Introduction to Multimedia

• Multimedia is more than one medium
• It uses multiple forms of information to inform or entertain the user
• Multimedia refers to the electronic media used to store and experience content

History of Multimedia

• Prehistoric times (15,000 BC) involved gestures, painting, and cave walls
• Ancient times (500 BC) brought alphabets, drawing, and the invention of paper and horseback riding
• The Middle Ages (400-1000 AD) introduced letters, writing, books, and the beginning of a postal system
• The Renaissance (1300-1800 AD) saw the rise of news, magazines, libraries, printing presses (by Johannes Gutenberg), and steam engines
• The Modern World (1900 AD) saw the introduction of radio, Morse code, movies, film, magnetic tape, phonographs, wireless radio waves, and telegram services
• Electronic era (1950-1980) saw telephones, televisions, fax machines, computers, LP records, electronic memory, cassette tapes, radio, TV, and satellite communication
• The Digital Age (1980-Present) includes computers, digital video, surround sound, hard disks, CD-ROMs, Ethernet, wireless networks, and optical networks

Elements of Multimedia

• Text conveys information, enhances communication, and supports other media formats
• Text is affected by text position, length, and legibility
• Audio is a key component providing depth, emotion, and context
• Images/Graphics make multimedia apps attractive
• Bitmaps (paint graphics) store images as tiny dots called pixels, which are small, square, and arranged with color
• Vectors (draw graphics) use mathematical formulas to draw lines and curves
• Video is one of the most powerful elements
• Animation moves a static image, existing as 2D and 3D forms

Categories of Multimedia

• Linear active content -- - progresses without navigation control, like instructional presentations
• Non-linear active content ---- uses user interactivity to control progress, commonly in computer games or self-paced learning
• Non-Linear Active Content is knows as Hypermedia

Application of Multimedia

• Multimedia integrates various forms of media to convey information
• It spans various industries and fields, making it versatile

Multimedia in Education & E-Learning

• Interactive learning is used in educational tools to create interactive lessons
• Online courses, like Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy
• Simulations and virtual classrooms help students experience real-world scenarios

Multimedia in Marketing & Advertising

• Interactive advertising uses multimedia in ads to attract attention and communicate effectively
• Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube rely heavily on multimedia
• Product demos & tutorials help demonstrate how products work

Multimedia in Healthcare

• Medical training uses simulations and virtual reality (VR)
• Medical imaging uses multimedia for diagnostic purposes like CT and MRI scans
• Patient education uses interactive apps to understand health conditions and treatment plans

Multimedia in Journalism and News

• Multimedia journalism combines video and images to tell news stories across digital platforms
• Multimedia is essential in creating compelling documentaries using audio, video and archival materials

Multimedia in Web Design and Development

• Website development enahnces user experience and creates more dynamic and interactive pages
• User interface (UI) design incorporates multimedia to improve the overall design of apps

Multimedia in Entertainment

• Movies & animation integrates various media
• Music videos use video creatively
• Video games combine graphics, sound, animation, and interactive elements

Multimedia Application Creation

• A program should go through various multimedia production phases
• They are completed in 3 main stages: pre-production, production, and post-production
• Pre-production involves analysis and design
• Production involves implementation
• Post-production involves testing, evaluation and publishing