CHAPTER 7

MULTIMEDIA SKILLS
AND
STEPS TO MAKE
MULTIMEDIA PROJECT

ECE551
MURIZAH KASSIM

Outline
Skills and Background
Multimedia Development Team
7 Team

Steps to make multimedia

Planning
Design
Testing

Deliver

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

Multimedia
Producer
for the
WEB

Multimedia
Programmer

Project
Manager

Multimedia
Development
Team

Video
Specialist
Audio
Specialist

Multimedia
Designer

Interface
Designer
Writers

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
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
Responsibilities
Overall content and structure
Prepares blueprint for project: content, media interaction
Sometime overlaps with Interface Designer
Coordinates team
Graphic Designers
Instructional Designers
Information Designers

Multimedia Designer: Task

Graphic designer
Deals with visuals
Illustrators ( freehand)
Animators ( flash)

Image processing specialists ( photoshop)

Instructional Designers
Deal with subject matter
Clear and proper presentation
Knowledge of content

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 actors 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

Forensic Audio

Multimedia Programmer
Responsibilities
Integrates multimedia elements into seamless whole using
programming language or authoring system (Author ware)
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.

Multimedia Producer for the Web

Teamwork is so important that it is virtually

impossible for you to reach the heights of your
capabilities or make the money that you want
without becoming very good at it.
~ Brian Tracy

Steps To Make Multimedia Project

Plan

Design

Testing

Deliver

Planning
1. Develop an idea
Determine the scope of a multimedia project
Who is your intended audience?
What are the goals and objectives of the

project?
Analyze the content

Planning
2. Identify skills and resources
What multimedia elements will best deliver your

message?
What hardware is available?
What multimedia software is available to you?
What are your capabilities and skills with both the
software and the hardware?
Alone or in team? ~ people
Time.
Money.

Planning
3. Estimate Time And Cost
Provide Gantt Chart.
Estimate the total time required for each task.
Deal with your client.
Estimate the costs of your multimedia project by analyzing the

tasks that is comprises and the people who build it.

Microsoft Project Plan

Microsoft Project Budget Plan

Planning
4. Provide storyboard
A storyboard is a sketch of how to

organize a story and a list of its

contents.
A storyboard helps you
Define the parameters of a story

within available resources and time

Organize and focus a story
Figure out what medium to use for
each part of the story

Planning
5. Develop a prototype
Provide working model by using your

hardware and software.

Building screen mock-ups and a human
interface of menus and button clicks.
A proof-of-concept
Purpose: test the initial implementation of
your idea and improve on it based upon
test results.

Prototype Demo on Charm Science

http://www.visimaker.com/VMP/img/multimedia/nlu/movie.html

Design
1. Designing the structure
Method used to link the screens
together
2. Designing the user interface
How to design GUI.

Design Structure: Linear

Linear
User navigates sequentially
Moving from one page to the next.
The simplest structure
No independence to move freely in between the

portions.
User may be given the option to move one step
forward or backward.

Designing Structure: Hierarchical

Hierarchical
Analogous to the branches of a tree.
To move from top to bottom
One must move down one branch at a time with more branches
being available the lower to go.
The structure is shaped by some natural logic.
Mapping the first main link branches in tern branch out further.
Integrity is maintained by limiting the users movements within
various branches. Users have to come to the main branch to move
to the others branch.
Very popular among edutainment multimedia.

Hierarchical

Designing- Structure: Nonlinear

Nonlinear
Users navigate freely through the content of the project
Unbound by predetermined routes.

Designing- Structure Composite

Composite
Users may navigate non-linearly, but are occasionally constrained
to linear presentations.

Designing User Interface

Approach
Neatly executed
contrast
Simple and clean
screen
Eye-grabbers
Shadows and drop
shadows in various
shades
Gradients
Reversed graphics
to emphasize

Avoid
Clashes of color
Busy screen
Using a picture with a

lot of contrast in color or

brightness as a
background
Too many words

Testing
Test your programs to make sure that they meet the

objectives of your project.

Meet the needs of your client or end user.

Testing - Type
Alpha Testing
A Test relatively in the early
stage of the development phase.
The main interest is to review the
concept, format, user interface
and the layout
The tester may be selected
users or among the teams to
confirm that your product works.
First phase of testing includes
unit testing, component testing,
and system testing.
Compress files, edit for
misspelled words and unclear
directions, broken links, and
sync audio and video.
Make sure download times are
acceptable.

Beta Testing
Second phase testing in which
a sampling of the intended
audience tries the product out.
Pre-release testing
The testing group should be
represented by the real users
and should not include the
people who have been involved
in the project.
The feedbacks from these
testers are very important
where the errors or problems
reported by the beta testers
have to include the detail
description of the problem.

Delivery
Final stage
Know the medium you want to use.
Web site: can just upload to the servers and adjust some

settings then it is ready

Installation guide and process
Documentation step-by- step procedure
Troubleshooting guide

Delivery
Installer
Provide well-written
documentation about the
installation process.
File archives
Self-extracting archives

Packaging

Medium
On compact disc technology
CD-R
DVD

On world wide web/online

Summary

Exercise
1. Describe the special skills required to make good
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

mobile apps.
By using an appropriate tool, provide a Gantt Chart to
develop an automotive company website.
Discuss depth navigation structure and surface
navigation structure.
The test release of a product with a version number as
the developers continue to refine the product and
approach a final version is called_________________.
List two mediums of delivery multimedia applications.
Design a hierarchical chart for your project 3