Components of Multimedia

What does it take to create a Multimedia project?

In my experience, creating a multimedia project can be complex, but made simpler by understanding and planning around the tools used to put it together. Having an outline or framework to reference helps greatly in building the key components of the project, while learning what works and what doesn’t for a specific project. Another key factor is interest; centering your project around a subject you find interesting to talk about or explore builds greatly towards your overall investment and commitment to the project.  

Are the options available empowering or limited?

I find that as technology grows, so do the options at my disposal. Overall, I consider it empowering since more options means there is an increased possibility of finding a program or creation tool that fits closely with my individual needs.

Are there any new applications that you may not have thought about using previously?

About 2 years ago, one of my coworkers suggested Canva to me and while I thought it was okay at first, I guess most of the full features were hidden behind the paid version. My recent graduate courses have brought me back around to trying it recently through a limited trial and I’m glad I gave it another shot, because it is a nice tool for integrating visual and typographic media such as posters, flyers, infographics, logos, and more.

Recommended Applications:

Video – I’ve used YouTube to record short responses and introductory clips previously and it has sparked my interest in continuing to learn more about video capture and editing.

Audio – In my garage band days, I frequently used Audacity to record clips, demos, and tracks. It is a solid program to practice audio recording.

Stock Photo – During my time as a graduate student, Pexels has been a go to for me as far as copyright free images go. Although, I would like to incorporate my own photos in the future (if I could ever afford a good camera or a new phone).

Animation – Certain programs come equipped with animation features and depending on what you’re using they can be simple to integrate or fairly complex. I myself haven’t used animation software in a long time, but I did have fun using the Adobe Creative Suite during my 3D animation days. I hope to get back to that one day with the newer, cloud-based Adobe Creative Cloud programs.

My Personal Recommendations:

PowerPoint – The classic. Just when I think another presentation app or software might make the Microsoft mainstay a relic of the past, it just keeps on going. I’ve been using PowerPoint since I was in junior high, and over the years added features have made it more adaptable and creator friendly since that time.

Virtual Reality/AR technology – I have no hands-on creation experience with VR tech, but I have dabbled with it in various forms over the last couple of years as a user and I would love to learn more about its integration and use once I make the requisite technology available for me to explore further. For its applications on learning alone, I would recommend for further research.