Ratios & frames
Aspect ratio: divide width and height by their biggest common factor. Frames = seconds × fps. Slow motion = recorded fps ÷ playback fps.
Pixels = width × height; uncompressed, each pixel takes 3 bytes. Percent change = change ÷ start. Toy feed score = (L + 3C + 5S) ÷ (H + 2) (p.9).
One step
Ratios, frames and thirds.Simplify
Write 2560 × 1440 and 1080 × 1350 as simplified aspect ratios.
Count frames
How many frames are in a 12-second clip at 24 fps?
Slow-mo
You record at 240 fps and play back at 30 fps. How many times slower is it? How long do 1.5 real seconds last on screen?
Thirds
Where are the rule-of-thirds lines on a 1920 × 1080 video, in pixels from the left and from the top?
Two or three steps
Write the formula, then the numbers.Pixel count
How many pixels are in a 1280 × 720 frame? About how many megapixels? How many times as many does 4K (8,294,400) have?
File size
Uncompressed, how many bytes is one 1280 × 720 frame? About how many MB is 10 seconds at 30 fps? Why do phones compress video?
Chopped axis
Channel A: 14,500 views. Channel B: 15,200. How many percent more did B get? If the chart’s axis starts at 14,400, how many times taller does B’s bar look?
Percent of what?
A post went from 5 views to 20. What is the percent increase? Why can that headline mislead?
Rank the feed
Score two posts with the toy formula. Post 1: L = 90, C = 12, S = 6, H = 3. Post 2: L = 300, C = 5, S = 9, H = 10. Which shows first?
Golden ratio
Continue 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 to 34 and 55. Find 34 ÷ 21 and 55 ÷ 34 to 3 decimal places. What number are they closing in on?
Equations
A1–A2 (pp.10–11).Solve for a side
A 9:16 video is 1280 pixels tall: w = 9h ÷ 16. How wide is it? A 4:5 post is 1350 tall: how wide?
Solve for time
At 24 fps, F = 24s. How long is a 600-frame clip? Shot at 240 fps, how much real time do 600 frames cover?
Catch up
How many likes would Post 2 need to beat Post 1’s score? Solve (L + 60) ÷ 12 = 31.2, then round sensibly.
Pixels are quadratic
A 16:9 screen has 921,600 pixels. Solve (16 ÷ 9)h² = 921,600 for its height. What are its width and height?
Your turn to be the content creator
- Pick a video, photo or chart you’ve seen this week.
- Write a question about its ratio, frames, pixels or a percentage.
- Solve it, then ask: is the number shown honestly?
My problem, and my worked answer:
Try every problem first, then check here. Wrong answers are useful: find the step where your work and the key split apart.
The key never prints with Print my work or Print blank. Open it to get its own Print the answer key button.
Answer key
Worked solutions. Views, likes and the feed formula are example numbers (p.9).