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

2. Multimedia Skills and Training
Chapter 3
Multimedia Skills and Training

3. 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?

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

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

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

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

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

17. 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)

18. 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