Multimedia
Have you ever played or seen someone play a video game? If so, you are already acquainted with at least one form of multimedia. Or perhaps you've been in an airport lately and noticed or had occasion to use a kiosk where simply pressing pictures or buttons on a screen provided information about local hotels, restaurants and rental cars or even printed a custom map showing the route from the airport to the destination you selected. This is another form of multimedia, or as it is also called, new media.
Multimedia uses computers to bring together text, sounds, animation, graphic art and video to educate, inform and entertain. Many experts believe that multimedia will fundamentally change the way people learn, communicate and entertain themselves in the future. It will do so by allowing the user to choose and customize how and what information he or she receives and when it is received. Unlike linear media such as film and video, users can interact with multimedia, directing the sequence, speed and other aspects of the presentation.
A number of successful multimedia developers have commented upon the benefit of spending significant amounts of time experiencing already completed projects. A day spent at a video arcade can provide a wealth of information about multimedia games. Many schools use multimedia products in their curriculum as do businesses and other organizations in their training programs. Information kiosks in shopping centers and airports can also provide experience with interactive multimedia. These types of direct experience can offer a personal understanding and appreciation of the components of multimedia (such as graphics, animation, video, sound, interface design and mode of interactivity) as well as a basis for evaluating what "works" and what doesn't work.
Since multimedia seeks to compel or at least invite the user to enter the created environment, the multimedia developer must always be cognizant of the reaction of the user to the program. A technically superb product that is not interesting, easy to navigate, or useful to the user will not be considered a success. The developer must know who the user is and what experiences he or she wants that user to have and then provide an environment that creates that experience. The entire project from beginning to end must be conceptualized, designed and executed with this goal continually in mind. At its most basic level, multimedia is a tool that provides access to information. The heart of a really good multimedia product is a clear path from the user to the information he or she is seeking. People working in the industry create this path.
Currently, there is no agreement on a standard definition of the term" multi-media." Although technically, multimedia is the convergence of two or more forms of media, the popular usage of the term implies using computers to create multimedia products which are then distributed not just on computers, but on any electronic medium including television, kiosk, the Internet and the World Wide Web. Likewise, "multimedia industry" is a general term often used to identify businesses and people who create, promote, or distribute multimedia products. However, it should be understood that this definition is not really accurate since multimedia is not a discrete industry, but rather a form of communication that can be applied to any industry. Since no standard definitions exist, this Guide relies upon the general or popularly understood meanings of these two terms. An interface is the way the computer screen looks and how the user moves around in the program. It includes everything that the user sees, hears and touches while using the program.
The next step beyond the presentation of information is the ability to interact with it. The user can stop and rerun a video or animated sequence, jump to some detailed information reference, see a simulation of something, or jump to a completely different area of the presentation. The computer changes from a sequential player of information to a tool for exploring all of the information through many different paths. Interactive multimedia products are created to provide the user with autonomy in selecting their own path to the information they want. Developers of such products must understand and be sensitive and responsive to the various ways that users will want to access information.
The term "multimedia specialist" is sometimes used to describe a person working in the multimedia industry. The term itself, however, does not describe the work a person does but only the environment or industry in which he or she works. The final multimedia product might be an electronic book or magazine, a kiosk, a corporate training program, an interactive game, or educational program. To create such a product requires contributions from experts in many specialized areas. Therefore a multimedia specialist might be someone who creates the program's content (such as a graphic designer, an animator, or a videographer), or someone who processes the content into a final product (such as a sound, video or text editor, or a computer programmer), or someone who manages these people and processes (such as a producer, director, or a project manager). Each of these people becomes a member of the multimedia project team, combining his or her special talents and experience with those of other experts to produce the final product.
The book Careers in Multimedia (a Ziff-Davis Press publication by Vivid Studios, 1995) lists the following 32 roles or occupations:
¨ Executive Producer
¨ Scriptwriter
¨ Video Producer
¨ Producer
¨ Editor/Moderator
¨ Videographer
¨ Lawyer
¨ Content Expert
¨ Performer/Actor
¨ Financial Consultant
¨ Visual Designer
¨ Lighting, Props, Sets
¨ Agent
¨ 2D Animator
¨ Technical Lead
¨ Recruiter
¨ 3D Animator
¨ Programmer
¨ Marketing Roles
¨ Sound Producer
¨ Test Manager
¨ Creative Director
¨ Voice Artist/Vocalist
¨ Tester
¨ Art Director
¨ Sales Roles
¨ Interface Designer
¨ Effects Specialist
¨ Customer Support
¨ Game Designer
¨ Sound Engineer/Editor
¨ Composer/Musician/Sound
Multimedia has been around for a number of years, but it is only within the past few years that it has been recognized as a rapidly emerging new industry. As the above list indicates, this emerging industry is creating many new career and job opportunities for people with knowledge and skills in these areas.
An important and interesting difference between careers in multimedia and many other career areas is the large proportion of freelance workers in the industry. Many people with careers in multimedia are not steadily employed by a single company or employer, but rather move from project to project working on a contractual basis. Each new project may bring together a different collaboration of professionals into what might be considered a "virtual company" with a life limited to the duration of the project. These professionals create a virtual workforce who are often paid by the hour and expect their current employment to terminate with the end of the project. Therefore, these freelance workers must have a number of entrepreneurial skills in addition to their technical skills. They must also be able to work effectively as a member of a team whose membership changes with each project.
Another difference between careers in multimedia and many other careers is the extent to which those wanting to enter this field gain initial experience through interning or volunteering. It is quite common for someone with basic computer or graphic skills to locate a company doing the type of work in which he or she is interested and approach the company directly with the offer to work without pay in exchange for on-the-job training. After a period of six months to one year the company may offer a paid position to incumbents who shows promise.
There are many career opportunities for creative and talented people in the multimedia industry. The industry is currently at a point in its evolution where entry and advancement are not tied as closely to academic achievement or credentials as to the quality of a person's contribution to the project. Enthusiasm combined with experience and talent often generates employment offers.
Information Common To All Multimedia Jobs
Job Skills Needed:
¨ Ability to work as a member of a team.
¨ Ability to clearly communicate ideas
¨ Ability to quickly and accurately understand the goals and objectives of the project.
¨ Ability to be organized
¨ Ability to use the computer tools required to complete the project.
Other Helpful Skills or Characteristics:
¨ Willingness and ability to frequently seek employment on new projects
¨ Willingness and ability to join projects without much advanced notice
¨ Willingness and ability to continually update skills by learning new tools and techniques.
¨ Passion for the work.
¨ A good sense of humor.
¨ Patience.
¨ Be an expert in one or a few areas, but have a general understanding of as many areas as possible.
How to Find a Job:
Create a portfolio of your work that demonstrates your versatility, creativity and technical abilities as well as your capacity to work within time and budget constraints. Customize your portfolio to highlight work you have done that is similar to that of the new project.
Become an active member of professional organizations in order to keep current and to make contacts that may lead to employment opportunities. Attend multimedia and professional conferences and meetings to generate job leads and to acquire current information about trends, tools and techniques. Update and acquire new skills through enrollment in continuing education classes and through reading magazines in the field. Network with other students and faculty. Those without experience or training should consider interning or volunteering on a project to gain experience and build marketable skills. Those with experience and/or training can use contacts from previous projects or professional organizations.
Compensation:
Many multimedia specialists do not work as salaried employees for a single company over a long period of time. It is more typical to work freelance as an independent contractor, moving from one project to the next, and being paid hourly, daily, or per project.
Resources*
Certificate Programs
San Francisco State University, Extended Education
Certificate in Multimedia Studies Downtown Center,
425 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-2406
(415) 904-7700
University of California Los Angeles Extension
Certificate in Film, Television, Video, and Multimedia
P.O. Box 24901, Department K, Los Angeles, CA 90024-0901
(310) 8>
University of California Santa Cruz Extension
Certificate Program in Multimedia Studies is scheduled to begin in winter
1996 (UCSC Extension also offers multimedia classes in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale)
740 Front Street, Suite 155, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(800) 660-8639
University of California Santa Barbara Extension
Certificate Programs in Webmaster: Designer and Web Site Manager, and Graphic Design and Visual Communications
6550 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117
(805) 893-4200 or (800) 325-2727
BOOKS:
The Business Week Guide to Multimedia Presentation by Robert L. Lindstrom
Osborne McGraw Hill, San Francisco, 1994
Careers in Multimedia by Vivid Studios
Ziff-Davis Press, Emeryville, California, 1995
The Multimedia Casebook by Mary Fallenstein Hellman and
W.R. James Van Nostrand, Reinhold, San Francisco, 1995
Multimedia Demystified: A Guide to the World of Multimedia from Apple
Computer, Inc. sponsored by Apple Computer, Inc.
Random House Electronic Publishing, New York, 1994
PERIODICALS
CD-ROM Professional. Published monthly by Pemberton Press Inc.
462 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897-2126 (800) 222-3766, Ext. 517.
CD-ROM Today. Published monthly by Imagine Publishing, Inc.
1350 Old Bayshore Highway, Suite 210, Burlingame, CA 94010 (415) 696-1688.
InterActivity. Published monthly by GPI Publications, Inc.
411 Borel Ave., Suite 100, San Mateo, CA 94402 (415) 358-9500.
Morph's Outpost on the Digital Frontier. Published monthly.
P.O. Box 469066, Escondido, CA 92046-9822; (800) 556-6774
Multimedia Today: The Sourcebook for New Media Power. Published by six
times per year by Redgate Communications Corp.
660 Beachland Blvd., Vero Beach, FL 32963 (800) 779-2062.
Multimedia World. Published monthly by PC World Communications, Inc.
501 Second St. #600, San Francisco, CA 94107 (800) 766-3294, Ext. 205.
New Media. Published monthly by HyperMedia Communications Inc.
901 Mariner's Island Blvd., Suite 365, San Mateo, CA 94404 (415) 573-5170.
Wired. Published monthly by Wired USA.
San Francisco, CA (800) 769-4733.
ORGANIZATIONS
Apple Multimedia Program (AMP)
20525 Mariani Avenue, MS 303-2D, Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 974-4897
Interactive Multimedia Association (IMA)
3 Church Circle, Suite 800, Annapolis, MD 21401-1933
(410) 626-1380
International Interactive Communications Society (IICS)
14657 SW Teal Blvd., Suite 119, Beavertown, OR 97007
(503) 579-4427
Multimedia Developers Group (MDG)
2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 553-2300
The National Computer Graphics Association
2722 Merilee Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 698-9600
The National Multimedia Association of America (NMAA)
4920 Niagara Road, 3rd Floor, College Park, MD 20740
(800) 214-9531
BBS FORUMS
America Online: New-media forums are located using the keyword "multimedia".
CompuServe: Multimedia forums are located using the command "GO MULTIM."
This resource list is not intended to be a complete listing and implies no recommendations or assurances.
Source: State of California, Employment Development Department,
Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group, (916) 262-2162.