The Magic of Multimedia

Multimedia – the Internet Connection
Today, the driving force behind Multimedia content is neither the skills of the software programmer nor the medium or the software on which the content is created. It is the Internet that has taken Multimedia content development out of the hands of the programmer and put it in the hands of the designer both the expert and the novice.

Multimedia applications can be categorised into PIECE (Productivity, Information, Entertainment, Creativity and Education).

In a world that is progressing so rapidly towards an information culture, the interface which is the on-screen appearance of information and the way it is accessed, is the product for many information companies, the interface is almost the only manifestation of the organisation. It is the package, the brand. Multimedia is everywhere. Advertising, film-making, business presentations, education, pilot training, scooter manufacturing, cosmetic surgery, architecture…the list goes on.

Movies
The heady combination of powerful computers and magical multimedia applications have proved that film-making will no longer be complete without digital technology. Flying cars, terrific beasts that leap out of the screen are some examples of what multimedia helps do. Multimedia enables film makers to create designs and execute complete shots that would otherwise be impossible. What’s more, enormous sums of money can be saved as it can be done in the comfort of your home.

Design
Perhaps one of the deepest forays Multimedia has made is in the area of design and fashion designing, web page designing, interior designing, graphic designing for manufacturing purposes. An interior designer, forexample, can create any number of decor possibilities on the computer. He can create arches, false ceilings, windows, doors, bars – change them, style them, show furniture settings, create walls, you name it. And so it is with fashion designing. Multimedia allows the designer to make changes in color, pattern and texture of a design with minimal fuss and effort. He can even run a fashion show on the computer to show off his creations. Multimedia allows the design to work in bursts of creativity and then color it as a whole, like he can create various textures, embroidery, patterns, cuts, collars, sleeves on the computer and store them (you guessed it) on the computer. The next time he sits down to design, he already has an array of options with him.

Advertising
The sun could never ever drink coke on a sun-kissed beach without Multimedia. And specialised software programs have made advertising’s creative ideas really fly. Unbelievable picturisation and special effects are multimedias’ gift to advertising. You can do color corrections and effects, drop shadows, vignettes, textures. You can view the film in slow, fast or reverse motions, or in frames. You can dissolve one shot into another, after a complete picture, flip on an image and a hundred other things.

Web page designing
As an expert says, `Internet technology is the brightest star on the IT horizon in the foreseeable future.’ Easily the fastest growing segment of the IT industry today, the Internet offers a whole range of careers by itself. What has fuelled this growth is the tremendous dynamism multimedia brings to this medium. The kind of sophistication that is seen in contemporary web sites today, require a whole team of experts, to create it and run it. And the success of the modern web site will be governed by how effectively Multimedia has been exploited on the site. The team at the heart of the modern web site could be a large group of people who are specialists in their own areas.

Thanks to the power of multimedia you don’t need to be a programmer. All you need is the power of imagination to translate ideas, concepts and dreams in moving images that make dramatic use of sound, animation and special effects thus creating an unforgettable impact on the viewer. As a career opportunity, Multimedia is unparalleled and every student of Multimedia can be a super achiever.