Sound Characteristics and Purposes

Elements and principles of sound design.

a. Elements of Sound Design – the objects or things that we have to work with:

• Dialogue - speech, conversation, voice-over.

• Sound Effects - any sound other than music or dialogue.

• Music - vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form,
harmony, and expression of emotion.

• Silence - absence of audio or sound. b. Principles of Sound Design – the techniques for combining the
different elements or objects.

• Mixing - the combination, balance and control of multiple sound elements.

• Pace - Time control. Editing. Order of events: linear, non-linear, or multi-linear.

• Transitions - How you get from one segment or element to another. Types of transitions:

- Segue - one element stops, the next begins ("cut" in film).

- Cross-fade - one element fades out, the next fades in, and they overlap on the way. - V-Fade - First
element fades to inaudible before the second element begins.

- Fade to Black - V-Fade with some silence between elements.

- Waterfall - As first element fades out, the second element begins at full volume. Better for voice
transitions, than for

effects.

• Stereo Imaging - Using left and right channel for depth.

Producing Podcast

General procedure for creating a podcast:

a. Planning - choosing a topic and answering the guide questions

b. Pre-recording - choosing your equipment and software for recording

c. Creating your Podcast - audio recording and converting to MP3

d. Uploading your Podcast - choosing where to upload through RSS Feed

Motion Media and Information

• Motion media can be produced formally and informally. Informally produced motion media are
created by individuals often for personal use. Formally produced motion media are created by
professionals who follow industry standards in creating, editing and producing motion media. Formal
production of animations involves the following steps:

• writing the story - writers and directors create the story board

• script is written and dialogue is recorded

• animators sketch major scenes; inbetweeners fill in the gaps

• background music and background details are added

• drawings are rendered

• Videos are produced in the same manner except that instead of drawing the scenes they are acted out
and shot. Once the scenes have been shot, all clips are edited and put together in a final product.
Motion Media Formats, Types and Sources

• Widely accepted formats, types and sources of motion-media and how these are decided/selected by
creators and users of motion media and information and information.

• According to format:

• Animations - animated gifs (Graphic Interchange Format), Flash, Shockwave, Dynamic HTML

• Video formats/Video Codecs - motion media use large resources. Codecs compresses and
decompresses video files. Examples are H.26N series, Quicktime, DivX, MPG, MP4

• According to purpose: education, entertainment, advertising

• According to source: personal, social media, media companies

• According to audience: private or public; directed or general

• In some of these, media convergence can be observed with one artefact falling into several categories.

Manipulatives / Interactive Media

Definition of interactive media and interactivity:

a. Interactive Media – a method of communication in which the program's outputs depend on the user's
inputs, and the user's inputs in turn affect the program's outputs. Interactive media engage the user and
interact with him or her in a way that non-interactive media do not. Websites and video games are two
common types of interactive media. (Definition taken from Investopedia via
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/interactive-media.asp)

b. Interactivity – the communication process that takes place between humans and computer software.
The most constant form of interactivity is typically found in games, which need a continuous form of
interactivity with the gamer. Database applications and other financial, engineering and trading
applications are also typically very interactive. (Definition taken from Technopedia via
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/14429/interactivity)

c. One area where interactivity is most useful is in online training. Interactivities in this area allow
learners to interact with the course in terms of action and/or thinking.

2. Relate their experiences in using interactive media by identifying the software or media used and how
they interacted.

a. Example 1: Social media (Facebook) - sent friend request; responded to friend request; liked a post;
followed a site; commented on a friend’s post; uploaded a file; chat with a friend; sent private message.

b. Example 2: Online booking - search for flights; booked a flight and paid through credit card; web-
check-in.

3. The different platforms of interactive media:

a. Mobile apps - a software application developed specifically for use on small, wireless computing
devices such as smartphones and tablets, rather than desktop or laptop computers.

b. 3D TV - a television display technology that enables a three-dimensional effect, so that viewers

c. Video games (multi-player) - a game played by electronically manipulating images produced by a

d. Role-playing games (RPG) - a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional
setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal
acting or through a process of structured decision-making or character development.
e. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) - any story-driven online video game in
which a player, taking on the persona of a character in a virtual or fantasy world, interacts with a large
number of other players.

f. Interactive websites (pools, surveys, exams, exercises)

g. Virtual reality and immersive environments - the computer-generated simulation of a three-

h. Social media - websites or online services where users (actual people) are the creators and consumers
of the content, and where social interactions (commenting, liking, posting, talking) are the main features
of content. Examples are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, etc. Relate this topic to their
output in the previous activity.

Interacting with Social Media

1. Different ways of interacting with the Internet:

a. Online shopping - compare prices; compare features of similar items; add to cart; choose payment
type; track delivery; get advice from experts; search products; check local availability; get product
recommendations.

b. Online gaming - choose a game; play with computer; play with others; choose a level, in-game
customization, etc.

c. Online classes - interact with content; interact with instructors; interact with classmates.

d. Chat - group chat; search groups; search friends; translate language. e. News and information -
exchange information; give reaction; news on demand; monitor views.

f. Videos - choose your own adventure; get multimedia content; experience game elements.

2. Types of interactivity and their purposes:

a. Click on images

b. Hotspot - a special region to act as a trigger to another web page. The hotspot could be a circle,
triangle, rectangle or polygon.

c. Rollover - an image or portion of an image that changes in appearance when the mouse cursor moves
over it.

d. Tabs - clicking on them displays a relevant content with an appropriate graphic.

e. Timeline - a menu slide that branches to different events.

f. Numbers/processes - the number of clicks and the time spent in an interactive function provide data
points.

g. Slideshow - non-linear interactive slideshow where the pathway through the show is determined by
the user's interaction with it.

h. Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

i. Flip cards - a card that when clicked flips to display a description and other information.

3. Emerging interactive media:

a. Interactive television - also known as ITV or iTV. A form of media convergence, adding data services to
traditional television technology. Throughout its history, these have included on-demand delivery of
content, as well as new uses such as online shopping, banking, and so forth. ITV enables the viewer to
issue commands and give feedback information through an electronic device called a setup box. The
viewer can select which program or movie to watch, at what time, and can place orders in response to
commercials. New setup boxes also allow access to email and e-commerce applications via internet.

b. Allow viewers to participate in games shows - viewers compete with on-screen contestants

c. Select alternate endings to their favorite program

d. Encourage children to interact with educational programs

The Design Process

a. Pre-production- research, storyboarding, plan,

b. Production- creating the product

c. Post-Production- evaluation, redesign, documentation

d. Presentation- showcasing, gathering of comments

Uses of Multimedia

• Entertainment and Fine Arts (movies and animation, interactive multimedia, others)

• Education (computer-based training courses, edutainment (blend of education and entertainment,

• Engineering, Mathematical and Scientific Research (modelling, simulation, others)

• Industry (presentation for shareholders, superiors and coworkers, employee training, advertising and
marketing, others)

• Medicine (virtual surgery, simulation, others)

• Multimedia in Public Places (stand-alone terminals and kiosks in hotels, railway stations, shopping
malls, museums, and grocery stores; digital bulletin boards; others)

Finalizing their Multimedia Presentations

Points to remember when presenting the projects:

a. Prepare a spiel. Before you play your video, prepare an introductory spiel that will discuss what the
video is all about. Make sure that you keep your spiels short and concise. It is the multimedia
presentation’s role to get your message through the audience.

b. Check the technical aspects of the presentation. There are various elements of your presentation such
as audio, screen resolution, connectors, adapters, software compatibility, etc. Make sure that you test
the presentation beforehand.

c. Rehearse your presentation. There may be parts of the presentation that you need to explain or
expound further. Make sure that you rehearse what you are going to say and how your explanation will
complement with the presentation showed on screen