Digital University Marketing & Communications

The Creator's Toolkit: Session Highlights

Presented by Dave Titensor, Jeff Hanson, Sravi Garikipati, Andy Thompson - University Marketing & Communications

Photography Guidelines and Best Practices:

Dave Titensor, Associate Director of Creative Services

Dave led a comprehensive discussion on the standards that define the university's visual identity.

• Thematic Approaches: Preferred themes include authenticity, connectivity, and the "climbing higher" motif, aiming to capture real, unscripted moments rather than staged scenes.

• Permissions and Releases: Signed release forms are mandatory for all individuals featured in content. For large events, visible signage must be posted to inform attendees that photography is in progress.

• Lab Safety Requirements: Strict PPE (closed-toed shoes, lab coats, protective eyewear) is required for any lab-based photography to ensure accurate representation of safety standards.

• AI Usage: Dave clarified that fully AI-generated images should not be used in university communications due to ethical and legal concerns, though AI tools may be used for brainstorming or productivity.

Video Production Guidelines & Best Practices:

Jeff Hanson, Associate Director of Media Production

Jeff discussed the technical and ethical standards for video, focusing on emotional resonance and mission-driven content.

• Storytelling & Technical Standards: Videos should have a clear purpose tailored to specific audiences. Technical standards include high production quality, consistent color grading, and the use of approved fonts and logos.

• Captioning and Transcripts: High-quality SRT files must be uploaded for web videos. Auto-generated captions on social media must be manually corrected for accuracy.

• Audio Descriptions: For videos containing essential visual information not present in the dialogue, secondary audio tracks or written summaries should be provided.

• Permissions & Music: Signed release forms are mandatory for all featured individuals. Music must be licensed or original, with a preference for campus talent.

Social Media Best Practices:

Andy Thompson, Social Media Manager

Andrew discussed strategies for building community and maintaining consistent branding across social platforms.

• Content Creation: Best practices include keeping videos short and vertical, optimizing dimensions for each platform, and ensuring logos are legible and not cluttered.
• Moderation & Safety: Clear guidelines are in place for comment moderation and student-led "takeovers" to protect the university’s brand and its students.

Accessibility: Compliance & Best Practices:

Sravi Garikipati, Associate Director of Digital Research & Operations

Sravi presented detailed guidelines to ensure visual content meets ADA Title II requirements.

• Alt Text & Platform Guidance: All images must include descriptive alt text. If a platform lacks native support, descriptions should be added to the captions.

• ADA Title II Exemptions: Visual content created before April 2026 for historical/reference purposes is exempt; however, any historical content "reused" for current marketing must be updated for compliance.

• Social Media "Do's": Use CamelCase for hashtags (e.g., #UniversityOfUtah), place emojis at the end of sentences, and avoid stylized Unicode fonts that screen readers cannot process.

Resources:

Production Resources:

• Captioning: rev.com

• VO Talent: voices123.com

• On-screen/Model Talent: talentmg.com

• Video/Photo/Graphics: storyblocks.com

• Music: musicbed.com; soundstripe.com

University Resources:

• University Brand Resources: brand.utah.edu

• University Photo Resources: utah.photoshelter.com

• UMC Digital Questions: umcsupport@utah.edu

• UMC Media Questions: umc.utah.edu/contact-us