MULTIMEDIA – MODULE 2

SUBCATEGORIES OF MULTIMEDIA

1. Animation
- A simulation of movement created by displaying series of pictures or
frames/chief main ingredients of MM applications.

2. CD-ROM
- Well suited to information that requires large storage capacity disk.
- Most effective multimedia.

3. Convergence
- The coming together of two or more desperate disciplines or technologies.

4. DVD
- Digital Versatile Disk or Digital Video disk.
- Best feature is a backward compatible with CD-Rom.
- The Player can play old CD-ROMs and CD-I disks.
- It uses MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) to compress video data.

5. Hypermedia
- An extension to hypertext to supports linking graphics sounds and video.

6. Video Conferencing
- Conducting a conference between two or more participants at different
sites by using computer networks to transmit audio and video data.

7. Audio
- Came from the Latin word “Audire”, a technique for giving more depth to
traditional stereo sounds.

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8. Computer Entertainment
- A technology that supports photo-realistic graphics, full Motion video and
CD quality sounds.

9. Data Compression
- Storing data that requires less space than usual. It is particularly useful in
communications because it enables the devices to transmit the same
amount of data in fewer bits.

10. Gaming
- Same as computer entertainment.

11. Video
- Refers to recording, manipulating and displaying moving images,
especially in the format that can be presented on television.

12. Virtual Reality

- An artificial environment which computer hardware and software
presented to the user in such a way that it appears and feels like a real
environment.

VR Reality Device – Special gloves, earphones, goggles, all of which receive

input from the computer system.

Importance of Multimedia in Learning and Education

1. Multimedia provides communications using text, graphics, animations and videos.

2. The combination of several media often results in a powerful and richer presentation
of information and ideas to stimulate and enhance information retention.
3. Access to information of all kinds has become an integral part of our society.

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4. Content is the key to the development of the emerging global information society and
to the exploitation of our information infrastructure.

Different Mediums Used in Multimedia

1. Physical medium for storing and presenting information.

2. Medium as Representation
3. Medium as Content of a Representation
4. Modality of Communication
5. Static or Dynamic qualities of representation

Intranet
As internet is a corporate LAN and/or WAN (Wide Area Network) that is secured behind
company’s firewalls and it uses internet technologies. Although intranets are developed
using the same TCP/IP protocols as the Internet, they operate as private networks with
limited access. Only employees who are issued passwords and access code are able to use
them. So, intranets are limited to information pertinent to the company and contain
exclusive and often proprietary and sensitive information. Firewalls protect intranets
from unauthorized outside access.

An intranet uses TCP/IP, HTP and other Internet protocols and in general looks like a
private version of the Internet. With tunneling, companies can send private messages
through the public network, using public network with special encryption/decryption and
other security safeguards to connect one part of their intranet to another.

Typically, larger enterprises allow users within their intranet to access the public Internet
through firewall servers that have the ability to screen messages in both directions so the
company security is maintained. When part of an intranet is made accessible to
customers, partners, suppliers, or other outside the company, that part becomes part of an
extranet.

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Intranets provide the following “Generic” functions:

▪ Corporate / department / Individual Web Pages

▪ Database Access
▪ Search engines and directories
▪ Interactive communications – chatting, audio- and video - conferencing
▪ Document distribution and workflow
▪ Groupware – e-mail and bulletin boards
▪ Telephony
▪ Integration with e-Commerce – interface with internet-based sales and purchasing
▪ Extranet – links to geographically dispersed other intranets

The Internet is an interconnection of networks

Computer on the Internet are referred to as hosts. Each hosts as at least three identifiers:

▪ An Internet name for humans to use (i.e. Garfield, ncat.edu)

▪ An Internet address, a 32 bit binary number written in decimal as four bytes (i.e.
152.8.240.16)
▪ A hardware address, such as an Ethernet address (i.e. 0-e0-63-03-76-c0 for
Garfield)

Internet names are hierarchical starting from the right; edu, com, gov, org, and mil
indicate the type of network owner. Sometimes the last item indicates a geographical
location, such as ca for Canada. Just to the left of the organization type is he domain
name. For www.ncat.edu, the domain name is ncat. The left most portion of an Internet
name is the host name or the name of the computer. WWW is a popular host name for
web servers, but there is nothing special about this name.

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A Proven Method for Developing Successful Multimedia Projects

In today’s fast-paced, “I-want-it-all-now” society, technical communicators are

challenged to deliver their messages through interactive media. However, most technical
communicators don’t really know how to successfully plan, produce, and manage
multimedia development projects. There is a method that enables communicators to
effectively deliver information that is engaging, while saving time, money, and a lot of
heartache. A brief overview of this methodology follows.

SIX STEPS TO SUCCESS

Successful multimedia development projects follow established processes to ensure that

goals for quality, budget, and usability are met. These processes are divided into the
following six phases:

· Requirements
· Concept and Design
· Production
· Testing
· Implementation
· Measurement

Although most technical communicators follow similar phases when creating hard copy
deliverables, many aren’t familiar with the processes necessary to produce successful
multimedia projects.

The Phases
A brief description of each phase follows.

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Requirements. This phase is the most critical of all. The development team determines
exactly what the customer requires and how they will deliver it. The team captures all
project information in the Requirements Determination Document. This document
contains the project overview, functional requirements, and system architecture. It also
contains the content plan, screen flows, and project assumptions. Upon delivery of this
document, the customer signs a service agreement, and the development team creates a
detailed cost estimate and the project schedule. The Requirements Determination
Document, project estimate, and project schedule are housed in the Project Workbook.
The team refers to this workbook during production.

Concept and Design. In this phase, team members define the thematic treatment used to
create storyboards, scripts, technical design, and prototypes. This information is
detailed in the Concept and Design Document.

Production. Team members use the Concept and Design document to convert concepts
and designs into a master product.

Testing. In this phase, usability teams test the final product. The development team
incorporates final changes, as necessary.

Implementation. The development team delivers the finished, tested product to the
customer.

Measurement. In this phase, the development team conducts follow-up activities such as
archiving and case studies. The team also solicits feedback from the customer.

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JUST REMEMBER

Every multimedia development project is different. Each has its own “character”—team
members, project size, project assumptions. Production processes must change to
accommodate each project’s unique requirements. However, successful multimedia
development teams have something in common; they use a proven methodology to create
their product.

The Multimedia Development Team

Multimedia projects are by nature interdisciplinary and require teams that are diverse. In
any group with varied backgrounds there are likely to be differences in work habits and
temperament. In addition, since software development is an iterative process, many of the
team members will have differing start and finish times in the process. To further
complicate matters, many aspects of the project may be outsourced. Multimedia teams
need strong leadership and well-defined guidelines for managing the workflow to be
effective and productive.

Skills Required:

1) Cognitive Psychology – Experience with focus groups and usability testing

2) Marketing
3) Legal – Experience with intellectual property rights and acquisitions
4) Copy Writing, Editing
5) Graphics Design, Typography, GUI Design
6) Photography
7) Videography
8) Audio Engineering
9) 3D Modeling
10) Programming – Experience in rapid prototyping and multimodal interfaces

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11) Database Design

12) Technical Support – Experience in networking and high bandwidth applications
13) Talent – Such as actors or musicians

Roles:

1) Client – Often overlooked, but a key member of the development team

2) Project Manager – Coordinates activities of all members, liaisons to client
3) Production Manager – Supervises and supports technical and creative staff
4) Content Developer – Copywriters, graphic artists, photographers, sound
engineers, etc.
5) Programmer
6) Psychologist – Addresses software usability
7) Lawyer – Negotiates rights, contracts
8) Tech Support – For both the software development team and the end user

Workflow Management:

There are a number of practices which decrease cycle time, increase efficiency and
productivity, and produce a more stable and scalable software product. Most of them
have to do with organizing and documenting the development process.

1) Chart the workflow – Gantt charts help visualize the progress toward project
goals.
2) Diagram the system’s features – A flowchart makes the functionality of the
software explicit.
3) Project structure – Documented file naming conventions. Directory structures,
etc. determine access level of team members.
4) Establishing quality control and review procedures – Who can make changes
and who can’t. How do features get requested, who decides to implement them?

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5) Version control – Documenting which features have been added and which have
been deleted and why.
6) Regular team meetings which are recorded – Meetings begin by reading the
minutes of the previous meeting.
7) Clear assignment of duties and responsibilities of team members
8) Infrastructure – A database of content and code that is being developed for rapid
re-purposing for other projects, for example.

THE MULTIMEDIA DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Software Evaluation Criteria

1) Usefulness – Does the application accomplish an important task?

2) Efficiency – How efficiently does the software get its job done?
3) Stability – How stable and predictable is the application?
4) Portability – Can the application run on multiple platforms with minimal
redevelopment?
5) Scalability – Can additional functions be readily added on?
6) Ease of Use – Do users find it easy or hard to make the program work? Do they
like using it?
7) Reliability – Accuracy * 100%
8) Integrity – Legality + Security

Market or client requirements: Know thy user, for he (or she) is not thyself

• Educational background
• Level of technical expertise
• Physical or mental limitations
• Language and common terminology
• Cultural preferences

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• Applications that are easy to learn are more likely to attract a wider audience.
Take advantage of your user’s considerable knowledge and experience.

Current means of accomplishing the task, including competition. Using a computer

should always be easier than not using a computer

• Reliability – Absence of malfunctions

• Robustness – Tolerance and protection of user
• Tailoring – Accommodates differences without burdening user

Task analysis: Be sure you understand the task at hand before you leap to a solution!

• Who is the user?

• What tasks does the user now perform?
• How are these tasks learned?
• How often do users perform these tasks?

MULTIMEDIA DEVELOPMENT TEAM

I. Production Manager (Producer)

- The role of the producer in multimedia production is to define, coordinate
and facilitate the production of the multimedia project.

Task Performed by the Producer:

1. Negotiating with client.
2. Securing financial resources, equipment and facilities.
3. Coordinating the development team.

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Experience, Capabilities and Background:

1. Know the basic principles of multimedia authoring.
2. Good negotiating skills.
3. Skillful proposal writing.
4. In depth knowledge of legal matter concerning the production of media.
5. Good communication skills.
6. Experience in Human Resources Management.
7. Educational Background:
a. Business Management
b. Media Production

II. Content Specialist (Researcher)

- member of production team who is responsible for performing all
necessary research concerning the content of the proposal application.
- Provides program content for the multimedia architect.

Experience, Capabilities and Background:

1. Library and internet research experience.
2. Good writing skills.
3. Highly skilled in summarizing complex and intensive information.

III. Instructional Designer

- helps to define the learning outcomes of the application based on the
application goals.
- Must appeal to a variety of learning styles.

Experience, Capabilities and Background:

1. Knowledge of the principles of multimedia.
2. Educational Background:
a. Education

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b. Communications
c. Media Production

IV. Script Writer

- the script writer of a multimedia production needs to visualize this almost
three dimensional environment and on occasion, visualize the use and
integration of virtual reality into the program.

Experience, Capabilities and Background:

1. In depth knowledge of multimedia authoring
2. Excellent writing skills
3. Capable of constructing storyboards
4. Excellent graphic and written communication skills
5. Educational Background:
a. Communications
b. Media Production

V. Text Editor
- multimedia application resembles the production of a book or a film. The
content needs to flow in a logical fashion and the text must be structurally
and grammatically correct. This text related elements need to be revised
by a text editor.

Experience, Capabilities and Background:

1. Knowledge of multimedia authoring
2. Excellent writing and editing skills
3. Skills to structure ideas in a meaningful way
4. Educational Background:
a. Communications
b. Literature

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VI. Multimedia Architect (Program Authoring Specialist)

- responsible for integrating all the multimedia building blocks (graphics,
text, audio, music, video, photos, and animation) by using an authoring
program.
- Must have a basic understanding of the capabilities of the software the
team members use.

Authoring Program
- is a piece of software that allows us to integrate all the multimedia
elements into a comprehensive presentation?

Multimedia Authoring:
1. Graphics Capture, development and editing
2. Audio Capture and Editing
3. Text Development and editing
4. Digital Video Capture and Editing
5. Computer Animations

Experience, Capabilities and Background:

1. Expert in multimedia authoring
2. Excellent graphic, video and sound production skill
3. Excellent graphic and written communication skills
4. Good communicator
5. Computer programming experience
6. Educational background:
a. Computer Science
b. Communications
c. Media Production

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VII. Computer Graphic Artist

- responsible for the graphic elements of the program.
- Works very closely with the multimedia architect in the composition of
screens, making sure those colors are in harmony and that scores are not
crowded.

Experience, Capabilities and Background:

1. Knowlwdge of multimedia authoring
2. Excellent graphic communication skills
3. Experience in 3D graphics production
4. Experience in animation
5. Educational Background:
a. Graphic Arts
b. Communications
c. Media Production

VIII. Audio and Video Specialists

- needed when intensive use of narration and digitized video are integrated
into a multimedia presentation.

Audio Specialist
- responsible for recording and editing narration, selecting, recording or
editing sound effects; recording and editing music.

Video Specialist
- responsible for video capturing, editing and digitizing.
- responsible for taking pictures, scanning pictures or slides and editing.

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Experience, Capabilities and Background:

1. Knowledge of multimedia authoring
2. In-depth knowledge of digital sound or video
3. Educational Background:
a. Communications
b. Film or Video Production
c. Sound Engineering
d. Media Production

IX. Computer Programmer

- Programming of code lines or “scripts” in the authoring language.

Multimedia Building Blocks/Basic Elements

1. Text
- Files that contains no special codes or commands such as Bold, Italics or
Graphics.
- It is used to convey messages, excellent devices for delivering information.
- Text can be too slow at delivering messages across

2. Picture/Graphics
- A picture can be worth a thousand words and it can convey and it can convey
messages instantly, more appealing than text alone.
- Pictures can be worth a thousand words

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Elements of Graphics

A. Background
- For tone and theme. The factors are theme of the applications, color display
capacity, storage capacity of the medium and the amount of text to be paced
over the background.
B. Photographs
- Still image
C. 3D Pictures
- Provides definitions for all graphics file format.
D. Charts/Graphs
- Facts and figures.
E. Flowcharts
- Show the sequential or logical process.
F. Organizational Charts
- Representation of graphs institution/corporation.
G. Drawing
- Images are typically vector or bitmap.

I. Vector
• Use mathematical formulas to create original images.
• The dots are not defined by a row and column address.
• It can reproduce more easily and they look better on most video screens and
printers.

Common Vector Formats

EPS (Encapsulated Post Script)

- Often used in desktop publishing packages like Page maker/Front Page.

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WMF (Windows Metafile Format)

- Used for windows platform.

II. Rastor/Bitmap
- Store, manipulate and represent images as rows and columns of tiny dots.
- It has a precise locations described by its row and column.

Some of the Rastor Formats

GIF (Graphical Interchange Format)

- Supported by Internet Browser, compress images.
- Does not loose data in compression process, cannot support more than 256
colors, multiple image support (animation) display on all browsers, good
for graphics, can be downloaded in stages.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)

- Cross platform supported by windows and desktop Publishing programs.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group)

- Best format for high quality photographs.
- Unlike GIF compression is not saved pixel by pixel but rather in an
algorithm.

Clipart
- Collections of pictures/photographs. Many application programs, such as power
point contains built in clipart.

3. VIDEO
- Produced by successive capture and storage of actual movements as the time
changes.

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4. AUDIO
- Came from the Latin word “Audire” which means to hear.
- Consist of pressure waves that move through a medium. Molecules in air, water,
etc. have spaces between them and when compressed push each other to a
direction forming waves or sound.

TYPES OF AUDIO

A. SPEECH – narration
B. MUSIC – musical performance, song
C. SOUND EFFECTS – special sound (often used as backgrounds) in movies.

5. ANIMATION
- Simulation of movements created by showing a series of images, creating illusion.

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PROCESS OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

Product Management is one of the four areas of marketing. The other three parts of the
marketing mix are pricing, promotion, and distribution. Product management deals with
questions like:

• What products to produce and sell

• What new products to add
• What existing products to discontinue
• How long will it take for a product to penetrate the market
• How many products to have in the product line
• How to balance a product portfolio
• How to introduce a product to the market
• Whether to use a product differentiation strategy
• What is the best product positioning
• What brand name to use
• Whether to use individual branding or family branding
• Whether to use product bundling or product lining
• What logo to use

Traditionally, Marketing has been a term applied to the craft of linking the producers (or
potential producers) of a product or service with customers, both existing and potential.
This general definition fails to provide any direction to someone hoping to market their
products or services effectively. With that, a more modern explanation of what marketing
is--and what makes it effective--is a definition coined by marketing researcher and author
Brian Norris. Marketing is a four step process that begins with analyzing and defining a
qualified universe of potential users or buyers. After this first phase in the marketing
process, a true marketing effort succeeds in capturing the attention of the intended buyers
within the targeted universe. Third, systematic effort must be put into getting the
prospects to accept the concepts or propositions being offered via the marketing effort.
Finally, with all three of the previous steps achieved, the marketer must convert the
prospective buyer into an actual buyer by getting them to take the desired action

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(purchase, rent, call, download, subscribe, refer, sell, follow the law, become a member,
etc.).

Product, price, promotion, and placement

In popular usage, the term 'marketing' refers to the promotion of products, especially
advertising and branding. However, in professional usage the term has a wider meaning
that recognized that marketing is customer centered. Products are often developed to
meet the desires of groups of customers or even, in some cases, for specific customers.
McCarthy divided marketing into four general sets of activities. His typology has become
so universally recognized that his four activity sets, the Four Ps, have passed into the
language. The 4 Ps are:

• Product - The Product management aspect of marketing deals with the

specifications of the actual good or service, and how it relates to the end-user's
needs and wants.
• Pricing - This refers to the process of setting a price for a product, including
discounts.
• Promotion - This includes advertising, promotion, publicity, and personal selling,
and refers to the various methods of promoting the product, brand, or company.
• Place or distribution refers to how the product gets to the customer; for example,
point of sale placement or retailing.

These four elements are often referred to as the marketing mix. A marketer will use these
variables to craft a marketing plan. The four Ps model is most useful when marketing low
value consumer products. Industrial products, services, and high value consumer products
require adjustments to this model. Services marketing must account for the unique nature
of services. Industrial or b2b marketing must account for the long term contractual
agreements that are typical in supply chain transactions. Relationship marketing attempts
to do this by looking at marketing from a long term relationship perspective rather than
individual transactions.

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Technique

For a marketing plan to be successful, the mix of the four "p's" must reflect the wants and
desires of the consumers in the target market. Trying to convince a market segment to
buy something they don't want is extremely expensive and seldom successful. Marketers
depend on marketing research to determine what consumers want and what they are
willing to pay for. Marketers hope that this process will give them a sustainable
competitive advantage. Marketing management is the practical application of this
process.

Most companies today have a customer orientation (also called customer focus). This
implies that the company focuses its activities and products on customer needs. Generally
there are two ways of doing this: the customer-driven approach and the product
innovation approach.

In the consumer-driven approach consumer wants are the drivers of all strategic
marketing decisions. No strategy is pursued until it passes the test of consumer research.
Every aspect of a market offering, including the nature of the product itself, is driven by
the needs of potential consumers. The starting point is always the consumer. The rational
for this approach is that there is no point spending R&D funds developing products that
people will not buy. History attests to many products that were commercial failures
inspite of being technological breakthroughs.

In a product innovation approach, the company pursues product innovation, then tries to
develop a market for the product. Product innovation drives the process and marketing
research is conducted primarily to ensure that a profitable market segment(s) exists for
the innovation. The rational is that customers may not know what options will be
available to them in the future so we should not expect them to tell us what they will buy
in the future. It is claimed that if Edison depended on marketing research he would have
produced larger candles rather than inventing light bulbs. Many firms, such as research
and development focused companies, successfully focus on product innovation. Many

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purists doubt whether this is really a form of marketing orientation at all, because of the
ex post status of consumer research. Some even question whether it is marketing.

Diffusion of innovations research explores how and why people adopt new products,
services and ideas.

A relatively new form of marketing uses the Internet and is called internet marketing or
more generally e-marketing. It typically tries to perfect the segmentation strategy used in
traditional marketing. It targets its audience more precisely, and is sometimes called
personalized marketing or one-to-one marketing. Some aspects of marketing, especially
promotion, are the subject of criticisms.

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