Low-End Media for User Empowerment

Fancy media on websites typically fails user testing. Simple text and clear photos not only communicate better with users, they also enhance users' feeling of control and thus support the Web's mission as an instant gratification environment.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2003). Design>Web Design>Multimedia>Usability

Lumiere Ghosting and the New Media Classroom  

Refocusing courses around the structure of narrative and how they use theatrical forms of interaction in the presentation of complex online help and instructional systems

Gilette, David, John Elsdon and Enrica Lovaglio. Kairos (2005). Articles>Education>Multimedia

Macromedia Flash: A New Hope for Web Applications  

Some new, cutting-edge applications have demonstrated Flash's potential to surpass the power of traditional software applications. These web applications leverage the strengths of Flash to help users make better sense of large amounts of data, presenting information in an easily accessible, graphical visual representation. In this white paper, we will explore how Flash can help developers easily build the next generation of web applications. We will also look at several new applications that have recently appeared on the scene and talk about how they leverage the benefits of Flash.

Perfetti, Christine and Jared M. Spool. User Interface Engineering (2004). Design>Web Design>Multimedia>Flash

Magic iMovie

Introduces how to use iMovie 5's 'Magic iMovie' feature to capture video from camcorder and record to DVD.

Jennings, Stephanie and Jennifer Phillips. Studio for New Media (2006). Articles>Multimedia>Software>Video

Major Features of Flash

Macromedia Flash is primarily an animation development application. Its feature-set includes such things as vector-based drawing, Web animations and interactive effects. Drawing is required for animation, which in turn is part of interactive effects.

Kurtus, Ron. School for Champions (2002). Design>Web Design>Multimedia>Flash

Making the Invisible Visible: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer

Hillman Curtis' minimalist approach to design also appears to be his approach to writing. In just a few words he captures the essence of what it means to be a New Media designer and what it takes to push into unknown territory.

MacLaughlin, Steve. Boxes and Arrows (2002). Design>Multimedia>Writing>Minimalism

Making the Leap  

Increasingly, designers and publishers are finding themselves thrust into the world of 'new media.' Here's an overview of what to expect.

Larkin, James. Adobe Magazine (1995). Careers>Multimedia>TC

Making Your First Video: A Case Study  

This paper summarizes the fundamentals learned in writing a script and helping to coordinate the production of a medium- to high-quality motivational video. New to this experience, our team worked hand-in-hand with an experienced video production company. Our video served as a companion to an environmental guidebook. The primary purpose of the video was to inspire viewers to read and make use of the guidebook in their work.

Medved, Jane E. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Multimedia>Video

The Many Faces of MPEG-4

There's a lot of confusion about what MPEG-4 is and isn't, just as there are many questions as to what it's going to be used for.

Waggoner, Ben. 3Dgate (2001). Design>Multimedia>Video>Standards

Marshall McLuhan's Message for Multimedia  

Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) was more than the person of his times who coined the famous popular term 'the medium is the message.' He was also an influential thinker whose views on media are even more relevant today than they were in the 1960s. McLuhan’s ideas about 'hot' and 'cool' technologies, the power and limitations of various media, the psychological landscape of communication, and the global village are very relevant for today’s technical communicators. They contribute important ideas to the historical roots of multimedia, and as such, they are part of an evolving theoretical foundation for technical communication.

Shirk, Henrietta Nickels. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Multimedia>Theory

Media Player Accessibility

When delivering multimedia content for the three major media players (Windows Media Player, Quicktime and RealMedia Player), the developer must choose whether to have the viewer access the content through a player embedded in a Web page or through a standalone player. Both methods have their advantages. Embedding the player in a Web page allows the user to access the content without another application opening. The standalone players usually have more control options.

WebAIM (2005). Design>Multimedia>Accessibility>Video

Media Selection Chart

Guidelines to choose the best media for presenting your course Web site content.

Barnum, Carol M. and Saul Carliner. University of Minnesota (1993). Design>Multimedia>Assessment

Meet the Future: Leveraging Multimedia for Professional and Educational Outreach  

This article, as well as the conference presentation, recounts the trials, tribulations, and ultimate triumph of a dedicated research team in the Orlando Chapter and at the University of Central Florida who parlayed an $8K STC Special Opportunities grant into 55 minutes of fully narrated, animated multimedia in support of the chapter’s and the Society’s outreach initiative to secondary education. The grant was performed by current and former technical communication students at UCF, under the oversight of Dr. Dan Jones and Dan Voss. Four research assistants contributed to the project: Cindy Hauptner, Bob Stultz, Suzanne Shomate, and John Donovan. Cindy and Bob created the immortal Shanna the Hip and Dan the Nerd.

Hauptner, Cindy, Bob Stultz, Dan Jones and Daniel W. Voss. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Education>Multimedia

Merging Business Communication with Technology: Developing Successful Multimedia Modes for Distance Delivery  

Learning no longer has to depend solely on text resources when learners have access to multimedia resources and developing technologies. The lecture is now encapsulated and available for replay and, like a novel, provides the user with direction not just destination. This paper highlights how technology adds value to the academic learning experience/environment for business communication with a focus upon televised courses, streaming videos, instant messaging and Web-based resources. Implications for the learning experience are: (1) oral and written language use become more dynamic; (2) learner outcomes are audience- and message-centered; and, (3) content instruction is analytical.

Fortune, Mary F. and John J. Staczek. Association for Business Communication (2004). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Multimedia

Miniature Movies, Big Ideas  

Hundreds of filmmakers, huge audiences, instant reviews, and a door to Hollywood - the cinema comes to the Web.

Brunette, Peter. Adobe Magazine (2000). Design>Multimedia>Video

Mode, Medium, and Genre: A Case Study of Decisions in New-Media Design    

Recently, scholars of new media have been exploring the relationships between genre theory and new media. While these scholars have provided a great deal of insight into the nature of e-genres and how they function in professional contexts, few address the relationship between genre and new-media theories from a designer's perspective. This article presents the results of an ethnographic-style case study exploring the practice of a professional new-media designer. These results (a) confirm the role of dynamic rhetorical situations and hybridity during the new-media design process; (b) suggest that current genre and new-media theories underestimate the complexity of the relationships between mode, medium, genre, and rhetorical exigencies; and (c) indicate that a previously unrecognized form of hybridity exists in contemporary e-genres.

Graham, S. Scott. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2008). Articles>Multimedia>Genre>Theory

Multi-Track Mixing for Location Dialogue

Stereo is rarely recorded as such in the field. Instead, we record monaural sounds and wait until post-production is nearly complete to re-assign these sounds to the audience's left, right, and in-between. Until the film is edited, there is no way to know just where all of the audio elements need to end up. For instance, out on production, it might seem logical to record a car that passes from left to right in stereo, so that you can hear the 'pass by' in your phones whoosh from the left ear to the right ear.

Ginsburg, Fred. Equipment Emporium (2006). Articles>Multimedia>Editing>Audio

Multimedia

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of computing technology is the ability to combine text, graphics, sounds, and moving images in meaningful ways. The promise of multimedia has been slow to reach the Web because of bandwidth limitations, but each day brings new solutions. Although there are numerous methods for creating Web multimedia, we recommend using stable technology that works for the great majority of client machines. Plug-ins that extend the capabilities of your Web pages are a mixed blessing. You risk losing your audience if you require them to jump through hoops to view your content.

Lynch, Patrick J. and Sarah Horton. Yale University (1999). Design>Web Design>Multimedia

Multimedia Advice from a High School Essay  

Demonstrates how designers of multimedia can improve their products through examination of the simple structure of a high school essay.

Bunn, Bill E. Intercom (2002). Design>Multimedia

Multimedia and Interactive Marketing in the Digital Age  

What is interactive marketing? How is it different from traditional marketing function? What part does multimedia play in it? Who’s currently doing it and why? Does it replace traditional marketing? Will interactive marketing help companies to better market products and reach customers? These are the questions many companies and individuals are asking. During this panel discussion I will attempt to answer these questions by sharing my thesis research findings on the topic. I will also discuss the future of interactive marketing and the products that will be used to deliver it.

Gibbs, Bruce R. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Multimedia>Marketing

Multimedia Design in Professional Communication

This course will focus on the fundamentals of developing digital multimedia using a range of software, hardware, and electronic equipment. Solid computer skills, knowledge of rhetoric, and basic web design skills are assumed, but no specific experience with multimedia technologies is prerequisite. Be prepared to approach multimedia vigorously and immersively.

Payne, Don. Iowa State University (2003). Academic>Courses>Multimedia

Multimedia Design in Professional Communication

This course will focus on the fundamentals of developing digital multimedia using a range of software, hardware, and electronic equipment. Through readings, class discussion and multimedia projects, you'll learn to apply rhetorical principles (audience analysis, invention, organization, style, design) to multimedia authoring; to learn production techniques for multimedia development (including CD-ROM, streaming video, DVD video and Flash interactivity), from storyboarding to nonlinear editing; to plan and manage collaborative multimedia projects; to master software genres commonly used for multimedia training program in education and industry.

Sauer, Geoffrey. Iowa State University (2004). Academic>Courses>Multimedia

Multimedia Doesn't Mean Multimillionaire: Keeping Costs Down  

This workshop delves into the unconventional idea that multimedia doesn't have to cost a fortune to create or implement. Using a process-oriented focus, workshop leaders will address authoring tools and equipment choices, information organization and presentation, and screen design to illustrate the power of making cost-effective decisions throughout the multimedia development process. Our goal is to teach you how to make choices, ask the right questions, and be aware of the options that affect the bottom line cost of producing multimedia applications.

Bass, David, Caroline N. McLester and Carol Nix. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Multimedia

Multimedia Resources: A Selected Interdisciplinary Guide    

The guide below assembles and connects a selected interdisciplinary resource base for practitioners, educators, and researchers. The print and online sources it reviews cover a wide range of practical and theoretical information related to multimedia theory, design, development, and production from the past decade. Unlike other annotated bibliographies that review and critique the literature related to a single issue or thematic topic, the focus and scope of this guide is broader, and it is intended to be browsed. While not a comprehensive guide by any means, it constitutes a representative slice of the current research and resources available. Full bibliographic information is included for print items, and URLs are provided for online sources. For periodicals, I have included contact information for subscriptions.

Heba, Gary M. Technical Communication Online (1997). Resources>Multimedia