What is a Multimedia?

Multimedia is content that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, video and interactive content. Multimedia contrasts with media that use only rudimentary computer displays such as text-only or traditional forms of printed or hand-produced material.

Multimedia can be recorded and played, displayed, interacted with or accessed by information content processing devices, such as computerized and electronic devices, but can also be part of a live performance. Multimedia devices are electronic media devices which used to store and experience multimedia content. 

Multimedia is distinguished from mixed media in fine art. For example, by including audio it has a broader scope. In the early years of multimedia the term "rich media" was synonymous with interactive multimedia, and "hypermedia" was an application of multimedia.

Why and Where Multimedia being used

Why Multimedia being used?

Multimedia defines as two or more types of media merged into a single bundle or package. Would you rather spend 15 minutes of your precious time reading a post/report or just 5 minutes watching a video version of the report having someone explaining it?

You might have different answers for this question, but 90% of content consumers out there are going to opt for 5-minute video option as because, it cost less time and more interactive. In the same time, simulates our mind and keep us hooked to the content. Texts based posts or articles are much cheaper to create compared to video of infographic contents, but the attention of multimedia is filled with content that can make you enormous.

A person’s attention is very expensive to be bought, sometimes it takes more than money to do so. This is where multimedia has all the advantages to grab their attention, by using infographics, audio and video-based contents, a blog posts can contain short animation, having interesting images and different text styles. 

Where Multimedia being used?

Multimedia are being implemented in countless fields, we can confidently say that multimedia is used in almost everything and everywhere. This includes fields from Education, Business, Advertising, Science & Technology, Mass Media and Gaming Industry.

Advertising has changed tremendously for the past decade with the help of technological advancement in their field. Not just that but also has helped many people, organizations and media from different background to promote, gather audience, spread influence, make a sweet profit and gain so many other advantages. Currently these are the mediums of advertising:

  ·       Television advertising (video)

·         Radio advertising (audio)

·         Print advertising

·         Mobile advertising

·         Digital advertising

-    Display Ads

-    Video

-    Social

-    Search

-    Remarketing

Education has been a very important part of every human being since the

beginning of civilization. Even so, multimedia is also essential for every student

because multimedia delivers education in such forms that makes it ever so

effective to be learned and consumed by our young minds. 

Previously, in the traditional method physical text books are used in classrooms

as a study material but after digitalization (in some countries) textbooks, notes,

newspapers are over ridden by the popularity of digital education medias. 

With the introduction of latest technology in education, multimedia can be

perceived more naturally with the addition of audio and visual presentation we

can increase student’s interest and motivate them by using educational

multimedia applications. Usage of laptops, learning from iPad and tablets are

more multimedia focused learning on today education, a leap towards the future.

There are the advantages of implementing Multimedia in education or learning;

Deeper understanding

-  According to research, the brain will be able to form a connection between verbal and visual representation of content, which supports a deeper understanding and thus offering a higher level of thinking, collaborative skills and problem solving to the students.

·         Improved Problem Solving

-  Visual processing is an ability by our brains to process images, videos, texts and animations and this eventually increases the attention and retention of our brains while helping us solve difficult problems much fast and easier.

·         Increased positive emotions

-    Psychologically proven that multimedia implementation in study process does improves mood of a learner and helps them become more proactive and learn better on a given time.

·         Access to a vast variety of information

-   With the access of internet, every single information can be gathered from the web will be very useful while learning in the same time widens the knowledge and those gained information can be presented on classrooms and share around the gained knowledges.

·         World exploration

-  This is a much more important part of our education, Geography, Biological studies are being done in theories mostly, but with the help of multimedia tools such as Virtual Reality (VR) we can experience the maximum potential of education from a classroom. You will be able to test all kind of chemicals, operate a virtual rat, visit places from the history books, experience different cultures and much more.

Business also has its very own multimedia application such as

presentation, training, advertising, product samples, networked

communication, marketing and voicemail. Usage and benefits of

multimedia is not any different, for example there are few main reasons

why multimedia’s are being used for businesses.

Presentations are very important for an organization to plan, discuss and

execute hierarchical decisions through employees to solve problems, increase

level of engagement, be consistence, build morale, make profits and retain

professionalism. And in presentations, it is required to include multimedia’s such

as graphs, videos, animations, texts and audios to have a wide range of

understanding from the presentation.

Websites is very vital in this digital era, as more organizations are in a tight

competition with others on making their voice heard to the public by publicizing

their businesses online. Competition is very likely between businesses and best

utilization of multimedia on their websites is the key to success. 

Having such forms of multimedia’s, videos to explain a company and their

services more in details to the consumer. Attractive animation to attract

consumers at their first best impression. Images and texts that reflects the

professionalism of the company in their websites.

Gaming Industry is the one of the best fields that fully utilizes the maximum

potential of multimedia usage and indeed they are fruiting from it. Gaming industry

is completely depending on multimedia and no other form of media. 

It is a form of entertainment that is integrated very high level of audio, video

effects, interactive animation and texts. For the past decade, the gaming

industry has improved their visual quality like no other industry, such as Ray

Tracing technology from Nvidia. 3D technology concept and its integration into

video games has added qualitative change in the industry overall. Evolution from

2D to 3D has enable games to have vivid gameplays and cutscenes such like

movies.

Voice recognition technology is a process of identifying a certain command and

having an outcome based on the “speech” detected with the help of AI, and

sound is a type of multimedia. Interaction using voice command becoming more

popular in games such as Mass Effect 3.

Facial recognition technology allows systems to catch your facial expressions

with the help Artificial Intelligence (AI) and neural technology and give anoutcome

based on the facial data it collected. As advanced as this technology sounds, it

still uses the base of multimedia which is image processing and 3D processing

(moving face). 

Mass Media is the primary form of communication used to reach a vast

majority of public through mediums such as newspapers, satellite radio, news

anchoring and many more. Multimedia is implemented in a wide variety of form

such as printing on newspapers, audio and video works in news anchoring, voice

multimedia in satellite radio and much more. Photographs also can be used in the

newspapers and news bulletin. Animation also vital for such infographics when

presenting a world news regarding facts.

Science & Technology is such a large field that requires every bit of

technological advancement to keep inventing new innovations and come up with

new discoveries. The use of worldwide web, transferring audio files as live

interaction, sending formatted documents, sending pictures and videos, it reduces

times and cost and in the same time delivers our motive to the recipient more in

detailed. 

As for Science useful latest tools for scientists and doctors/surgeons

have come in very handy in improving their job and researches. Scientists

multiple laboratory equipment such as microscopes, spectrophotometer, cyclic

triaxial apparatus and much more. Surgeons on the other hand can image

scanning a human body and practice themselves a successful surgery. This can

be much safer and cost effective.

Hierarchy of Position in Multimedia Project

Roles in Multimedia Project

i.)    Director:

The roles of Director in Multimedia Project are designing and managing a project, utilized people’s and organizational skills, sharing information between the team and the client, and know the strengths and limitations of hardware and software.

Firstly, Director needs to use his specialize skills, with great knowledge and ideas of their own. Being a Director require a good planner. A Director must know on how to utilize his skills, mainly on giving instructions to his staff and workers. The workers need a good leader, so that they will know on how to design the project.

The director also must supervise the task carry by his team. He must give specific, exact information in delivering good set of instructions to his team, in order to complete the tasks required by his company. Besides, the Director also need to understand the concept of strengths and limitations in hardware and software. A hardware is where the main parts uses in carrying out project. 

It includes a CPU, monitor, sound card and others. CPU is where processing and synchronization takes place. The Director need to utilize the use of CPU, in carrying out project given to him. It’s necessary for him to create and develop a project plan, with the help of CPU. Besides, he need to know on how to use the computer monitors, in order to collect data information on his worker’s progress. It can help him to monitor his worker’s current form, productivity and more.

Lastly, the director must understand and deliver a good information between his team and the clients. He must give proper speech, deliver a clear and strong information to his company, upon reaching company target. He must show great leadership skills, especially to his client in order to attract more client to invest in his company.

ii.)     Script Writer

In order to be a good Multimedia writer, he or she need to conduct a research, selecting organizing materials, and writing stories, ideas and information.

Firstly, a script writer need to carry out a research on which topic he or she has to compile, write and type. She need to have a good information and deeper knowledge, in order to bring the best information to her Director and the company. She will spend most of the time in writing or typing the document given to her, or carry out her own research like “the benefit that the company can get from the Multimedia project”. 

She need to use the utilities given to her, like the computer or a paperwork so that she can write and complete the script given to her. In addition, she also need to dig in information, in order to get good information in creating and writing a script. She need to select the best materials that she has, in order to give proper message to her Director. On the other hand, writing stories on a project carrying by her team is needed. She need to collect good information, usually day by days in order to get good stories regarding the ongoing project.

Lastly, she can also bring innovative ideas to her company, with the thing that she writes. Company can get good information from her perspective ideas.

iii) Cameraman

The cameraman job scope involves taking videos, editing and assembling recorded raw materials into a suitable, finished products ready for broadcasting. The cameraman need to have a good photographing skills, in order to create a good and beautiful videos. They usually will work with a digital camera, a lightning and other sets of video equipment.

He or She need to know on how to taking photos and video from different angles. He can compile both of them and make it into a good video, which will later use as a promotional video or as the company adverts. He can also use other platform, like Adobe Photoshop in order to enhance the video quality, to make it more clear. He can also insert some dialogue, sound effects with graphic and special effects in the video. 

This is to make the video more comprehensive to his working company. Creating video is not easy. Therefore, it’s necessary for him to give his best shot and show what he can do, in order to bring the best video, both to his company and the customer. 

Difference between Interaction Multimedia and Multimedia System

Interactive media, or so called Interactive Multimedia, is a computer-delivered electronic system that allows user to control, combine, and manipulate different types of media, such as text, sound, video, computer graphics, and animation by making it possible to access illustrations and photographs, sound and video, as well as large amounts of text, interactive multimedia programs present learning information to teachers, students, and scholars in newly engaging and meaningful ways.

Multimedia System:

Multimedia system is capable of processing multimedia data and applications. It is characterized by processing, storage, generation, manipulation and rendition of multimedia information. It can be defined as any application that combines text with graphics, animation, audio, video with virtual reality.

It’s also used for security protection, to keep intruders out of system and for storing documents protection. If we talk about the Components (Hardware and Software) required for multimedia system: Capture devices like Video Camera, Video Recorder, Audio Microphone, Keyboards, mice, graphics tablets, 3D input devices, tactile sensors, VR devices.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Multimedia

ADVANTAGE:

According to research, benefit of multimedia learning includes ability of brains to make connections between verbal and visual representations of content, leading to deeper understanding, which in turn support the transfer of learning to other situations.

Improves over Traditional Audio-Video Presentations: Audiences are more attentive to Multimedia messages than traditional presentations done with slides or overhead transparencies.

The multimedia also has an animation, music, video and others. It’s a broad term for combining multiple media formats.

Slides, for example, are Multimedia as they combine text and images, and sometimes video and other types.

Educational multimedia applications are used in improving learning effectiveness. Multimedia learning environment involves numbers of elements as it enables learning process to take places. Audio allows students to use their imagination without being biased, as it will increase the learning outcome.

DISADVANTAGE:

There are some disadvantage of Multimedia. It leads to individualism. People spend too much time on internet and watching television. As a result, socialization with friends, family and neighbours is affected. 

Some media contents are not proper for children. Internet as form of media opens up possibilities of imposters, fraud and hacking. Media can be addictive, e.g. some television programs and internet. It can lead to decrease in people’s productivity.

Health problems. Prolonged watching of television can lead to eyesight problems and radio listening using earphones which lead to possible hearing defects.

Sectors that contribute and use Multimedia

Multimedia plays a great and a vital role in the field of advertising. Whether it's a print or electronic advertisement, they are first prepared on the computer by using professionals' software's, and then brought in front of potential audiences.

Different types of advertising includes:

• Print advertising
• Radio (audio) advertising
• Television (video) advertising
• Digital advertising
  • Display Ads
  • Remarketing
  • Video
  • Social
  • Search
• Mobile advertising

Education

The multimedia has a great importance in the form of education.Their usage has a significant role to play for children currently in the school. It is broadly used in the field of education and training. We used audio for imparting education even in traditional method, where charts, models etc. were used.

Nowadays the classroom need is not limited to that traditional method. However, rather it need an audio with visual media. Everything can be integrated into one system, with the uses of multimedia. In addition, the PC includes a high-quality display with mic option. This all lead to the development of a wide range of computer-based training.

Mass Media

It's mostly used in the field of mass media like journalism, such as in various magazines and newspapers. Multimedia plays a vital role in term of publishing house, there many ongoing project like newspaper designing and other stuff.

Nowadays, we can see photographs in newspaper, not just the text.This makes the newspaper a perfect example, which will explain the worthiness of hypermedia.

Gaming Industry

Games, has one of the most exciting uses in Multimedia.The live internet, which nowadays has become one of the most popular features in term of gaming.

The first application of multimedia system was found in the field of entertainment which also known as the video game industry. Besides, the integrated audio and video effects make various types of games more fun and entertaining.

Science & Technology

Multimedia had a wide application in the field of science and technology. It is capable of transferring audio, sending message and formatted multimedia documents. At the same time, it
also helps in live interaction through audio message. It's only possible with the uses of hypermedia.

Besides, it reduce time and cost arranged at any moment, even in the case of emergencies.

On the other hand, it's also become useful especially for surgeons, as it can create images which can derive from imaging scans of human body. It's also use in practice complicated procedure, such as brain removal and reconstructive surgery. It can be made in a much better way, as it can reduce the costs and complications.

Fine Arts

There are multimedia artists, which blend techniques by using different media in fine arts. Its incorporates the interaction with the audiences. For example. one of the famous artist is Peter Greenaway,which blend a cinema altogether with an opera, by the help of all sorts of digital media.

Engineering

It can be said that software engineers often use multimedia in computer simulations, like for the military and industrial training. It's used for software interfaces, which are done as collaboration between a creative professionals and software engineers.

Research

Multimedia usually used in modeling and simulation, when it come to area of mathematical and scientific research. As for example, by looking at particular molecular model by a group of scientist, in which a particular substance are used in order to manipulate and turn it into a new substance.