Multimedia:Development

Introduction
Methodologies to develop Multimedia applications are still relative new, and lack formal or tool based modelling techniques (Lang & Barry, 2001)

Software engineering and video production techniques combined

 * In order to produce an effective multimedia presentation, particularly where the project is large and/or complex, schedules need to be met, costs controlled, quality maintained and specifications adhered to multimedia design methodologies will need to be followed.
 * A Software engineering approach can provide the framework, but for multimedia allowance has to be made for time variations (example setting up and conducting interviews).
 * Video production techniques provide useful aids to visualisation, such as storyboarding, and can help in the planning of a development project, particularly prior to implementation.
 * Combining video production techniques as well as software engineering techniques can assist in developing a multimedia design methodology
 * Multimedia development involves juggling -- time, resources and quality.

Example Methodologies

 * Rapid Application Development (RAD)
 * Software engineering blog, software engineering document, software engineering process. (2010).  Retrieved April 6, 2011, from http://software-document.blogspot.com/2010/11/rapid-application-development-quick.html
 * Joint Application Development (JAD)
 * Fast
 * Waterfall - using Multimedia Design Life Cycle
 * Exploratory programming
 * Object oriented analysis (OOA)
 * Prototyping
 * Information Engineering (IE)
 * Model driven development (MDD)
 * Agile development methodology
 * Feature driven methodology
 * Sitepoint. (n.d.).  Retrieved March 13, 2011, from http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/successful-development

Methodology references

 * Allen Communications http://www.allencomm.com/products/authoring_design/designer/whitepap/whitepap.html (404 No Longer Available)
 * Burback, R LeRoi http://www-db.stanford.edu/~burback/water_sluice/sluice6.25.97/ws/node49.html (Waterfall)
 * ERMES (European Multimedia Educational Software Support) http://www.ermesnet.com/formulario/indexmet.html
 * Evolutionary prototypes:Bepoke software. http://www.prodsoft.co.nz/methodol.html (404 No Longer Available)
 * Exploratory Programming: http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/courses/year2/230/231/lecture_1_2/slide22.html (Redirected - No Longer Available)
 * IGNCA (Indira Ghandi National Center for Arts) http://igna.nic.in/clcnf180.htm
 * Jeudason, J. The Philosophy of Software Development. Retrieved http://stylusinc.com/india/oftware_hilosophy.htm (404 No Longer Available)
 * Logical User Centered Interaction Design (LUCID). Retrieved from http://www.cognetics.com/lucid/index.html (404 No Longer Available)
 * M-eng Group Project: Report 2 -progress report and design. http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/project/2002/362/g0236224/public_html/M-Eng Group Project-Report.pdf (404 No Longer Available)
 * System Development methodologies (2003), Deep thought Informatics Pty Ltd . http://www.deepthought.com.au/it/archetype/output/methodologies.html (404 No Longer Available)
 * Finney, R. (2001) Vision based methodology (VBM). Retrieved from http://www.itmweb.com/methodology/method000.htm (404 No Longer Available)
 * Wells, Don (2003,Jan 26)Extreme Programming: A gentle introduction. Retrieved 2003, Mar 26 : http://web.ask.com/redir?bpg=http%3a%2f%2fweb.ask.com%2fweb%3fq%3dextreme%2bprogramming%26o%3d0&q=extreme+programming&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww.extremeprogramming.org%2f&s=a (Redirected - No Longer Available)
 * Albion, P.R.& Gibson I.W. (1998) Designing Multimedia Materials Using a Problem-Based Learning Design. Retrieved 17 March, 2004 from http://www.usq.edu.au (Redirected - No Longer Available)
 * Clifton Media (2004) Kiosk. Retrieved March 10,2004 from http://www.clifton-media.co.uk/kiosk/kiosk_info.asp?project_id=3 (404 No Longer Available)
 * David,N. (2003) Good design pays off. Retrieved March 5,2004 from http://www.itweek.co.uk/Features/1141003
 * De Troyer,O & Leune,K WSDM: A USer Centered Design Method for Web Sites. Retrieved March 2004 from http://infolab.kub.nl/prj/past/wsdm/www7/final/paper.htm (since taken down).
 * Document Information Design Inc (199?) What i Information Design? Definitions of Information Design. Retrieved March 1, 2004 from http://www.documen.com/What%20is%20Information%20Deign.pdf (404 No Longer Available)
 * Dmitry,K. (1997) Size and Proportion in Web Graphics. Retrieved March 6, 2004 from http://webreference.com/dlab/9711/ (Abstract + Design)
 * EMMUS (Eurpoean Multimedia Usability Services) Multimedia and the User Centered Design Process. Retrieved 11 March, 2004 from http://www.ucc.ie
 * Godfry, R. (1995). Wine in Old Bottles: Multimedia Design Methodology. Retrieved March 16, 2004 from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne95/smtu/papers/godfrey.pdf
 * Henshall Centre (199x) Essential Skills & Knowledge: Introduction to Web Design. Retrieved March 1, 2004 from http://www.henshallcentre.com/pr_skills/esential_skills.html
 * Joe,G.(2003) Colour communicates. Retrieved March 6, 2004 from http://www.wpdfd.com/wpdpal3.htm
 * Kalbach,J. & Bosenick,T. (2003) "Web page Layout:Acomparison Between Left- and Right-justified Site Navigation Menus". Retrieved ..,2004 from http://jodi.ecs.soton.ac.uk/Articles/v04/i01/Kalbach/#5.1
 * Lautenbach, M.A.E, ter Schegget, I.., choute, A.M., Whitteman, C. (199?) Evaluating the Usability of Web Pages . Retrieved March 6, 2004 from http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/update/390780
 * Multimedia Design. Retrieved March 14,2004 from http://www.engin.umd.umich.edu/CIS/course.des/cis577/lecture/Multimedia.html
 * Mulitmedia development process (n.d.) Retrieved March 8, 2004 from http://www.dcs.napier.ac.uk/~tommc/modules/mm8413307/methodologies.htm
 * Najjar, L (1992) Multimedia User Interface Design Guidelines. IBM Corporation. Retrieved 9 March, 2004 from http://mime1.gtri.gatech.edu/mime/papers/multiTR.html
 * NCSA (1998) Multimedia design for the World Wide Web. Retrieved March 7, 2004 from http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Training/AdvHTML/multimedia.design
 * Robin,W.(2000) Good Design features. Retrieved March 5, 2004 from http://www.ratz.com/featuresgood.html
 * Scarlatos, L (n.d.) Designing interactive multimedia. Retrieved March 7, 2004 from http://www.acm.org/sigs/sigmm/MM97/papers/Scarlatos/
 * Sherwood C. & Rout,T. (1998) A structured methodology for multimedia product systems and development. Retrieved March 16, 2004 from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/wollongong98/asc98-pdf/sherwood0141.pdf
 * Soohee,S, Scott,S. & Ken,J (199x) Visual Design of Web Pages: Web Style Guide (2nd Ed) Retrieved March 1, 2004 from http://www.people.memphis.edu/~kjob/wbi/Index.html
 * Technical Considerations for Multimedia Products (2004) retrieved 12 March 2004 from http://publications.eu.int
 * Tamblyn,R. (1996) Streaming Cross Platform Multimedia development. Retrieved March 15, 2004 from http://www.siggraph.org
 * Young,R. (1997) Cross-Platform Multimedia Issue. Retrieved March 10,2004 from http://msp.sfsu.edu

Importance
In order to produce an effective computer based application, particularly where the project is large and/or complex, schedules need to be met, costs controlled, quality maintained and specifications adhered to design methodologies will need to be followed.

Multimedia software development stages
Traditionally to develop an application, software engineering specifies the following stages; These stages may be implemented in different ways;
 * Planning: Identify scope and boundary of problem, plan development strategies and goals.
 * Requirements analysis: what the project should do.
 * Design: How the project is going to work
 * Implementation & testing: Producing different media components and integrating them together using an authoring tool.
 * Support: Correcting errors, improving and enhancing.
 * Waterfall
 * Exploratory
 * Prototyping

Waterfall (1960s)
Formalises program development and facilitates documentation. Progress passes sequentially from one phase to the next (In reality overlap and revisiting occurs). Godfrey (1995) compared the waterfall model of SDLC to the Multimedia Development Life Cycle (MDLC) indicating that the two were very similar.

References
 * Waterfall development methodology (from Whitten & Bently .1998 and Multimedia Methodologies 2000)
 * McEwan, T. (2001) Unit 3: Development Lifecycles. Multimedia Development Lifecycle. Retrieved June 10, 2007 from http://www.soc.napier.ac.uk/module.php3?op=getlecture&cloaking=no&lectureid=358245
 * Godfrey (1995) The SDLC and the Interactive Multimedia Development Life Cycle. Retrieves xx, 2006 from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne95/smtu/papers/godfrey.pdf

Exploratory programming
Implementing an initial solution and modifying until the project is complete. Suits multimedia game development. Requires rapid iterations and high level programming tools. Used when specifications difficult or correctness not paramount. This methodology is particularly suited to game program development.

Prototyping
Similar to exploratory programming, but the main objective is to generate requirements. Generally the prototype may be abandoned and the system written (often in another language).

Also suitable for games development, where concepts are explored then in the interests of performance the application is re-coded in a language that takes advantage of the hardware platforms. For example, development may be in Flash/Director with the final production version developed in C++.



Framework for Application System Technologies (FAST)
Framework for Application System Technologies (FAST) is a development of the System Development Life cycle (SDLC) methodology popular in the 1970s and 80s.

While initially designed for database systems is applicable to multimedia application development.



Video production methods
In order to produce an effective video presentation, particularly where the project is large and/or complex, schedules need to be met, costs controlled, quality maintained and specifications adhered to video production methodologies will need to be followed. Video production can be approached in two ways:- or combined, where it is planned but taking opportunities as they arise.
 * planned: organises and builds up a program in carefully arranged steps. May stifle originality.
 * empirical: uses instincts and opportunity. May lead to a production with little cohesion.

Video production process
Three phases :-

Pre-Production
 * The pitch : After researching the topic, the producer presents the idea, feasibility, costs, timescales and projected revenue based on previous work.
 * The proposal: production overview document. Includes
 * an outline of how the subject is to be approached, a history of the company’s work, a treatment and a budget.
 * Plot lines, characters and situations.
 * Storyboard may be used when delivering a proposal
 * The treatment: an outline of the plot and the style to be used in conveying the story. i.e. the producer’s concept.
 * The script: a complete guide to the production. Not only the spoken text, but descriptions of scenes, including stage direction, in the order that they are to be shown in the proposed final video edit.
 * The script breakdown: the producer takes the script and divides it into manageable sections. Includes shotlist that defines exactly every camera set-up, lens framing, and video shot needed.
 * Storyboard: made up of a series of simple sketches, line drawings or photographs, and includes a description of movement within a scene (including camera instructions) and audio details

Production


 * Recording of raw footage.

Post- Production
 * Image and sound editing.
 * Special effects, titles, archive material and audio overdubs are added.
 * Printing, delivery, and publicity.