The idea for this book emerged from a course I helped create in 2003 and have been teaching ever since called Creating Multimedia Content (CMC). It is a rapid-fire survey course that introduces students to the foundational concepts and skills used in multimedia design and production. In this course, students learn the basics of visual theory, graphic design, digital photography, sound and video recording, editing, and the Web—all in a one-semester course. To accomplish such a feat, the course focuses on breadth rather than depth. The goal is to introduce students to basic theories and principles of design, practical production skill sets and project workflows, and industry standards and best practices.
Likewise, Multimedia Foundations is a textbook that focuses broadly on the subjects and themes that are common to all digital storytellers and platforms—the most significant and transferrable concepts one is likely to encounter across the ever-converging industries and professions of multimedia.
How this Book is Organized
Each chapter covers a single facet of multimedia design. Thus, since each chapter stands on its own, the instructor or reader can interact with the material nonlinearly in any manner he or she wishes. For those of you who prefer to progress through a book one chapter at a time in the order presented, I have tried to arrange the chapters in a way that makes sense and that progresses logically from beginning to end. The book is divided into four topical subsections: 1) multimedia foundations, 2) multimedia design, 3) static media, and 4) time-based media.
Multimedia Foundations
Section 1 is intended to give the reader a broad foundational understanding of the field along with an introduction to some of the essential tools and processes used in multimedia design. Chapter 1 includes a definition and overview of multimedia within the context of traditional media and historical practice. It compares and contrasts the legacy media of old with new media that’s rooted in digital technologies and workflows. Chapter 2 examines the computer. The computer is more than a box filled with high-tech hardware components; it is an invaluable personal assistant, running the tools and programs you need to create, publish, and consume multimedia. Chapter 3 introduces readers to the planning and design process. All too often, the planning process is underestimated, rushed, or eliminated entirely from the producer’s workflow. Good outcomes are highly dependent on good planning, vision, and intentionality on the front end of a multimedia project.
Multimedia Design
Section 2 includes four chapters on professional practices and theories that guide and inform the multimedia design process. Chapter 4 draws upon the field of visual communication, introducing the reader to core elements and principles of design having to do with aesthetics, a branch of study dealing with human perceptions of visual form and presentation. Chapter 5 looks at page layout and design, which has its roots in print media such as newspapers and magazines. In multimedia, the concepts and principles of page design extend to screen layouts as well. Chapter 6 examines user interface design and the often-related concept of usability. The multimedia experience is primarily nonlinear, and for this reason, users rely on designers to create easy-to-use interfaces that are functional and intuitive. Chapter 7 addresses web design. While the field of multimedia encompasses far more than the Web, as the quintessential multimedia platform, the Web still commands a great deal of attention.
Static Media
Section 3 introduces you to three branches of static media: text, graphics, and photography. The term static media refers to any type of media that can be presented or viewed instantaneously, in a fixed moment of time, such as words or images affixed to a page or screen. Chapter 8 delves into the art of typography and the use of text for communicating information and emotion. Chapter 9 takes us into the field of graphic design to explore rudimentary principles of electronic image formation—examining differences between raster graphics, vector images, and moving images. Chapter 10 moves us into digital photography. This is a richly illustrated chapter that includes a wealth of information about camera imaging and photographic techniques.
Time-Based Media
Section 4 looks at time-based media—namely audio and video recording, acquisition, and postproduction. Chapter 11 traces the evolution of recording technologies from the early days of tape-based recording methods to the modern era of file-based recording. It also explores some of the important distinctions between analog and digital methods of encoding and reproduction. Chapter 12 covers audio production and sound recording techniques, the use of microphones, and the practice of monitoring to ensure professional results. Chapter 13 is a new chapter that focuses entirely on video production. It goes into depth on topics such as video composition, film grammar, acquisition of interviews and B-Roll, and device settings for digital cameras and recorders. Finally, chapter 14 deals with the use of nonlinear editing (NLE) for assembling audio and video clips into a meaningful narrative structure and presentation.
How the Chapters are Organized
Historical Quotes and Predictions
Each chapter begins with an historical prediction or quote related to the corresponding subject. Many of these quotes came from the predictions database at Imagining the Internet, a website created by my colleague Janna Quitney Anderson as a part of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The database includes thousands of predictions (some serious and others humorous) such as these:
In the world of the future, people will use low-cost Radio Shack equipment to spy on themselves to find out who they are.
—Eric Hughes, 1992
I’m looking forward to the day when my daughter finds a rolled-up 1,000-pixel-by-1,000-pixel color screen in her cereal packet, with a magnetic back so it sticks to the fridge.
—Tim Berners-Lee, 1995
It’s fun to read and think about what people have said throughout the years about the Internet and other technologies that impact us daily. Take a moment and visit the site to see what you can find: http://www.elon.edu/e-web/predictions/early90s/
Chapter Highlights
A bulleted list of the major topics or highlights gives the reader a quick overview of the content and general scope of each chapter.
Key Terms
The key terms section features a vocabulary list of important words mentioned in the chapter. Definitions for each key term can be found in the chapter glossaries on the companion website (see http://Routledge.com/cw/costello).
Boxes
Throughout the book, boxes are used to showcase material under three broad headings: Flashback, Great Ideas, and Tech Talk.
Flashback
In order to understand the present, you need to know something about the past. Flashback segments point to a significant past accomplishment, event, or individual work.
Great Ideas
The field of multimedia has been affected by countless ideas, inventions, and innovations that have significantly impacted the way we design and create multimedia. A great idea is not necessarily a good or lasting one, but one that has left a mark or has had a transformative effect on the profession and those who work in it. A great idea may be something as grand as a theory or invention, or as simple as a workflow tip or technique.
Tech Talk
One the biggest challenges I faced in writing this book was deciding how deep to go into any one particular topic or subject area. Remember, this book was designed to focus more on breadth than depth. The risk here is that, for some, I will not have gone deep enough and that, for others, I will have gone far beyond what they were looking for in an introductory textbook. A partial solution to this dilemma is Tech Talk. Tech Talk delves deeper into advanced technical concepts and issues associated with multimedia. At times, it also covers practical techniques or applications that go beyond a cursory glance.