COM 205
Multimedia Applications
St. Joseph’s College
Fall 2004
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
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Project Manager
Multimedia Designer
Interface Designer
Writers
Video Specialist
Audio Specialist
Multimedia Programmer
Multimedia Producer for the Web
Project Manager
• Responsibilities
– 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:
– 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:
– 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:
– 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:
– 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