week 14- simpin,canaan.eric

There are few Computer-supported Cooperative Work activities that can applied in this institution's learning environment. These activities can help to facilitate communication among participants.

One of the common activities is Online Learning System. Students are able to learn the lectures through Internet without going to colleges or schools. This can help those students who are not convenience to travel along. Besides, assignments can be given and pass-up through internet services, such as Web pages and email. Discussions among lectures and students can be applied through Online Learning System also. Lecturers can communicate with students through forum to discuss about examination questions, assignments, tutorials, and the others. Another example is lecturers may post the students' assessments to the blog or Web sites. As a result, students can also refer their classmates' works.

Besides this, Instant Messaging can be applied in this institution's learning environment too. Students can communicate through Instant Messaging, like Yahoo Messenger or MSN Messenger. Through this we can set up a sharing folder with a friend. Drop in files and other stuff, as many as our computer can handleIt's build relationship between each other even one of us are from over sea. When we having group assignment, none of us are staying close! Through messenger all of us can just sit at our house ,looking at the screen and giving idea. It's safe time and money(to travel). If one of us can't online on time , by using share file, even it's offline ,we still can just copy it out from there.

Interactive Learning is also one of the CSCW activities that can be applied in this institution's learning environment. Software demonstration is using in Interactive Learning. Foe example, lecturers may use LCD projector to show the notes or guidelines for the students. By using this, lecturers may save their time rather than teach or guide the students one by one. The students are easier to understand the syllabus.

week 14- adriel,amanda,nicole

Computer-supported cooperative network, otherwise known as CSCW is a most useful system of communication between participants if they are rightly utilized. It facilitates communication very well amongst co-workers, colleagues, class-mates, etc. and because of that it helps people to be productive and effective in their work. Our learning environment, which is a college setting will perhaps make use of these three activities: Focused partnerships, Lecture or demo, and Meeting and decision support.

Focused partnerships is defined as cooperation between two users who need each other to complete a task. Within this type of cooperation, tools of communications like electronic mail, voice mail, video mail, and the telephone are used between the two users. Each have their benefits as tools of communication especially in the environment of a college setting.

For example in a group project consisting of two students, electronic mail will prove to be most invaluable as it has the advantage of immediacy, meaning that it has a very fast response rate in which either party can use. In a project, replies are needed quickly to questions or inquiries either one may have and with email, both parties have the advantage of communicating without having to wait long. Another ability email gives is the fact that it allows users to receive and respond to messages when they want and where they want unlike a phone conversation that requires the other party to be present to communicate.

There is however such a thing as voice mail, which helps if a person is not available on phone. The only thing is that the voice mail has to be clear in what it's trying to say. Voice mail helps as it offers a substitute way of informing partners of vital information via one's voice. This then would lessen any misunderstanding that might be possible if it was written on a paper for example. A person also has the advantage of having proof that something has been said because a voice mail can be saved and as such they can be referred to if any one of them or both of them forget a certain point or they want ti refer to what they were wanting to communicate in the past.

To be able to have a phone conversation however also has its benefits. For one it helps both parties to communicate better as there is the ability to ask questions as they come to mind and thus get an immediate answer. Again this also offers the ability to have little or no room for misunderstanding as both parties are able to clarify points about the project immediately.

Video mail is another form of focused partnership and it is perhaps the most useful tool in communicating. It practically encompasses almost all three of the features found in the other three tools of communication. In a video mail, both parties are able to tell their partner what they want to say with actions, so there is also little chance of misunderstanding. In a video mail, they are also able to show each other pictures, graphs, charts, or anything graphic that can be help the project. This helps when one of the part is not in the same place with the other party. Video mail would then look like they are really communicating face-to-face.

Another CSCW application that can be very useful in this institution's learning is through lecture conferencing. This can be done through electronic white board and “smart rooms”. Through the invention of CSCW, electronic white board enables students to keep track with the lessons that lecturers are teaching as whatever that is written on this electronic white board will be transmitted on the students screens. This allows interactivity, creativity and it also makes lectures and classes livelier. This will make students more attentive. Electronic white board also allows students to keeps track with projects, assignments, and notes schedules.

Meanwhile, “smart rooms” are useful for meetings and discussions and these are automatically recorded by cameras and archived. This is very useful for societies and clubs that students are in as “smart rooms” are also very useful for follow ups.

One of the three computer-supported cooperative work is meeting and decision support. This can be done face to face meeting with each of its participant working at a computer and giving out his or her contribution. Later they would be able to conclude a solution out of the problem discussed in the meeting. This can be seen clearly in top cooperations having a meeting to conclude an answer on. They work separately on each table with a webcam on and having a conference to meet up and discuss. For example, using MSN messenger web conference online.

Other methods including shared or private screens. Shared screen is during a meeting with a group of team handling creative department in an advertising agency. For example in a conference room whereby a meeting being held in Kuala Lumpur is on live telecast with the creative team in its global headquarters in New York. The group members of the team view the conference on a shared screen available in the conference room. However it is different with private screen as it is shown online to view individually. For example, Jack an art director having a meeting conference with Jill a web designer in New York to discuss on the latest requirement for a company website.

While large screen is being projected to a large audience during a big gathering or conference. For example, the top head which is the director to the middle management sitting in a large auditorium for an online presentation shown from overseas whereby they listen and come up with the decision whether they agree to an artistic point of view for a presentation on the advertising or more towards informative point of view. All these participants then are able to view on a large screen and to decide it instantly.

It works for meeting and decision support as it is able to conduct a meeting without much hassle and waste of money to gather these people in a large area. However with CSCW it works miraculously coming to an end of great solution.

On the other hand for students and lecturers in university is a great advancement and tool to communicate better. Lately with Wawasan Open University learning can be done online. These applies when meeting for a particular topic of the studies for example, film appreciation with the topic of the day to discuss on genre of films. Meeting online can be held between lecturer and student. Then a decision support is held after the whole day lecture. Different type of screen caters to different needs. Perhaps a student which need one to one guidance will have private screen while group study will have shared screen to include everyone point of view in the study.

week 14- sam,sarah,daniel

There are various types of activities where Computer-supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) can be used at. One of the activities that uses the aid of CSCW is during lectures in class. How can it be applied during lectures could be when the lecturer gives out assessment questions via email to students based on what is taught during that class. After retrieving the email, students then can ask back questions concerning the assessment if there should be lack of understanding. This shows how students and the lecturer communicate through CSCW to accomplish a task given. After that, the lecturer publishes their assessment on a web site in order for file sharing. Students can compare and refer back their works as well as discuss with other groups concerning the work.

The other CSCW activity that can be applied is holding Conferences. This is where a messenger program that enables communication between many to many is used. Similar to having a conference in person except this is done though an online instant messenger program. This enables students in the learning institute to have group discussions concerning their work without having to be in the same same area face-to-face. Files are also transferable on this network which would assist in further group work benefits using that particular instant messenger program. This is in a “Same time – different place” scenario. The program most widely used is MSN Messenger. The only concerns are that the identity of the user may not be credible or reliable. This may affect privacy issues in their work or conversations. Also because it is done from different places, education can be taught virtually and therefore students share a global classroom through the internet. Being geographically distant from each other may have its concerns as well considering that each country has its internet laws to abide by and thus may be restrictive.

Meetings and decision supports are simple guidelines to a successful communicating environment. It helps the participants in the group to gain rapport and build their synergy so that they have a good chemistry when working together. Meetings help by defining standards because no professional groups survive without meetings. Well usually when we use the word meeting its commonly mistaken as something formal we attend. Well meeting can be informal too actually, because the purpose of a meeting is to define goals, sort out trials and tribulations, evaluate situations and plan their next strategy whether to advance and to prioritize roles and goals.

Decision supports are basically the same thing in the sense that when a member of the group offers an idea or a decision that is constructive, as a team or group we have to know how to play a supportive cast to that decision/idea so that what was proposed will follow through. Otherwise it will just be another case of talking the talk but not walking it. Decision supports also helps build a fellowship indirectly because support is a form of unity. And as a group we have to be able to display support.

Without meetings or decision supports, its easy for plans and structures to go haywire and potential visions and ideas to kick the bucket. Communication is the underlying message here and meetings and decision supports are two of many ways to encourage communication.

week 14 assessment

Write a one-page essay to discuss three (3) Computer-supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) activities that can be applied in this institution's learning environment. Explain how it can help to facilitate communication among participants.

week 12 & 13 assessment

Design the packaging for a multimedia application of your choice.

week 11 -sam,daniel,sarah

When it comes to any multimedia productions, we have to apply a sequential method to approach this topic. This is because we will wrestle with crucial works that will continue. If the project involves more than an individual, then constructing a systematic structure would be a strong foundation so that each member will know their roles and production expectations.

Some of the very important start-ups are ensuring the equipment and hardware at your disposal has the caliber to produce a work good enough to gaze and wonder. Even though you are working alone, all the more serious you should be about your equipment and hardware conditions. Discs has an expiry date, hardware may need to reformat, and graphic cards may need to replace.

Some smooth starting ups would be:

-Clear both your mind and workplace of obstructions.

-Attain the best equipment you can afford for strong performance.

-Schedule and manage a good system within the place.

-Get the biggest and the best screen you can afford for the better the resolution, the better the graphics.

-Be ensured of your disk storage space which varies according to the type of work you do.

CLIENTS

When you work with clients, be sure your organization adopts a good system of communication for the flow between you can your clients. This also applies to the people you work with because miscommunication can be pretty costly and losses will slow down an organization's performance and lowers the standards. A good communication flow also ensures good rapport building between any individuals that associates with the organization.

In most cases, customers are always right, because we serve to fulfil a customer's satisfaction for their money, of course. And if we do not meet their expectations we will indefinitely suffer from their complaints and sometimes, their temper. Achieving to meet a strong standard is every organization's goal. Some ways we can do this is by keeping the clients updated, creating a scheme that helps the customer feels ensured that they are in charge of their own products. For example, when a client ask for a specific design or whatever label, the organization can foster an 'appoval seeking attitude' by asking the clients about certain changes that they may want or maybe the client have a sudden idea that wants to change their current order. So, that is how at the end of the production, the customer will achieve a satisfied feeling.

It is also critical that the client has an easy means to review your work. This means transporting of informations or projects across borders using a large scale of storage requires files such as Zip, Jaz, SyQuest and DAT. The most common and time effective method of files transportingovernight courier service.

When you purchase materials for the project, it is wise to keep track of the receipt you get and most importantly keeping them organized always. This is especially convenient when keeping track of how much money that was used in completing the project. Organizing your file names is one of the things you can avoid losing files or misplacing them when you need them the most. Make names specific to your project's structure and store the files in directories of folders with logical names. Make sure that you know the versions of the multimedia software program used with all your files so that tracking editing changes becomes hassle off.

When you have a successful project, obviously you would want to protect and have people appreciate your work. Therefore, inserting copyright statements in your project could be appropriate. But remain the codes, tricks and programming techniques accessible for study, learning and tweaking by others.

One of the last few things you should remember as a designer is that no matter what your client may say or the critiques you get of your work, take that in good spirit because it may act as an aid to your project. Expect problems beyond your control and be prepare to accept and solve them. Some of the common irritants you might go through are like having clients who are not authorized to make decision when they're the only people around, sleepless nights because of the workload, too many complicate custom-coded routines, missed deadlines and so on.

Remember, it's not all about producing a good multimedia project. Its also about having good project management through out the entire process and taking careful measures to ensure that details are looked into thoroughly. Taking such a sincere attitude towards your multimedia work will definitely result in a successful multimedia project.

week 11 -simpin,alvin,canaan

In every multimedia production, the project plan is needed to build the product. The principles for successful project management of multimedia productions are as below.

Producing

This is the first step of the multimedia productions. For the multimedia developers, this plan is doing the construction work which is the hands-on of creation. They will contend with important and continuing organizing the tasks.

Starting up

Before you start the multimedia project, many important ways that need to check up. For examples, development hardware and software, review organizational, administrative setup. These are very important to ensure your project is working before you begin to do the project. Not only this, to prepare a complete and perfect project, there are some others matters that you need to pay attention to. For example, 512 MB of RAM and 80G of hard disk storage is the least condition of doing a multimedia project. As a multimedia developers, you need to backup of critical files as you won't lost your project. You need to have the latest version of software also.

Working with Clients

To work with clients, you must be sure that the organization of project incorporates a system for good communication between you and the clients as well as among the people actually building the project. Make sure that you provide a good management to avoid endless feedback loops from the clients. On the other hand, if you provide a good project, it will build trust between you and your clients. It develops a scheme that specifies the number and duration of client approval cycles. Multimedia projects need high-capacity storage media, so Zip, Jaz, DAT should be used that the clients be able to review your works easily.

Tracking

You must organize a method for tracking the receipt of material that you will incorporate into your multimedia project. A logical names always give to the files and develop a file-naming convention specific to your project's structure Store the files in directories of folders. Version control of your files need to work on your project also. You must always make sure that use the same version to do your project. Besides, make sure that you remember where you save the files. So that you can find back your files without any problems.

Copyrights

Copyright was also one of the principles to success project management in multimedia production. A copyright statement should be included in the multimedia package to warn user against copyright violation. We have to insert a copyright statement in our project clearly and ilegally but the code and programming techniques must remain accessible for study, learning and tweaking by others

Hazards & Annoyances

We have to control our emotion and prepared to accept them and solve them. Even though you are the experienced producer and developers or you feel your product do very well but you have to follow what client’s request. That because small annoyance can become serious distractions. So as a producer we have to avoid those problems that may be encounter during the production phase such as missed deadline, too many custom coded routines and meetings, accept criticisms from clients and many more.

week 11 -adriel,nicole,amanda

There are a few factors and principles that makes project management of multimedia productions successful. The first principle or process is the whole production of the multimedia production or project. The most important or significant part of the production is the planning stage. Production is a phase when the project is actually rendered. In this production process, it is important that the storyboards are prepared, navigation maps draft out, and so forth. It is during this phase that important and continuing tasks are most dealt and monitored with.

For example, if the project is built and done by more than one person, it is very important that a management structure is established in advance. This is so that if one person is away on emergency lift or unavailable, the project partner will be able to continue the project from where is was left off. This management structure will include specific milestones that will make monitoring easier. Also, it will include production expectations for each contributor. This will act as a guideline and monitor contributors.

After the production stage comes the start up process. In the start up process, it is important to check all development hardware and software. It is important that all software is available before the start of project. Besides that, there is also the need to review organizational and administrative setup. It does not matter if you alone are handling the project because all these steps will ensure a smooth flow of completing the project.

It is also crucial to determine the capacity of your CPU and RAM- lower capacity means there will be limitations for your project size; while bigger capacity will allow you to explore more on your project and allow space for miscellaneous. Another relevant area is that are there sufficient disk storage space for all work files because these will affect your project outcome.

Another area to monitor is the time factor. It is important to keep track of the time frame given to complete the project and ensure that all management system is in place. The Gantt Chart is a good way of self monitoring throughout your project.

For every project, financial role plays a big factor. It is important the financial arrangements are secure and planned out. Should there be any emergencies, you can be rest assured that there is back up. As for clients, it is vital that you have all their contacts so that communication will be made easier. Should any problem arise, there will be room for discussions and negotiations.

To work on a successful project, one not ony have to concentrate on the project but also to have a good background communication with the clients as they are the sole provider for the financial issue on the project itself. Working with clients are not easy especially the fussy ones. Therefore, the developer will have to build good rapport between he or she to the clients they correspond to especially towards the management level in the big corporations.

In order to do so, always ask the needs and wants of the specification on the project itself. Ask in datail so you could eliminate further changes from the management itself. Another way to make sure is to develop a cheme to the management which specifies the number and duration of client approval cycles. For example, give a number of times which the management can adhere their changes to. For instance, 5 times and later after that the developer may charge them an acess fee if they want to make extra changes from then on. This step is to ensure rectifications to be done in proper timely manner and eliminate changes.

As the updated changes is done to the multimedia production by the developer. He or she will have to update the information to their clients. As the production file is huge, the developer need to think about the storage space needed for the production. For example, always have a back up copy of the project itself to eliminate any unwanted mistakes such as power shortage. Then, use software pogram such as Zip to make the file smaller. Furthermore, have a huge data storage. One prominent way to transport the files to the client as soon as possible is to courier them however with technology one would be able to update the changes through the website which the client can acess and download from the attachment provided for instance.

Tracking the workload of the project is another successful way to make sure everything is done in order and in detail as time passes very fast and a dateline on the project could be easily missed out on. One easy way is to develp your name file project to the maximum 8 characters provided which associates with the topic of your project. For the larger project ensure that you have equip yourself with the latest update on the software programming you are using to enhance better quality project. For example, Creative Suite which was launched recently.

The next step of making multimedia productions successeful would be the process of copyrighting. In fact, any form of work whether is be an idea, or a project needs copyrights as they are the safety measures for people who want to make sure their ideas and works are not copied and tampered with by anyone wanting to do so. A person's idea may be good in that it is creative and is getting the interest of clients but if intellectual properties like these are not inserted with a copyright statement, one will risk losing that property to another and make all their hard work go to waste.

All forms of production have their setback and difficulties. Multimedia productions are no exception. To have hazards and annoyances are only normal and what makes multimedia productions, in fact any other productions, successful is the ability to overcome them, manage them, and even learn from them. But should they be allowed to fester and continue to hinder the production, they may very well be things that makes the whole process fail. These hazards and annoyances may be both big and small, and they may come in a wide array of forms. Some examples would be uncooperative co-workers who just cannot accept constructive criticism and so they become insulted and under perform in their task. To solve this, managers should have one-to-one talks with workers like these and try to convince them that they have to accept criticisms well and that it was given for their own good and for the good of the team.

Clients may also be a problem as they can sometimes be very fussy and demanding. They may ask for changes and amendments at a wrong time and the way to avoid this is by stating in the clause or contract that should changes be made to the production, extra charges will be incurred. This will discourage them from having too much of their own way and will then give managers and producers of the production less trouble and more time to finish their work. All-nighters, or people who have the tendencey to fail to get enough sleep can also present a hazard. Because of their lack of sleep, they will be unfocused and very unproductive and the way to amend this would be to give a warning to them that should they continue on with their late nights, their position in the team will be in doubt. This can also be applied with deadlines if workers fail to meet them.

week 11 assessment

Discuss the principles for successful project management of multimedia productions.

week 10 assessment

Create a simple storyboard of a computer game.

week 9 -sarah,daniel,samuel

First of all multimedia content is known as content that defines what the project is all about. It can be practically anything about the elements of multimedia. However, when acquiring rights to using multimedia content, there are certain copyrights and red tapes to go though if you want to use them for your own purpose.

Since the late 1980s, investors in the multimedia marketplace have been quietly purchasing electronic rights to the basic building blocks of content such as, films, videos, photographic collections and textual information bases. Preexisting content can come from a variety of sources be it pictures from your friend’s computer or from a stock house or image bank offering hundreds of thousands of hours of film and video or still images, available for licensing for a fee.

Besides that, there are certain copyright law issues, which the Malaysian Intellectual Property Law consists of three sections them being copyright, patent and trademark. Basically anything tangible can be copyrighted and it can be done by one’s self. Patenting is more abstract like intangibles such as technology and methodology. Trademark though is for protecting logos company names, mottos, etc.

One of the main issues users tend to neglect is when using somebody else’s multimedia project. Before touching anything that doesn’t belong to you, you must first obtain permission from the owner of the copyright. If you fail to do this, you may find yourself being sued for copyright infringement. This is a serious matter as the consequences are taken seriously by the court of law.

In the area of ownership, let’s say you have a friend who’s creating a multimedia project but at the last minute you also contribute to it. In the law, you may have the copyright ownership of a joint ownership. However, if you’re under the category of “work made for hire”, as an employee what ever you do belongs to the employer if the work fits the requirement. Nevertheless, to meet the definition of a work made for hire, several factors must be weighed to determine whether the individual is legally an employee of an independent contractor.

Some of the things that fall into the work made for hire category are works that are part of a motion picture or other AV work, translations and supplementary works. For example, the English subtitles you see in a Chinese drama TV series doesn’t involve rights belonging to the subtitle editor. As for an independent contractor, the copyright ownership work solely belongs to the person unless the work is specially ordered or commissioned for use and qualifies as a work made for hire, in which case the copyright belongs to the entity commissioning the work.

When developing a project, it is wise to obtain rights and take precautions first just in case you get tied up in law issues you don’t wish to be in. You may be able to negotiate outright ownership of copyrighted material. If the owner still doesn’t want to give up or sell ownership rights, you’re still entitled to licensing the rights to use the materials.

week 8 -sarah,daniel,samuel

In order to create a multimedia project, the developer needs to follow a series of steps from the Idea Analysis till the Delivery stage. This is to ensure that the project or material results in good quality due to careful planning and taking strategic measures throughout the process.

Idea Analysis is the first step to developing any multimedia project. This is where you write your idea down on paper, and decide on the purpose and message of your project. You will need to and weigh the cost and measures it will take in order to make your idea a success. There must be a balance between purpose and feasibility which can be done by increasing or decreasing multimedia elements depending on what is relevant to the project at hand.

You will need to think about the content materials and hardware that is needed and how you may obtain them if you don’t already have them. Research is needed to check if your idea is original or if it has already been used in the multimedia market. How big your project is will determine the amount of space you will need in order to store your raw material and later on the finished product. Necessary time and money are also important factors to consider before continuing your project.

Pre-development stage is where you take your details to the next step. Define your project goals specifically and each skill needed to make it attainable. Then a content outline needs to be sketched or written out. This provides a guideline for you to follow as you develop your project further in case you forget any important ideas, or it could help inspire new ones along the way. A strategic positioning and marketing plan is needed in order to place your multimedia project in the correct target market. Create your prototype on paper so that a visible outline or illustration of your project is available for viewing when dealing with sales and marketing people.

Prototype development makes itself as the next stage for creating the concept of the project. For starters, creating screen mock-ups just to get the rough idea of the overview of how your project is going to look like. Similarly to creating a skeleton of a website, designing the content map will guide users in navigating themselves through the multimedia project and interacting with the option tools available. When designing human interface, consider making a layout that is not cluttered and user friendly. When developing the content messages of your project, ensure that you text is grammatically correct, straightforward and easy to understand. Finally test the prototype that you have done in order to troubleshoot. This trial and error process is necessary at every stage at save you the trouble of correcting error in the long run.

Alpha development is the stage where you draw out your storyboard and flowcharts in detail. Include the finalized story scripts as well. Graphic art should be chosen to suit the idea and concept of the project. It plays an important part in giving the overall feel of the project to appeal to your target market. Including sound and video in your project will enhance usability and optimize the options for interaction. For example, if it’s an educational multimedia project, a video tutorial would explain your content better than just an audio player and will be more interesting than text because it allows demonstrations. In the process of putting all these elements together, you might face minor technical problems. Solve all technical problems and test prototype once again before moving to the next stage.

Beta development is one step before the final delivery stage. Your project is sent out to a limited list of users who will test your program or project in case you might have missed out any details. Your project should be usable on the proposed delivery platform. In testing the program, respond to bug reports from the computer. Analyze the scripting code error and fix it. You should also prepare a user document to make your program user-friendly. This can be in a hardcopy format of a program manual, or a softcopy document made available in the file. Design the packaging for your project according to what is suitable. Create a range of varied gold candidates of your project so that one may be chosen as the gold master copy. Once that is done, inform PR personnel so a press release may be written to launch your new program or project.

Delivery is the final stage where you prepare technical support for your project in case of any malfunctions. Install a sales team to support your launch and make replicates of your gold master copy. Hold launch seminars to further promote the newly launched program. Finally, arrange to ship your products to various companies who have requested it.

week 9 -canaan,alvin,sim pin

How will the content be delivered?
User need to gain authorized rights to public display to multimedia content that owned by another party, this rights come in terms of the method to deliver the content in what media and what way the user want it to be display.

Is that license for a set period of time?
License for copyright is being set for a due date. Once the copyright date come to a due, the particular individual or company cannot publish or use the content of the owner anymore. To use the content again, user need to gain another license to use it for the time to come.

Is the license exclusive or non-exclusive?
License involving copyright in terms of exclusive or not make sure that the owner sells the rights to a party or to others party at the same time. To avoid misunderstanding among the user and owner, agreement is achieved to clarify the copyright issues. When AIG’s associated company- AIA sells the right to Korea government to publish the health assurance project in South Korea by the year 2005. Due to the political position, North Korea government claimed that it is not right as there are the one who already had the right since 2003, however, AIG make a clear statement that this copy right is a non-exclusive to North Korea only.

Do you intend to use the material in its entirety or just a portion of it?
Agreement need to be obtained whether the owner allows how many parts or whole parts of the content being use by the buyers. Buyer need to follow the agreement made to use the multimedia content.

What rights do you need?
This rights including the rights of copying, changing, selling or public display the multimedia content that the buyer had bought. The owner had the authority to state whether the user allows changing their content or not allowing doing so. In 2004, Arsenal F.C. allow the Emirates flight company to display the pictures of their football stars in the plane, however, assuming that Arsenal F.C. allowing them to do whatever they want with the pictures, Emirates display the players pictures by adding Arabian country background and surrounded by few others crew. Arsenal F.C. claimed that they only allow Emirates Flight Company to display the PLAIN player’s picture.

Does the content owner have the authority to assign rights to you?
Owner has the right to assign and stated terms and conditions apply to the content in terms of authority over the user in the whole process of usage.

Will the copyright owner receive remuneration for the license?
The owner will asked for commission payment for their products in term of one shot payment, by sales of the product sold, by percentage of usage and etc.

In what format do you wish to receive the content?
Agreement had to achieve in what method user which to receive the multimedia content. By soft copy, hard copy, advertisement and etc. For examples, In Summer 2006, CNN Company had managed to gain copyright to published NY Yankees baseball team news exclusively by receiving the first hand news daily through person in charge. In this case, CNN receive the content in news form through the necessary methods and ways.

week 9 -adriel,amanda,nicole

For obtaining rights to multimedia contents, the first thing that should be considered is the ways and means to deliver the content. For example, will your content be delivered in a CD-ROM or a web site. The following issue to consider is if the license applied for is for a set of period of time. If so, how long is it? This is important as once the license expires, the right no longer belongs to you if you do not renew it immediately. The next issue is if the license is exclusive or non-exclusive to applicants to these rights. If your content arrangement is done out of the ordinary, it can be an exclusive right only to you. Whereas, some rights obtained are non-exclusive. It is important to know these license right because should there be an infringement done, you have the advantage of gaining compensation.

Do you intent to use the material its entirely? For this, the user must decide if he or she would like to use the copyrighted material entirely or just a small portion of it. As both in comparision, if the user would like to use the material entirely he would pay the payment of the copyright to use it much more higher.

For example, using a full photography of a landscape of the mountain taken by a photographer then the fee paid for the photograph would be higher than the usual fee paid for a small portion.

The rights that the user need is when asking the original user permission to use their copyright item or trademark. This rights includes for own use such as presentation, to reproduce or for reselling. For example, UTAR is being given a permission to reproduce their logo from Nike's global tick. Then, UTAR is able to reproduce their logo without being sued by other counter parties.

The content owner have the authority to assign rights to the new user as the content owner is the sole creator who gives birth to the idea first. This is to avoid being sued by the third party using it without the consent of the first owner or creator.

When negotiating for rights, one also has to take into consideration that there may be additional rights he or she has to obtain before he can use the content. Meaning that there may be other owners of the same content that have rights over it and that should it be utilized by anyone, they also have to be consulted with. Examples would be like using a film or a song. For a movie there are more than one person working on it; there are directors, producers, screenwriters, etc. As such one would have to negotiate not just with the director, but with the producer and screenwriter as well. Same too goes for a song; a singer may be the one to approach but one also has to consider the production house in which the artist or singer was working for as they may also hold rights to the song.

While negotiating, bringing up the issue as to whether the copyright owner will receive payment is also vital. A holder of a copyright may be willing to allow a person to use his/her video,sound,picture, or music but he/she may want something in return. They may want payment by royalty or one time pay but either way things like these must be negotitated and decided before utiliztion.

Lastly, is the matter of which format a person is wanting to receive the content in. Whether a person wants a soft copy or a hard copy is decided and negotiated here.

A person may have peferences as to how he wants his contents to be. He may want a movie that is the original copy of the copyright holder, or picutres in a CD-rom or through websites.

week 9 assessment

When negotiating for rights to using multimedia content, there are many issues that have to be considered. Discuss these issues.

week 8 -adriel,amanda,nicole

For every project that is to be done, planning is a definite pre-requisite. In fact, the planning process is considered the most vital process to make a project successful. This applies to the IT and multimedia industry as well.

There are five processes in the making multimedia. The first is process or step is Idea Analysis. In this process, it is important to weigh the ideas thought of and consider its feasibility, cost of production and delivery. This is because if the idea is not feasible, you may be in the middle of your project and finally realize that it is impossible for the project to be completed. This results in loss of time and energy.

A way to weigh your ideas is to jot it down- it is very useful to have notes around so that when a new idea hits you, it can be jot down immediately. Making notes is also useful because you will be able to write down the pros and cons of your idea. This makes the first process much easier.

Asking yourself questions will also make the idea clearer. Examples of questions will be “How can you organize your project?”, “What multimedia elements (text, sounds and visuals) will best deliver your message?”, etc.

The second process is the pre-development process that is a pre-requisite before developing multimedia. In this process, it is important to define the project goals. Defining the goals is important because goals will keep you focused on the purpose of the project and it saves time. It is also important to define the skill set needs required like the type of software available for use. Then, it is the creation of content online that furthers strengthens the goals set. It gives a clearer picture of the project. Next thing is to position sales and marketing so to prepare the public to accept and receive your multimedia project. It is also good to create prototype on a paper.

The next development is the prototype development. In this process, screen mock-ups are build so that a rough idea is given and more ideas for improvement can be generated. Then, there is the designing of content maps and human interface. After that, the story and message develop. Lastly, it is important to test the prototype. Should it be faulty, it is important to review and analyze the whole planning process to rectify the problem.

During the prototype development designing is the main agenda. Here, developers would build screen mock-ups where is it a model to be seen as a reference. Next, they design content maps which works like a site map to guide them through. Then, they design human interface such as buttons for a better navigation to communicate the subject to their target audience. Later, they develop the story or the messages they would like to portray. Lastly, they test out the prototype.

The development moves on towards the alpha development when the developer finds no defect on the prototype development. There would be a focus group to evaluate and report and if there is any revision made, they would go back to the previous development.

During alpha development, there would be detailed storyboards and flowcharts to be charted out as to see where the whole project is is going and giving a clearer picture. Next, developer would finalize story scripts. Then produce graphic art, sound and video related to the topic of the development. The developers too solve out technical problems faced and test working the prototype. If there is no other problems involved they would bail out and reach out to the next development step.

One clear example is www.friendster.com main page; it has changed from the alpha development to the beta development with a change of features on the main page.

During the beta development, the project will be distributed to a limited number of testers to further check and perhaps add input on what else should be done. At this time, bugs can also be reported and then accordingly dealt with by the creators, should there be any.

Without any guides for their products that they are selling, it would be useless to users. So it is in this stage of development that user’s guides or manuals be produced to guide and give information to users as to how to operate or use the project. Packaging is also important in this stage as it is sometimes, if not most of the times the part that convinces and persuades users to use or buy the project.

Special or gold candidates are also found at this stage. These candidates are actually various version of the product. Examples are like versions 1.0 to 1.3 to 2.0 to 2.1, and so on. From these versions, developers can gauge how well the project has been done and which one should go out to be sold and used. Special candidates are therefore essential to the development and the success of the whole project. Finally in the beta development, advertising through press releases, announcements to various press associations, and PR lists are done. Exposure of the project is a must and these PR activities are the best ways to get that type of exposure to the public.

Delivery is the final stage of the whole development and the first one would be the preparing of a technical support team who will be ever ready to answer any questions or inquiries from customers and also to aid them with the product/project. A sales team is also set up here. These are the ones who will do the disseminating of the product to put it into the hands of people. They also are the ones who will garner profits and revenue from selling the product.

The gold master, which is the final version of the project, is now mass produced to be sold. The gold master comes under this development and will be what the product really looks like. A launch seminar is also given at this stage. This is the time where the lime light now shines on the product and is finally introduced to the world. With that, the product is now ready to be shipped to different countries all around the world to be used and enjoyed.

week 8 -sim pin,alvin,canaan

There are many steps in the process of making multimedia. This process is one of the project planning. Project planning is important because there are some tasks like building blocks of project management and pre-requisites must be completed before other begins. The steps in the process of making multimedia included Idea Analysis, Pre-development, Prototype Development, Alpha Development, Beta Development, and Delivery.

The first step in the process is Idea Analysis. Weight your idea against the feasibility and cost of production and delivery. Through the whole project, you need to organize the project to deliver your purpose and message. After that, make a draft for the project by using note paper and scratch pads to write down the idea. In this step, you need to maintain balance between purpose and feasibility by dynamically adding and subtracting multimedia elements. You must plan your time management and money for the project also.

Then you come into the step of Pre-development which you need to define the project goals and skillset needs, create content outline and prototype on paper, and also position in sales and marketing. You need to list down the multimedia elements and content material which you need to leverage your project. However, in prototype development, you need to build screen mock-ups, design content maps, design human interface, and develop story or message. When you finish these step, you need to test the prototype.

After that, you come into Alpha Development and Beta Development. These are the last steps before you deliver your project. In Alpha Development, you must detail the storyboard and flowcharts, finalize story scripts, and produce the multimedia elements. For example, video tape, music, documents, photographs, advertisements and others. Besides, hardware and software which available for the development has been chosen also. Thus, in Beta Prototype, you must distribute to limited tester list, respond to bug reports, prepare user documentation, prepare packaging, develop gold candidates, announce to press and PR lists.

After all those steps, you can deliver your project. When you deliver your project, you must prepare the technical support, install sales team, replicate gold master, hold launch seminar, and ship product.

week 8 assessment

Discuss the process of multimedia project management from Idea Analysis, Pre-development, Prototype Development, Alpha Development, Beta Development to Delivery.

week 7-sarah,samuel,daniel

An authoring tool is a tool used write hypertext or multimedia applications to link different elements of multimedia together in order to create a final multimedia project or product. It is necessary in multimedia to organize and edit the elements of a multimedia project, in designing multimedia interactivity and interface, assembling multimedia elements into a single cohesive project, and presenting a project on screen.

Card or Page-based authoring tools arranges and organizes its elements as either pages of a book or as a stack of cards. These pages are linked to form organized sequences. The system is object-oriented. These objects are graphic, buttons, text fields, pages, and cards. They each have properties that are able to enhance the functionality of an application.

Icon authoring tools provides visual approach in developing multimedia applications. The user can build structures and flow charts of data by dragging the suitable icon from the pre-set “library” of authoring tools. This type of authoring tool is convenient as the user is able to develop multimedia applications without having to learn the usual programming language. Therefore it is useful in computer-based training and software assistance.

Time-based authoring tools use a visual timeline for sequencing your multimedia elements often in a multimedia presentation. It displays layers of various media elements or events alongside the scale in precise timing as precise as one second.

Object-oriented authoring systems provides an object-oriented environment whereby the objects such as images, animations, videos; texts and sounds are assigned properties. These properties respond to external events, send messages to one another while inheriting behaviour from each other.

week 7- kalai, dinesh, kokila

Authoring tools used different metaphors for sequencing and organising multimedia elements and events. On this basis they can be classified into five categories:

· card- and page-based tools

· Icon-based tools

· Time-based tools

· object-oriented tools

Card- and page-based tools

In these authoring systems, elements are organised as pages of a book or a stack of cards. The authoring system lets you link these pages or cards into organised sequences. You can jump, on command, to any page you wish to in a structured navigation pattern. Card- and page-based systems allow you to play audio, video and animations.

Some examples of card- and page-based systems include:

· HyperCard (Macintosh)

· SuperCard (Macintosh)

· ToolBook (Windows)

· Visual BASIC (Windows)

Card- and page-based systems are best suited to applications where the bulk of the content consists of elements that can be viewed individually.

Icon-based authoring tools

In these authoring systems, multimedia elements and interaction cues or events are organised as objects in a structural framework. CO32004 Multimedia Development Methods Unit 8: Multimedia Authoring Version c Page 2 ©2001 Napier University Icon based, event driven tools simplify the organisation of a project and typically display flow diagrams of activities along branching paths.

Some examples of icon-based systems include:

· Authorware Professional (Windows)

· IconAuthor (Windows)

Icon-based, event-driven systems are suited to a wide range of applications and offer a

high level of support when developing packages with complex navigation structures.

Time-based authoring tools

In these authoring systems, elements are organised along a time line with resolutions as high as 1/30th second. Sequential organised graphic frames are played back at a speed you can set. Other elements, such as audio events, are triggered at a given time or location in the sequence of events.

Some examples of time-based systems include:

· Macromedia Director (Macintosh and Windows)

· Macromedia Flash (Macintosh and Windows)

Time Based systems are best suited to applications which have a message with a beginning and an end. Some of the more powerful time based systems allow the program to jump or branch to a specific location, thereby offering interactivity and navigational control.

Object-0riented tools

In these authoring systems, multimedia elements and events become objects that live in a hierarchical order of parent and child relationships. Messages passed among these objects order them to do things according to the properties or modifiers assigned to them. Object-oriented tools are particularly useful for games that contain many components with many ‘personalities’ and for simulating real-life situations, events, and their constituent objects.

Some examples of object-oriented systems include:

· mTropolis (Macintosh/Windows)

· QuarkImmedia (Macintosh/Windows)

JAVA is also an object-oriented programming environment.

Increasingly Lingo, the scripting language used in Director is taking an object-oriented

approach.

week 7- adriel, amanda, nicole

Card or page-based authoring tools are basically the objects used in a multimedia projects like buttons, text fields, graphic objects, backgrounds, pages or cards, and even the project itself. With this tool, users are guided by objects as they each contain its own programming script that is usually descrptive of that very object. Once clicked upon by users, they are then guided and led to an event like a page that is relative to the object clicked upon. These events are usually in an order that is actually in a hierarchy. This then can be liken to when you read a book or go through a deck of cards.

One example of the usage of such a tool would be an assessment test for students. A question for example is given in the test and students are given a question that asks them to sort something in order. Students then will have to use objects and place them in the order they believe is the right answer. When they have done that, they can then move on to the next page to answer the next question.

Icon authoring tools are icon based event-tools which provides visual interaction and are organized in objects in a structural framework or process.

The tool simplifies the organization diagram and display a workflow of activities along branching points. These icons includes graphic images, sound and programming computations.

The time-based authoring tools is part of the authoring tools system and this tool is very time oriented as the elements and contents are organized along a stream of time line. This time line used come along with resolutions as high as 1/30th second.

Examples of this tool includes Macromedia Flash. The time based authoring tool allows contents along tracks that stretch across individual frames to be controlled by user; making it easier to run concurrent media.

The other authoring tool is the Object-Oriented authoring tools. This tool is very object focused as in elements and contents are organized in a hierarchical and orderly manner in the form of parent and children relationships.

This system or toll provides an environment where all subjects, elements, categories, images, etc are classified as properties and objects. An example of this tool would be Quark mTropolis. This tool is an exception from most authoring tools because there are no time lines or stack of cards to form a core authoring paradigm.

week 7- sim pin, alvin, canaan

Therre are many multimedia authoring tools on the market and these are constantly being improved and upgraded to ensure that is the latest version. Those multimedia authoring tools are included card or page-based authoring tools, icon authoring tools, time-based authoring tools and Object-Oriented authoring tools.

Card or page-baseed tools arrange elements like the pages of a book or a stack of cards. The objects which are included in card or page-based authoring tools are the buttons, text fields, graphic objects, backgrounds, page or cards, and project itself. Each object may contain programming script which is activated when an event related to that object occurs. This type of multimedia authoring tool becomes the most useful if the content of the publication can be viewed seperately as if in a card index file. It allows the user to place the pages or cards into prganised sequences which simplify the navigation routines.

Icon-based tools was a multimedia element which can show or create icon for visual programming to presenting multimedia on the stage. This function can allow user to using icon by dragging from internet or library to built structure or flowchart of tasks. After the structure has been created, it is possible to add the content such as text, graphics, animations, audio and video clips. This system also can used for button include menu choices, graphic image, title image, sound and computation.

Time-based tools use a visual timeline for for sequencing the events of multimedia presentation, often displaying layers of various media elements or events alongside the scale in increments. As a result, it is the most suitable when the publication has a linear message with a specified beginning and end. Besides, this type of multimedia authoring tool allows programming which enables the user to jump to different locations in the sequence.

Object-Oriented Tools consider the multimedia elements as objects and arrange them in a hierachical order. It is a multimedia element and events become objects that live in a hierarchical order of parent and child relationships. The function of this tools is that allow the user to have control over abstractions of the low level aspects of the resulting Web content such as the timelines, waveforms, vector-based graphic editors. These multimedia authoring tools are particularly suited for programming games which contain many components.

week 7 assessment

Write a one-page essay about the card or page-based authoring tools, icon authoring tools, time-based authoring tools and Object-Oriented authoring tools.

week 6- dinesh, kalai, kokila

Bluescreen is known as chroma key in television. Bluescreen is a term for the filmmaking technique of using an evenly-lit monochromatic background for the purpose of replacing it with a different image or scene. The term also refers to the visual effect resulting from this technique as well as the colored screen itself (although it is often not blue: for example, with greenscreen).

A chroma key is the removal of a color (or small color range) from one image to reveal another image 'behind' it. The removed color becomes transparent. This technique is also referred to as "color keying", "color-separation overlay" ("CSO") ,"greenscreen" and "bluescreen". It is commonly used for weather forecast broadcasts, where in the presenter appears to be standing in front of a large map, but in the studio it is actually a large blue or green background. A chroma key subject must not wear clothing similar in color to the chroma key color , because the clothing may be replaced with the background video. An example of intentional use of this is when an actor wears a blue covering over a part of their body to make it invisible in the final shot.

The principal subject is photographed or filmed against a background having a single color or a relatively narrow range of colors, usually in the blue or green because these colors are considered to be the furthest away from skin tone. When the phase of the chroma signal corresponds to the pre-programmed state or states associated with the desired color, the signal of the alternate background is composite and presented as the output. When the phase of the chroma signal deviates from the chosen color, the principal video is presented at the output. This process is commonly known as "keying", "keying out" or simply a "key".

Blue is generally used for both weather maps and special effects because it is complementary to human skin tone. However, in many instances, green has become the favored color because digital cameras retain more detail in the green channel and it requires less light than blue. Although green and blue are the most common, any color can be used. Occasionally, a magenta background is used.

With better imaging and hardware, many companies are avoiding the confusion often experienced by weather presenters, who must otherwise watch themselves on a monitor to see the image shown behind them, by lightly projecting a copy of the background image onto the blue/green screen. This allows the presenter to accurately point and look at the map without referring to monitors most difficult part of setting up a bluescreen or greenscreen is even lighting and the avoidance of shadow, because it is ideal to have as narrow a color range as possible being replaced. A shadow would present itself as a darker color to the camera and might not register for replacement. This can sometimes be seen in low-budget or live broadcasts where the errors cannot be manually repaired. The material being used affects the quality and ease of having it evenly lit. Materials which reflect light will be far less successful than those that do not. A plastic sheet will reflect light and have a hot spot in the center which will come out as a pale area, while the edges may be darkened. A cotton sheet will absorb more light and have a more even color range.