Combined Hot Multimedia Practical Tips
 by: Lala C. Ballatan

In the site, http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/99/26/index1a.html?tw=multimedia Francis Preve’s article on Hot Multimedia Tips, he emphasized that, “As web designers, we don’t want to get caught flat-footed when all our favorite videographers, record producers, and best boys start setting up camp in our backyard. After all, aren’t these some of the folks who inspired us in the first place?”

In his article, he polled the best and brightest web developers and designers at HotWired, together with some other creative types. It is an attempt to get a handle on several secret techniques they use to create effective audio, video, and animation on the Web. Thus, in a compilation, he gathered together a must –read assortment of tips, tricks, and general wisdom, guaranteed to help maximize your multimedia efforts.

The assortment of tips and tricks come from Anna Macmillan, Designer, Hotwired; Taylor, Technologist/Former Hotwiredite; Craig Schwartz, associate producer, hotwired; Michael Kay, interface Developer, Hotwired; Steve Mack, Co-creative Director, RealNetworks, and; Francis Preve, program director for NemeSys Music Technology. Each person mentioned had given their own practical tips and techniques depending on the area of their expertise. Some had also given us some general multimedia techniques for us to feel undaunted once taking on the world of digital technology – web and graphic design and/or animation. Don’t get too excited, though, while these tips are given by various multimedia experts, browsing through and knowing their theories won’t make you a multimedia expert overnight.

All in all, the article contained some 30 or so tips and techniques, and after going through it, we have bunched up the many theories these experts have in common. Now, these are the ones you really should pay attention to.

    * Using the right tool for the job – choose your web weapons wisely, from among the selections of audio and animation options. For low-brandwidth, high-impact animation, Flash is an excellent choice. Meanwhile, stick to QuickTime and RealVideo for best results in working with video. For audio, MP3 tops all downloading high-res, full-length compositions.

    * Keeping your audience in mind as you work – since you are creating for a target audience, then always put on top of everything else what they are waiting for from you. Have a care for your viewer’s brandwidth capacity and balance technical flashiness. Your work’s content must always jibe on what’s accessible for your audience.

    * Avoiding interactivity – unless you’re designing a very interesting interactive game, try to keep interactivity of your visual design for your users to an all time low. Remember that television and movies are still the standards for real-time visual entertainment. For many, being passively engaged is a source of relaxation…Thus, by keeping your audience inactive, just looking on, understanding and getting them enthralled throughout will prevent them from clicking away from your ‘site.’

There you go, folks, no matter what your medium you use, as long as you stick to these principles, it might help for your creations and should keep your priorities on top of everything else.-30-

About The Author

Lala C. Ballatan is a 26 year-old Communication Arts graduate, with a major in Journalism. Right after graduating last 1999, she worked for one year as a clerk then became a Research, Publication and Documentation Program Director at a non-government organization, which focuses on the rights, interests and welfare of workers for about four years.

Book reading has always been her greatest passion -- mysteries, horrors, psycho-thrillers, historical documentaries and classics. She got hooked into it way back when she was but a shy kid.

Her writing prowess began as early as she was 10 years old in girlish diaries. With writing, she felt freedom – to express her viewpoints and assert it, to bring out all concerns -- imagined and observed, to bear witness.

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