Basic terms in Multimedia

Multimedia                                                                

Modalities:

We perceive media in different ways such as listening  and reading.

·         Tactile – Touch

·         Gustatory – Taste

·         Visual – Sight

·         Auditory – Hearing

·         Olfactory – Smell

Channels:

1.      Listen to music: Auditory

2.      Hear noises: Auditory

3.      Receive spoken communication: Auditory

Are they all the same?

No, they are very different yet they all operate within the same modality

This is where the “channel” of communication comes in:

Channels exist within a modality and one modality may contain many channels.

Within our visual modality, there will be different channels for video, graphics and text.

Bandwidth refers to the amount of information that can be carried by a certain channel within a modality.

We can read words from printed text at 100 words per minute

But we can listen to words at 500 words per minute.

This is a comparison of the “printed text” channel in the visual modality and the “spoken text” in the auditory modality.

Bandwidth will also depend on the individual and it’s very unlikely that you would reach maximum levels.

Medium:

Multimedia is delivered through a medium containing more than one channel operating across several modalities.

Television is a prime example where multiple modalities are used (auditory and visual) and multiple channels (text, music, moving picture, spoken words)

What about radio?

Radio is a medium which includes music, spoken word and sounds.

The channels however are all in one modality.

Definition of Multimedia:

Multimedia is a combination of a variety of communication channels delivered through our modalities.

The integration of the following elements:

·         Text

·         Sound

·         Video

·         Graphics

·         Animation

Task at Random

For this task we had to pick a name out of a hat and talk about what we would do at the ceremony but we had to think like that person and play it out like that person. This whole thing was done at random so I had no choice in the person(s) I got which also kinda brought me out of my comfort zone but in the end I done it.

Brainstorming Ideas:

Multimedia Production

1.       Have a clear objective

State the problem

2.       Preparation: Don’t just turn up, tell everybody in advance what you are doing and why. This will start the process of thinking for the team members

3.       Allocate an amount of time for the session hours rather than days, less is more!!

4.       Location, Choose somewhere that is comfortable and thought provoking

5.       Record everything: Make a note of every idea, do not rule out any idea (even crazy ones) at this stage

6.       Don’t stop when you think you may have a solution continue until allocated time is up

You must practise brainstorming to be good at it. It is a task in itself and all pressure must be taken away for ideas to flow.

Lots of different techniques can be used.

Techniques:

1.       Pick a Name at random out of a hat.

2.       You must think like you are that person, in other words you must imagine how they would tackle a problem.

My Task: Dunboyne CFE Graduation Ceremony

I am Jedward,

At the graduation as I am JEDWARD!!!!! I would be performing as we are a failing entertaining group. The act would be a bit childish but crazy. It would be simple just the music in the background and the two of us singing and trying to backflip. I would have a Ghostbusters theme for the fun of it and we would be giving out Jedward wigs so the world can be us. Instead of chairs there would be bean-bags and coke to drink.

We would also have a lot of sweets, nice ones that everybody loves.

Understanding Design

There are many types of designers:

·         Engine Designers

·         Graphic Designers

·         Landscape Designers

·         Program Designers

Although they are all completely different, they are related.

Designers provide practical solutions.

Good design has an equal balance of form and function (what it looks like and what it does)

These are the elements of design:

·         Shape:

The shape of something

·         Line:

Used to define shapes, contours and outlines

·         Space:

The distance between things

·         Texture:

The surface look and feel of the object

·         Colour:

The colour of the object

·         Value:

The range of lightness and darkness within a picture

The Role of the Client

The Role of the Client

The main role of a client is to invest in the product you are offering them. The client is supposed to buy into the project or product, and provide all the required details that are necessary to make the investment worthwhile. The client should allow enough time for the completion of the product or service and avoid hurrying the supplier unnecessarily in order to obtain quality standards.

A client plays a very important role in the recruitment process. There are several responsibilities, which the client must accept to ensure a more successful search. These include:

·         Provide the information and relevant documents (e.g., financial data and organization plans) to ensure that the searcher understands the history, structure, operations, and goals of the company.

·         Clearly inform the searcher about matters relevant to the search which should be kept confidential.

·         Keep the searcher informed of any changes in matters which might affect the requirements, such as a pending acquisition or divestiture, reorganization, etc.

·         Provide timely feedback to the searcher regarding information, recommendations, and candidates presented.

·         Promptly schedule interviews with promising candidates as though they were a "most valued customer."

·         Provide suitable information to candidates, which will enable them to make their career decision.

·         Make the decision on whom to hire. Your searcher can identify and recommend, but it is your organization the candidate will be joining.

·         Prepare the "insiders" before hiring an "outsider" and concentrate on making the hired individual an "insider" very quickly.

·         By doing the above, you and your search firm will have worked mutually to ensure the success of the search and performance on the job.

·         Contact all candidates who were considered, but not selected, to maintain a favourable impression of your organization and of ours.

The Role of the Designer

This is the role of the designer:

The Role of the Designer

What does a designer do? The answer used to be fairly simple, but no longer, according to Clement Mok, owner of acclaimed Clement Mok designs communications firm in San Francisco. The advent of the computer as anelectronic drawing board has left designers without clear boundaries -- groping in a digital world where they can manipulate type, illustrations and photographers. These days, though, almost half of his business involves “design without the smell of ink.”

A multimedia designer uses art, sound and design skills to create video, audio and animated images. Her job requires imagination and creativity coupled with technical expertise in applying a wide range of software applications. She normally works in a creative industry, such as computer or Web marketing, filmmaking or television. Graphics, audio and animation skills are also commonly applied in the fields of education, advertising and software design.

A person in this position often has background or experience in graphic design. Before the advent of computers, a graphic designer created images and developed concepts on paper. A multimedia designer typically has talents in this field that she expounds upon by incorporating sound, still pictures, animation and video applications. These projects normally include the production of DVDs and CD-ROMs.

Whether a designer works for the multimedia department at a large company or for a small firm, his/her first step in a project typically involves meeting with the project manager or client to get a clear understanding of their expectations. Once they agree on what is feasible, the designer often presents a time frame and budget for the project. If she needs the assistance of other designers or requires special equipment or materials, he/she presents her list of essentials at this time.

(The next post will have "The Role of the Client")

Our Own Design Breif

In one of my Multimedia classes we where pared up into groups of two and had to make a design brief task for the class and the best one would be chosen. Myself and John McLouglin made this brief.

Design Brief

Client Business Name: Flash our Buns

Industry: Bakery

Project Title: Make a flash video to advertise our cakes  :D

Project Background:

We are an Irish bakery specialising in custom ordered cakes. Due recent trends we decided the best way to advertise our new business was to create a video and post it on the internet. This will help reduce our costs and allow us to focus out rime on developing our business.

What is the client’s niche?

Our cakes are all developed around different characters and themes form popular flash games.

Who are the client’s competitors?

While we are not directly in competition with other bakeries as we are a specialised bakery creating personalized cakes for devilry. We consider our competition to be other bakeries offering international delivery.

Who are the target audience?

Our target audience is any fan of online flash games or anyone who enjoys art in the form of cake within Ireland.

Business Objective of Projects:

·         We are hoping to get our name better known to the online community within Ireland

·         To improve our sales

·         To reduce our cost of labour and delivery to a point that they are very affordable but at the same time making a profit.

·         We are hoping to inform potential customers of our prices and contact information

What existing Marketing/ Assets are in place?

·         We maintain a stall within Fairyhouse racecourse market every Sunday form which take orders and sell samples of our cake on site.

·         We have already created a logo which is imprinted into a bottom corner of every cake we make and is on every card which we place into the box itself.

Special Requirements/Request:

Our logo must be displayed throughout the video and the video cannot be seen as offensive to anyone as that is bad publicity.

Logos and Images:

We have supplied a logo and the special requirements/ request are stated above.

Project Specifications:

·         The video must not be longer than 5 minutes but must be longer than two

·         Must be simple and easy to recognise

·         The quality does not need to be overly elegant

·         A draft of the video must be available to us before being published

Timetable/ Deadlines:

Must be done within two weeks

Sync Pics

For this assignment we had to get each letters of our names and and turn the letters into pictures then we had to sync the letters to the rhythm of a song of our choice. This task wasn't easy but it wasn't hard either. It just took some time as I had to get the timing right otherwise the picture would have moved either faster or slower than the music that was playing.

The song I chose was "Here me Now" by Hollywood Undead, this is one of my favorite songs and the start of it is a very fast synthesizer so at the start each letter changes n less than a second for about 15 seconds.