What is Multimedia, and what is it Types?

Multimedia

The term multimedia refers to any object or system that uses multiple electronic physical or digital means of expression to present or communicate information. Hence the expression multimedia. The media can be various, from text and images to animation, sound, video, high level of interactivity.

You can also convert media to electronic media or other means for storing and displaying multimedia content. Multimedia is the same as the traditional use of mixed media in the plastic arts, but with a broader scope.

We talk about interactive Multimedia, when the user has free control over the presentation of the content, what it is that they want to see and when, unlike a direct presentation, you force to view content in a predetermined order.

Hypermedia

Hypermedia could consider as a special form of interactive multimedia that employs more complex navigation structures that increase user control over the flow of information. The term “hyper” refers to “navigation,” hence the concepts of “hypertext” (navigation between texts) and “hypermedia” (navigation between media).

Lev Manovich was the one who coined the term meta medium, which can define as a medium that contains various media and which in turn acquire three different properties: with software, data, and when they are processed. Meta-media is a source of media production.

The concept of Multimedia is as old as human communication since when we express ourselves in a normal conversation, we speak (sound), write (text), observe our interlocutor (video), and act with gestures and hand movements (animation). With the rise of multimedia computer applications, this word became part of the usual language.

When a computer program, document, or presentation adequately combines the media, attention, understanding, and learning are dramatically improved.

Since it will approach something more than the usual way we humans communicate when we use various senses to understand the same object and inform ourselves about it.

Features

Multimedia is mostly used in the entertainment industry, especially to develop special effects for movies and animation for cartoon characters.

Multimedia games are software programs such as CD-ROMs or available online. Some video games also use multimedia features. The uses of multimedia allow users to participate instead of sitting called passive recipients of information actively; Multimedia is interactive.

Types of Multimedia Information:

• Text: unformatted, formatted, linear, and hypertext.
• Graphics: used to represent diagrams, plans, line drawings, etc.
• Images: are documents made up of pixels. They can be generated by copying the environment (scanned, digital photography) and tend to be very voluminous files.
• Animation: presentation of several graphics as per second that generates the sensation of movement in the observer.
• Video: Presentation of several images per second, which creates in the observer the sensation of movement. They can synthesize or capture.
• Sound: can be speech, music, or other sounds.

Multimedia work is currently the order of the day, and a good professional must follow certain steps to develop the product.

• Define the Key Message. Knowing what you mean to say. For that, it is necessary to know the client and think about his communicational message. The client himself is the first agent in this communication phase.
• Know the Public. Find what the public might like to engage with the message. We have to plan a strong attack strategy. We work with the client, but it is the communication agency that has the leading role.
• In this phase, a document created that multimedia professionals refer to as “technical specifications,” “concepts,” or “product specifications.” This document based on 5 items: necessity, communication objective, audience, concept, and treatment.
• Development or Script. It is the moment of the definition of the Game-play: functionalities, tools to arrive at that concept. At this stage, only the agency that is the specialist intervenes.
• Creation of a Prototype.  It is very important to create a prototype that is only a small part of a selection to test the application. In this way, the client sees, browses, interacts. It must contain the main navigation options.

Now we are working with digital, a development that allows interactivity. It is at this moment when the client, if he agrees, gives the company the money to continue with the project. The company’s operation itself can presuppose the budget that will be necessary, the people who will work on the project (list of collaborators).

In short, it structures the company. The prototype is a very important element in the creation, and it will always prove (target audience and those in charge of checking that everything works)Product Creation. Based on the prototype’s test results, a redefinition made, and the final product created, the multimedia scheme.

Types of Multimedia

The different types of multimedia can classify according to the purpose of the information, or also to the medium in which they will publish.

• Educational Multimedia: It is important to value that educational Multimedia is before the computer appears. It can be considered a non-linear process, which makes the student carry his order in his educational model (distance, face-to-face, etc.).It bases on a navigable development that allows a certain freedom of movement on the application. Some important temporary events of educational Multimedia: 1975/1980 Programming – 1985 Multimedia – 1990/1995 Internet – 2000 E-learning – 2005 Social Networks.
• Advertising Multimedia: The use of different media focused on an advertising campaign; this has generated new spaces in this sector.There is a change from traditional to digital media with a huge range of new possibilities, tablets, mobiles, web development, DTT ( Digital Terrestrial Television ), hypertext and mail, and as a prominent element social networks as a tool for viral dissemination.
• Commercial Multimedia: In this type of Multimedia, we find a wide variety of products, such as Databases (DB), promotions, many catalogs, simulators, web pages, advertising.Others, all this material presented in digital, interactive, and Main functionality, is to convince a potential buyer or client to purchase a service or product. In some way, this type of Multimedia directly relates to electronic learning ( e-learning ).
• Informative Multimedia: It is related to the multimedia elements that provide information, such as news, press, magazines, television, and newspapers. This information is shows in most cases in a massive way (world environment).And is keep up-to-date at the time of the facts; their informative value is essential to know facts before the traditional media.