COM 205 Multimedia Applications St. Joseph’s College Fall 2004

Multimedia Skills and Training Chapter 3 Multimedia Skills and Training

Skills and Background 1. What are some of the skills needed to develop good multimedia ? 2. What is the responsibility of each member of the software team? 3. What background/training/skill is required of each?

Multimedia Development Team Project Manager Multimedia Designer Interface Designer Writers Video Specialist Audio Specialist Multimedia Programmer Multimedia Producer for the Web

Project Manager Responsibilities Background/skills Overall project Day to day operations and budget Put together good core team Maintain the “big picture” – the vision Background/skills Understand hardware & software Communication skills Good “people” skills- a good listener

Multimedia Designer Responsibilties: Overall content and structure Prepares blueprint for project: content, media, interaction Sometime overlaps with Interface Designer Coordinates team A) Graphic Designers B) Instructional Designers C) Information Designers

Multimedia Designer Background/skills Ability to analyze content structurally and match it with effective presentation Expert with different media types Ability to look at information from different points of view Interpersonal skills Understand resources- both technological and human Solid organizational skills, attention to detail

Multimedia Designer A) Graphic designer – deals with visuals Illustrators ( Freehand) Animators ( Flash) Image processing specialists ( Photoshop)

Multimedia Designer Instructional Designers – deal with subject matter Clear and proper presentation Knowledge of content

Multimedia Designer Information Designers – deal with contents and navigation Structure content Determine user feedback and pathways

Interface Designer Responsibilities: Background/skills Provides access to media and control to people who use it Makes interface “transparent” to users ( effective use of windows, icons, backgrounds, controls, etc.) Background/skills Familiar with different multimedia interfaces Knows authoring system, user testing Basic drawing skills

Writers Responsibilities: Background/skills: Create character, action, point of view, interactivity Write proposals, script actor’s narration, write text screen( content writers) Background/skills: Background in marketing Ability to work within tight deadlines

Video Specialist Responsibilities: Background/skills: Coordinate videographers, sound technicians, lighting designers, set designers, script supervisors, production assistants, actors Background/skills: Skilled with QuickTime or MS Video for editing Macromedia Premiere for special effects

Audio Specialist Responsibilities: Background/skills: Locating and selecting suitable music and talent Scheduling recording sessions Digitizing, editing recorded materials Background/skills: Skilled in studio recording Fluency in MIDI Experience with sequencing software

Multimedia Programmer Responsibilities: Integrates multimedia elements into “seamless” whole using programming language or authoring system (Authorware) Coding displays to controlling devices Background/skills: Multimedia languages (C++, Java, Lingo) HTML, VRML, XML Ability to quickly learn new systems

Multimedia Producer for the Web Responsibilities: Coordinates set of pages for the web Background/skills: Knowledge of HTML, CGI scripts, Photoshop, etc.

Good Multimedia Many multimedia systems are too passive- users click and watch For fully interactive systems, designers need clear picture of what happens as user interacts Adaptive systems modify themselves based on user input ( intelligent tutors)

Conclusion and Assignment Team Building is essential!!!! Assignment: To determine desirable and undesirable characteristics of web pages: View and critique at least 5 web pages – note their URLS List features of at least 2 ( one good, one bad) Begin to list general characteristics