Audio and Video Assets and Standards

University Relations, in partnership with the Office of Information Technology, has produced a number of resources for University audio, video, and multimedia projects.

The update of the Publishing Information on the WWW policy will include requirements for University-produced audio and video and the guidelines and requirements on this page are likely to be included in the new policy.

These digital assets are all available on the Images Library.

Audio and Video Assets

The audio and video and guidelines below give a brief overview of the assets and how you can use them. See the right column for required elements.

Editing software—These assets were designed for Final Cut Pro, but can be imported into other editing software applications. Other applications may require a different file format and / or image dimension. When converting the video assets, be sure to maintain the proper aspect ratio.

General Animated Opening

The general University of Minnesota animated opening should be used at the beginning of any video. Both standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) versions are available on the Images Library. Users also have the option of using a music-only version or voice-over with music version. The visual is the same in both versions.

How to use this—The animated openings are .mov files and can be imported into your video editing software.

Close Graphic

The close graphic should be used at the end of any video publication. Both SD and HD versions are available. Users are able to use their production program’s background music (music bed) with the U of M close graphic. The close graphic contains all the information that will be required in upcoming University policy.

How to use this—The close graphics are available on the Images Library. Close graphics can be edited for unit-specific use and should be saved as .png files for use in video. Do not crop the graphics before saving.

University of Minnesota Name Key

The University of Minnesota name key/title bar can be used to identify a person or location on the screen, and is available in both SD and HD formats. The Neutraface Text Bold and Neutraface Text Demi Driven to Discover campaign fonts are recommended, but users may substitute Helvetica.

How to use this—The name key/title bar graphics are available on the Images Library. The graphics can be edited and should be saved as .png files for use in video. Do not crop the graphics before saving; cropping them will distort the graphic after it has been imported into your video editing program.

Block M graphic

A small block M graphic on a maroon background is a simple and subtle way to identify the University.

How to use this—The block M bar graphics are available on the Images Library. The graphics should be saved as .png files for use in video. Do not crop the graphics before saving; cropping them will distort the graphic after it has been imported into your video editing program.

Text Graphic Backgrounds

Full-screen text graphic backgrounds are available for text screens. They are available in SD or HD.

How to use this—The backgrounds are available on the Images Library. Open the graphic in your image editing software to make changes to the text. The graphics should be saved as .png files for use in video. Do not crop the graphic before saving; cropping it will distort the graphic after it has been imported into your video editing program.

Block M Watermark

Two versions of a block M watermark is available to add the University of Minnesota identity to a video.

How to use this—The block M watermark is available on the Images Library. The graphic should be saved as a .png file for use in video. Do not crop the graphic before saving; cropping it will distort the graphic after it has been imported into your video editing program.

Other Backgrounds

Sample backgrounds for green screen recordings also are available. These are used to key in the background behind your subject.

How to use this—The backgrounds are .png files ready to be imported into your video editing software.

Audio Assets

The audio assets available on the Images Library are mp3 files. They can be used to brand the open or close of your audio podcast. There are options for voice over with music as well as music only. The music only file can also be used for your video projects as an audio bed under the close graphic.

How to use this—Import the mp3 files into your audio editing program.

Requirements

Video and slide shows

Video and slide shows produced for official University communications and educational purposes must include:

The University of Minnesota wordmark available for multimedia use on the Images Library;
The equal opportunity statement;
The responsible publisher or information provider;
Alternative access to the communication; must comply with the University’s Accessibility of Information Technology policy.

Audio

Audio recorded for official University communications and educational purposes must include the following statement, customized appropriately for your unit:

Audio must also comply with the University’s Accessibility of Information Technology policy.

Captions

All University audio and video should be captioned, if possible. Any video produced for the Research Channel requires captions.

Currently, the University has no central resource for producing captions or syncing transcripts to your audio or video. There are several online services available that charge a nominal fee, such as Automatic Sync.