Q. I want to make a film, so to start with, how do I write a script?

There is no easy, single way. If you are looking for advice on how you could do it, then taking a look at how others have achieved a successful script is a good start. For more on script writing click here...

Q. How do I go about making a film?

Making a film requires planning. Even if you are a one-person production team, good planning will eliminate mistakes and reduce the frustration of the filmmaking process. For more on Film Production click here...

Q. What is a film made for the Internet?

These are films made with the medium of the Internet and it's constraints and aesthetic in mind. When making films for the Internet there are technology constraints such as compression and file format that have an effect on the length and composition of your work. There are also considerations of the aesthetic - does the fact that this film will not be viewed in a cinema matter? How does the expectations of the audience change when viewing work on a PC or other personal technology device? These are important issues. For more on Internet vs. Traditional Films on the Web click here... and for more advice on making Internet Films see the pluginmanifesto...

Q. I am unsure about the various ways I can connect to the Internet?

There a 3 main ways - using a dial-up modem on a pay-as-you-go scheme, using a dial-up modem on a monthly fee scheme and using some kind of high-speed access. Which ever you choose you need to ensure that you are not going to pay more that you need to and that what you pay for is actually what you need. For more on this, click here...

Q. What is this ‘aesthetic’ mentioned on the plugincinema site?

The Internet provides filmmakers with a unique opportunity to exhibit and distribute their own work. However, this involves addressing issues such as bandwidth and HCI (Human Computer Interaction); most importantly it involves re-thinking the possibilities open to filmmakers in a world that is totally digital. For more click here...

Q. What is streaming?

Steaming is basically the process of accessing transferred data, before all of it has arrived. For example when you watch a film over the Internet it often sends the data in small chunks. Once enough of these have arrived you can begin watching the film (this is called 'buffering') even before all the other chucks of data have arrived. The theory is that by the time you have finished watching the data that has arrived, more of the film will be ready to view - so the film is streamed to you. Within this there are many technical subcategories of 'true' streaming, 'quasi' steaming and so on, but for most people, the streaming they encounter will be the system described above. For more on streaming click here...

Q. What's the difference between analogue and digital?

Formally an analogue signal is continuously variable and a digital signal is quantised into discrete steps. We therefore get the concept of resolution, which is all about how small you can make the steps. In essence; an analogue signal is a curve while a digital signal is in steps. On a practical level, the tiny imperfections (called 'noise') inherent in analogue signals, becomes the big difference. For example; A CD signal is two channels of 16-bit 1's and 0's at a rate of 44,100 pairs of 1's and 0's every second. Error correction ensures that these numbers are exactly the same as the numbers that were recorded on the disk, back at the recording studio. In an analogue system (e.g. vinyl record) the signal played back will not be identical to the original. It will be distorted, and it will include more noise at each stage of duplication and processing. For more on analogue and digital click here...

Q. What file formats are available for on-line films and which should I use?

The main ones are; QuickTime, Windows Media Player, RealSystems and Flash. If you are making 2D animation then Flash is a good format, as it is designed to compress data itis ideal for the Internet. The main drawback can be the synching of sound and images.

If you are making video or stop-motion animation then the other formats; QuickTime, Windows Media Player and RealSystems are the most popular options. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and unfortunately experimentation is the only true guide. In general, for an audience perspective; QuickTime guarantees your work is compatible with Mac users and Apple's new Open Source policy means it's also good for Linux. Windows Media Player is now pre-installed in all Windows machines so is becoming far more widespread. RealSystems is very widespread, especially on PC platforms. Click for trouble-shooting guides to QuickTime, Windows Media Player, RealSystems and Flash players.

Q. What about Animated .gif files for on-line films?

Animated .gif's only compress each frame, i.e.. they compress in 2D. So the size of the file is multiplied by the number of images it contains. Where-as video encoders compresses both each frame and through time. i.e.. compressing in 3D, thus the files sizes are smaller. The other disadvantages to using animated .gif images are they cannot be streamed, so you need to wait for all the frames to load fully before you watch it, else you see each frame with a second or so delay (over a 56k modem) so spoiling the integrity of the film clip.