Bruce M. Pitman Center Room #30, the Video Production Center.

What should I wear?
For a candid or casual on-location session, wear clothing that would typically be worn in that venue. Students should also bring items appropriate to the venue — books, notebooks, book bags, sports gear and/or musical instruments. Attire recommendations include:

• Solid-colored clothing, avoid white
• Vandal gear featuring the university colors and logo
• Avoid clothing with names or endorsements of outside businesses or institutions
• Bring more than one outfit (optional)

Will you retouch my portrait?
We do a standard edit that includes softening highlights and shadows, along with minor blemish removal. Additional editing is available upon request. Editing costs apply.

How do I access my portrait?
Files are accessible in our Media Library. We also email copies upon request.

The timeframe for producing a video depends on the project and the assets needed for the project. Some videos can be completed in a few days, while others may require planning and asset gathering throughout the year before editing begins. It's best to contact the Video Production Center to determine a more accurate timeline based on your needs.

To prepare for your video production, please review our process below to see how you’ll be involved along the way.

• Identify the project’s purpose and key audience(s).
• Determine the main message or theme of video.
• Determine where, how and by whom the video will be promoted and distributed.
• Identify the primary stakeholder.
• Clarify who is developing the script.
• Identify who will contact and prep those featured in the video.
• Determine how long the video will be.
• Designate who will see the proof at the first, second and final stages.
• Attend project meeting.
• Allow time for video production team to draft a script and complete a shot list.
• Allow time for video production team to complete shooting.
• Identify if outside footage or assets are needed such as motion graphics, still photography, music and voiceover.
• Approve first draft.
• Allow time for editing.
• Approve second draft.
• Allow time for editing.
• Approve final proof.

Events Sponsored by U of I
Access U of I Live to watch webcasts of university-sponsored events, including past events, such as the College of Law’s prestigious Bellwood Lecture or the thought-provoking TEDxUIdaho. Compatible web browsers for U of I Live include Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari. Not all webcasts are hosted on U of I Live; we will work with clients to determine the best hosting solutions.

Stream Your Own Video
After the Video Production Center has uploaded your video to the web, you will receive a URL link for it. To link to your video via email or from another webpage, highlight words in the text such as “video” or “here.” Then right click and select “hyperlink.” In the address field, enter your given URL. You will also receive a code to embed your video directly into your desired webpage. A web coordinator will work with you to embed the video to maximize traffic to your page.

All video projects should begin with a clear understanding of the communication objectives as well as a thoughtful storytelling approach. Prior to any video production, producers should:

• Define the tone and communication objectives.
• Define the target audience.
• Define the action and/or conversation.
• Determine the channel(s) of distribution.
• Compile a thorough shot list.
• Scout locations with the videographer.
• Make sure all cast and crew are available within the schedule and budget.
• When budget and timeline allow, provide a storyboard for visuals to align with the script.
• Work to develop a clear, concise and producible script or project outline based on budget, timeline and need.

Every video tells a story, and a large part of how the story resonates with the viewer, both emotionally and logically, depends on production techniques. That is why every technical and tactical decision should be motivated by the communication objectives set in pre-production, with a careful consideration of tone and context for the target audience. All video should abide by these guidelines for each component of production.

Lighting

• Use natural light sources when possible.
• Establish a proper white balance to ensure flattering natural skin tones.
• When artificial lighting is required, it should not appear contrived.

Composition

• Create visual interest for the viewer.
• Consider multiple vantage points at which every shot can be captured.
• When possible, use more than one camera with different focal lengths on each scene.
• Consider principles of design when framing subjects.

Camera Support

• Steady camera movement is recommended for most shots. Camera stabilization devices — such as a gimbal, brushless motor system or tripod — should be used to create smooth and consistent camera movements. This helps the viewer to focus on the content and not the camera.
• Camera movement should match storytelling objectives and never be erratic.
• Consider other camera mounting options as well as height and proximity for capturing unique angles and environments.

Audio

• Bad audio is less forgiving than bad video. Always use professional recording equipment and monitor sound closely.
• In every environment, consider background, machine and HVAC noise. Position your subject in a location conducive to capturing high-quality and uninterrupted audio.

The production process after shooting the video is very important. This is where editing, music, motion graphics and sound design really come into play. So it’s important to use the approved typography in this brand guide for all supers, cards and any typography-based motion graphics. We also recommend using clean, simple transitions between scenes, and ensuring sound design is created in a way that enhances the video, but doesn’t get in the way of its eloquence.

Editing

• Pacing should match the intended energy and tone.
• Use simple and sophisticated transitions that do not distract from the story.
• Assure consistent color-grading from scene to scene.
• Work to hide all cuts both visibly and audibly with supporting footage, cards, motion graphics and natural sound.

Sound Design

• Always sync audio with visuals.
• Speech must be articulate and audible.
• Licensed music must be used with legal permission.
• Select music that matches tone and communication goals.
• Capture high-quality natural sound to mix in whenever possible. Clean, crisp sounds help immerse your audience in the story.

Videos produced by University of Idaho should support the brand visually through colors, fonts and logos. To access to U of I’s templates for cards, lower thirds, motion graphics and other visual elements, contact the Video Production Center at videoctr@uidaho.edu or 208-885-0569.

Cards

• Cards should use university-approved wordmarks and logos.
• Always use brand fonts and keep text within title-safe zones.
• Opening and closing cards should appear briefly on screen, so to not distract from storytelling or disrupt pacing.
• Font size should be large enough to be legible, but not overpowering.

Lower Thirds

• Use a concise attribution that highlights the subject’s most significant role or title within the context of the story.
• Always use brand fonts and keep text within title-safe zones. Font size should be large enough to be legible, but not overpowering.
• Lower-third graphics can be positioned on the left or right side of the frame, depending on the subject’s location.
• When possible, use a university-approved template. For assistance developing a custom card that meets approved guidelines, contact UCM.
• All videos must include captions to identify speaker(s) in video.
• Caption descriptor (e.g. job title, student major, etc.) should be in title case and grammatically correct formatting. (Note: this is an update to previous brand guidelines, which used all lowercase design elements.)

Motion Graphics

• All motion graphics should be appropriately timed with pacing and sound design.
• Motion graphics should not use distracting pre-set transitions or filters.
• Transitions should have reason and meaning, such as moving the viewer between sections, highlighting key messages or concluding a section.
• All video should identify the University of Idaho at the end of each segment using the closing motion graphics created by Creative Services. Please contact the Video Center at 208-885-0569 to request files.

Video Closing Card

• All videos should end with the University of Idaho main logo closing graphic.
• Only the main U of I logo can be used in the closing scene graphic. College logos or department graphic marks are not to replace or be added to the main logo closing graphic. (The college/department will be identified in the channel used to send the video).
• It is not necessary to include a URL in the video closing card. Video traffic can be tracked through the channel where the video is posted.
• Using only the main U of I logo at the end of all videos unifies our voice and creates a strong, cohesive U of I brand.

Closed Captioning

• Closed captioning is mandatory – please ensure Digital Services is reminded of this.

Who has access to the Media Library?
All departments and the public have view-only access. Photography clients have unlimited access to their photographs and videos. Subscribers have unlimited access to departmental and campus photographs and videos.

Are photographs and videos available online for non-subscribers?
Yes. Photo Services maintains a viewable media library. Requests for downloading media can be made from the website or by emailing photo-database@uidaho.edu.

What happens to photographs and videos produced for a department without a subscription?

• Departments that pay for photography and videography will have unlimited download access to their assets.
• Media assets will be accessible to the UCM web team and college/unit marketing and communications managers, and the Creative Services team for marketing purposes.
• Media assets will be added to our public library for photo and video stock requests.

What are the costs of subscriptions and digital file fees?
Subscription and digital file fees help cover the cost of maintaining our media library database. Real-time access subscription fees are $90 per month for one to five users. You may include more users in your subscription for $18 per additional user. Our stock image and job recovery fees are $15 per image (one-time use) for U of I departments, or $20.41 per image (one-time use) for all off-campus requests for commercial use.

What are the advantages of subscribing?

• Unlimited number of users (additional fees apply for more than five users).
• Ability to view and download your department’s media assets and view and request downloads of campus photographs and videos.
• Ability to share media assets “workspaces” allowing collaboration with others working on the same project. This means each person can view, remove, rate and download media based on permissions set by Photo Services to help with the selection and delivery process. It also ensures easier collaboration with the UCM team working on a project.
• Subscribers receive update notifications when new images are added.