![[The Resource Directory]](/file/36067/SIGCAT 97 - Conference on Convergence.ISO/Docs/00009/009da.gif)
Becoming a Multimedia Author: Courses and Programs for Multimedia
Paul Nicholls
EMedia Professional, April 1997Copyright © Online Inc.
| Fortunately courses of many types are readily available, not only for Macromedia's Director, but for other authoring tools as well. |
And before you get started with a class at your local university's continuing education department, you'll want to figure out just what kind of multimedia application you want to develop. There are over 150 authoring programs available, each of which provides various advantages and disadvantages, depending on what you're trying to produce. Available tools run on a continuum from relatively inexpensive and easy to use to relatively expensive with a steep learning curve.
Microsoft PowerPoint, for example, is essentially a tool used to create presentations with modest multimedia content and interactivity. But PowerPoint 97, just now shipping, has become much more multimedia-capable. However, PowerPoint is still so easy to use that 100 monkeys pounding on keyboards at random could likely produce a first-rate sales presentation in less than a week, especially if they had a good collection of clip media at hand.
As with almost all authoring systems, however, the more you want to do, the more you have to learn in order to do it. It's an unfortunate but understandable trade-off. Short of authoring from scratch--and perhaps also considerable pain--with a full-blown programming language such as Visual Basic or C++, Macromedia Director is at the top of the "power" pecking order. According to most conservative estimates, more commercial multimedia CD-ROM titles have been "Made with Macromedia" than with any other single authoring software. Director is the tool of choice for serious applications, including presentations, training, exhibit hall demos, and kiosks. Much of Director's power derives from Lingo, a high-level programming language that gives the user precise control and great flexibility in creating multimedia applications. Like most authoring applications that use a proprietary language to drive interactions, you'll probably need to take a course to acclimate yourself to the nuances of development.
Fortunately, courses of many types are readily available, not only for Macromedia's Director, but for other authoring tools as well. These range from quick seminars on PowerPoint to college programs designed to train professional multimedia authors on state-of-the-art power tools.
Professional training firms have been serving the needs of corporations and individuals for years and supply very efficient one- or two-day seminars on well-defined topics, usually in the $300 to $800 range. The typical short seminar provides an excellent package of printed course materials and an instructor who is experienced and well-respected in the field.
Furthermore, many academic institutions and training centers offer courses ranging from a single day to a full semester, which, like the short seminars, generally offer basic and fairly comprehensive introductions to the several aspects of the multimedia field.
79 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; 415/274-2200; Fax 415/957-1578.
The Academy was founded in 1929 and is committed to providing professional visual arts education in both fine and applied art. The Academy of Art College's Silicon Graphics curriculum offers a unique blend of visual art and design coupled with various software applications. The Academy's Computer Education Center offers short courses in advanced computer arts, digital media, multimedia, Photoshop, 2D and 3D modeling, animation, and visual effects. Courses last up to 15 weeks but one-week or weekend courses can also be arranged. In addition to the Academy's Computer Education Center, students may take courses from any of the other ten art and design departments.
222 Harrigan Hall, Berrien Springs, MI 49104; 616/471-3450; Fax 471-6292; http://www.andrews.edu![[LiveLink]](/file/36067/SIGCAT 97 - Conference on Convergence.ISO/Docs/webcd.gif "[LiveLink]"){kind=small}
.
The College of Technology at Andrews University offers a concentration in Media Technology within their Technology Education Bachelors of Science degree program. While primarily covering basic material such as drawing and graphic design, and traditional media such as photography, printing, and even press operation, binding, and finishing, new media has a place in this program, with courses such as "Digital Imaging" and "Desktop Publishing."
McCormick Building, 400 East Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815; 717/389-4506; http://www.bloomu.edu.
The nationally acclaimed Master of Science in Instructional Technology (MSIT) program at Bloomsburg University emerged in response to the increasing need for professionals who can integrate interactive multimedia technology into educational and training environments. The curriculum concentrates on the application of the computer and other emerging technologies to education and training, with an emphasis directed toward the design, development, production, and evaluation of computer-based interactive multimedia courseware. Their multimedia lab contains a balance of PC and Macintosh computers, scanning, CD-ROM production, and videodisc equipment. Authoring software includes Toolbook II, IconAuthor, Director, and Authorware.
72 Tyng Road, Tyngsboro, MA 01879; 508/649-4200; Fax 508/649-2162.
Boston University offers a number of two- to five-day courses at several locations in the Boston area. "Introduction to Multimedia" and "Communicating Effectively with Multimedia" both address authoring as well as related aspects of multimedia development. Several courses are offered on C and C++, as well as a few on Microsoft Visual Basic. These courses fall in the $800 to $2000 range, depending on the length. Evening sessions are available for some of the courses.
25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94542; 510/885-3605; Fax 510/885-2040; http://www.csuhayward.edu.
California State University, Hayward offers certificates in video conferencing and distance education, as well as an assortment of other multimedia courses, including those on animation, graphics, 3D modeling, audio, and video, as well as courses on specific software packages such as QuickTime, Macromedia Director, Photoshop, and Pagemaker.
951 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto, ON M4K 3M2 Canada; 416/462-8860; Fax 416/462-8801; amym@cencol.on.ca.
For people with an eye on professional authoring, the Bell Centre for Creative Communications is one of the best places to go. The Bell Centre for Creative Communications is a campus of Centennial College, located just outside downtown Toronto. It boasts one of Canada's most advanced fiber optic ATM networks; broadcasting and imaging studios; and more than 300 computers, including an SGI Onyx visual supercomputer. An authorized Silicon Studio Training Centre, the facility is the home of five full-time, provincially accredited communication arts programs as well as extensive part-time programs in multimedia, interactive media, digital pre-press, and imaging.
2800 East Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, TX 75074; 214/881-5968; Fax 214/881-5103; http://www.ccccd.edu.
The Applied Graphic Design Technology department at this community college has been in business since 1985, offering degree and certificate programs in multimedia, animation, computer graphics, digital illustration, Internet, and Web design. Their classes include multimedia authoring, digital photography, image editing, 3D graphics production, storyboard production, and interface design.
1259 El Camino Real, Suite 360, Menlo Park, CA 94025; 415/325-3648; ccsv@netcom.com; http://www.portal.com/~ccsv.html.
The Computer College Silicon Valley (CCSV) is a place to go if you want to learn authoring for the Web. CCSV claims to be the first school to teach Internet and HTML, and offers full- and half-day seminars priced under $100. The numerous courses fall into several categories: using the Internet, Web school, and telecommunications. Their most popular courses include "Introduction to the Internet," "Information Retrieval on the Internet," "Doing Business on the Internet," "Developing a Presence on the Internet," "Web: Building Corporate Web Sites," and "Virtual Reality on the Internet: Java and VRML."
College of Communication, 356 Diffenbaugh, Tallahassee, FL 32306; 904/644-8742; Fax 904/644-8642; http://www.fsu.edu.
Florida State University's College of Communication, which was established in 1991, offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in design and production of optical and videodisc products as well as online services. Their extensive course listings include "Desktop Multimedia," "Writing for Media," "Audio Production," "Video Workshop," and similar authoring-related topics. They also have an impressive range of other courses to round out the new media professional, including "Media Planning," "Media Market Research," "New Communication Technologies," and "Interactive Communication Research."
2029 K Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006; 202/973-1175; Fax 202/973-1165.
George Washington University (GWU) has expanded its interactive multimedia program to include week-long institutes along with regular class selection. Successfully completing one institute in each of six categories earns students GWU's Multimedia Producer certificate. There are 15 institutes being offered, covering design, authoring, animation, digital video and sound, advanced authoring or publishing on the Web, and the multimedia project. Tuition fees per institute range between $925 and $1300.
Box 93686, Atlanta, GA 30377; 404/894-2400; Fax 404/894-8925.
Georgia Tech's Center for NewMedia Education and Research offers a series of one- to five-day courses aimed primarily at effective practical creation of multimedia productions. A structured set of ten courses leads to the Certificate in Multimedia. Requirements for the certificate include two introductory courses, five design courses, one authoring course (Authorware or Director), an applications course, and a five-day production workshop. Georgia Tech has scheduled the courses in such a way that a student could take all the certificate courses in five week-long visits to Atlanta. The price is $4475. Georgia Tech also offers a series of courses leading to two certificates in Internet use and Internet information-providing. They are designed to give individuals expertise in the use of the Internet as a giant repository of information and also to teach individuals how to design, create, and maintain Web pages as well as other information formats on the Internet. The courses are offered throughout the year and range in price from $275 to $995.
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139; 617/253-0194; Fax 617/258-8736; http://alberti.mit.edu/mas.
MIT's Media Arts and Sciences program is academic and research-based but hands-on all the same. Since every area of the program depends heavily on computational methods, familiarity with UNIX and programming proficiency are assumed as prerequisites, and the programs are closely linked to the research programs of the MIT Media Laboratory. M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are offered, with a joint-major undergraduate program under development. All graduate students are fully supported--tuition plus a stipend--usually by appointments as research assistants at the Media Laboratory, where they work on research programs and faculty projects, including helping out with courses.
50 Airport Parkway, Suite 6, San Jose, CA 95110; 408/441-1800; Fax 408/441-1826; http://dial.net/web/mill/s/masters.
Established in 1974, the Masters Institute offers a range of courses leading to the Associate of Science degree, diploma, or certificate. Multimedia courses include "Interactive Presentations," "3D Modeling and Animation," "Special Effects," "CD-ROM Title Development," and "Video and Sound Production." Related graphics courses include "Desktop Publishing," "Computer Graphics and Illustration," and "Pre-press."
2501 Stevens Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404; 800/874-6223; 612/874-3700; http://www.mcad.edu.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design's Media Arts Division offers a four-year program called Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Media. It is intended to prepare students for professional or graduate work in traditional areas such as photography, film, and video, but also in the digital animation and multimedia areas. About a third of the course involves art history and general studies, but most of it is spent with hands-on studio courses and electives. Studio courses include those covering typography, lighting, sound, animation, interactive multimedia, digital photography, and online.
48 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003; 212/998-7171; Fax 212/995-3060.
Certificate courses and continuing education credits are offered through part-time courses in traditional publishing and multimedia at NYU. Summer courses (three to four evenings each) at NYU's Center for Digital Multimedia have included "New Design for New Media," "Digital Video Editing," "QuickTime Production," "Authoring with HTML for the World Wide Web," "Legal Issues in Multimedia," and "Multimedia: Beyond the Basics." Lecture series, independent study courses, and custom seminars are also offered by the Center for Digital Multimedia.
66 West 12 Street,╩New York, NY 10011; 800/252-0852; 212/229-8910; Fax 212/229-8975; http://www.parsons.edu.
Parson's offers intensive summer programs in graphic design and computer graphics, as well as in animation, drawing, and multimedia. The former program gives students an overview of the conceptual, technical, and contemporary aspects of graphic design. About half the program is devoted to practical instruction in high-end computer graphics programs, including QuarkXpress, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop. The Animation, Drawing, and Multimedia program focuses on the artistic skills necessary for doing animated multimedia. The first half of the program consists of a drawing studio with the digital animation coming in at the second half. Students are taught how to use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, as well as Macromedia Director.
6250 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92115; 619/265-0107; http://www.platt.edu.
At Platt College's Multimedia Program, students first gain an understanding of design in the Computer Graphic Design Program, then apply the technical knowledge and creative skills they've acquired to the multimedia area. The basic design skills are expanded upon while students are introduced to multimedia using popular editing and authoring software. hr>
200 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205; 718/636-3693; Fax 718/636-3553; http://www.pratt.edu.
Pratt Institute is, of course, very well established. They actually had the first American Library Association accredited course there ever was--in June 1880--and still have a strong Information and Library Science Master of Science program. They also have a reputation for a practical hands-on approach to education. Their Department of Computer Graphics and Interactive Media offers both undergraduate and Master's degrees in fine arts, with specializations in digital animation, interactive multimedia production, electronic pre-press, and digital fine arts. Macromedia Director is the primary authoring package taught by the Pratt Institute.
425 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105; 415/904-7703; Fax 415/904-7760; http://www.sfsu.edu.
The Multimedia Studies program at San Francisco State has grown since 1992 to become one of the most comprehensive multimedia training centers in or out of the country. The Multimedia Studies program offers a rich and diverse curriculum, with classes in the theory, history, and aesthetics of multimedia, as well as in its design, tools, and business practices. Nearly 100 multimedia producers, artists, designers, and business professionals bring their experience and knowledge of the industry to the program's classrooms. In all of the production and teaching labs, students have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment. The program has courses for all levels of interest, and has recently expanded its offerings to include customized training and consulting for corporate and community organizations. Authoring classes currently offered include "Getting Stated with Macromedia Director," "2D Animation on the PC," "Director for Designers," "Intermediate Director for Programmers," "Advanced Director: Object Oriented Programming," "Multimedia Authoring with HTML," "Advanced Design and Authoring for the World Wide Web," "Introduction to Java," "Advanced Java Programming," "Advanced Authorware Professional," "Shockwave for Director," "Introduction to mTropolis," "Intermediate C++ for Multimedia," and "Introduction to Visual Basic for Multimedia."
Instructional Resources Center, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192; 408/924-1000; Fax 408/924-2881; http://www.sjsu.edu.
San Jose State's Master of Arts degree in education with an emphasis in instructional technology has six areas of specialization: Instructional Design and Development, Media Design and Development, Computers and Interactive Technologies, Media Services Management, Telecommunications and Distance Learning, and Teaching and Technology. In addition to the graduate degree, certificate programs are offered in Multimedia, Training Methods for Business and Industry, and Computer Concepts and Applications. Continuing education is also provided by allowing students to enroll in individual classes on a space available basis.
209 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010; 212/592-2180; http://www.sva.edu.
The School of Visual Arts is heavily into traditional fine art, graphic design, photography, and the like, but the school also has a Master of Arts program in computer art. Courses in this program include "3D Character Animation," "Algorithmic Art," "C Programming," "Designing Usable Interfaces," "Digital Cultures," "Electronic Imaging," "Game Design," "Interactive Art and Games," "Interactive Multimedia Studio," "Java Programming," "Multimedia Production Issues," "Scripting," "Story Structure," and "Virtual Reality."
1750 Finch Avenue East, North York, ON M2J 2X5 Canada; http://scaweb.senecac.on.ca.
The Audio-Visual Techniques Diploma is a two-year program in the School of Communication Arts at Seneca College. This broad program prepares students for careers in the audio-visual communication industry. The program focuses on audio, video, and multimedia pre-production, production, and post-production authoring for all forms of image and multi-image generation, from photography and videography to graphics and computer-generated images. The selection, production, and synchronization of sound and image are also a major focus.
SIGCAT, Box 3706, Reston, VA 22090; 703/435-4661; Fax 703/435-5553; http://www.sigcat.org.
SIGCAT, a nonprofit foundation and the world's largest CD-ROM user group, frequently offers practical short courses priced from about $200 for a single-day seminar to $600 for a multiday course. Recent seminars have included "How to Produce a CD-ROM," "The What & Why of Multimedia," "Edutainment and Multimedia Training Applications," "The How of Multimedia CD-ROM Development," "How to Market your CD-ROM," "Using Microsoft's Multimedia Viewer to Create a Multimedia CD-ROM," and "Digital Video: Capture and Compression." SIGCAT issues a bimonthly list of its upcoming meetings, events, and courses in a newsletter titled SIGCAT BLER.
4100 East Broadway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85040; 800/658-5744; http://uact.edu.
Formerly known as the CAD Institute, the University of Advancing Computer Technology offers two B.A. degrees in multimedia: Multimedia/ Virtual Reality, and Multimedia/Digital Animation. Topics in the degrees include art aesthetics, design and color theory, animation and rendering, computer graphics, character modeling, authoring environments, interactive production and presentation, digital audio, cinematography, environment construction, and interactive systems. Software taught includes Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere; Macromedia's Director and Authorware; Pagemaker; Fractal Painter, 3D Studio MAX, Alias, Softimage and Lightwave animation packages; and Visual basic, C++, HTML, VRML, and other Internet standards and software.
Box 548, F.D.R. Station, New York, NY 10150; 212/777-7200; Fax 212/777-7222.
United Digital Artists (UDA) is a new media agency representing hundreds of artists, programmers, and consultants engaged in the creation of interactive products. Their imaging, design, video, and multimedia curriculum at the Apple Market Center in Midtown Manhattan is supported by a state-of-the-art lab. Most of the courses are two-day intensives, with certificates available for four-course programs in imaging, design, video, multimedia, or the Internet. Individual courses are $645 for two days, and a four-course certification program comes to $1850. The courses are hands-on and practical, and cover lots of authoring-related topics such as Photoshop basics, designing with QuarkXPress, digital video with Premiere, electronic color prepress, multimedia with Director, interactive design, Lingo scripting with Director, mTropolis object-oriented multimedia, VRML 3D on the Web, Java for Web designers, and Web design.
5997 Iona Drive, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Canada; 604/822-1420; Fax 604/822-1499;
compureg@cce.ubc.ca; http://www.cstudies.ubc.ca.
Offered in collaboration with the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, the Certificate in Multimedia Studies at the University of British Columbia focuses on the precedents, theory, processes, technologies, and techniques of multimedia as applied to the communications industry. The certificate requires about 75 hours of foundation courses, 105 hours of authoring in content and creative courses, 60 hours of elective courses, and 60 hours of projects for completion in two years on a part-time basis. It's anticipated that some of these courses will be available through distance education sometime during 1997.
740 Front Street, Suite 155, Santa Cruz, CA 95060; 800/660-8639; 408/427-6600; Fax 408/427-6690; http://www.ucsc.edu:80/unex.
UCSC offers several dozen practical courses on multimedia and Web page development through their extension program. The courses fall in several broad areas: multimedia production, multimedia engineering and programming, technology in education, and managing the development of technical information. Courses cover software such as Director, Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and Visual Basic; and topics such as principles of interactivity, audio for multimedia and the Web, Java programming, hypermedia authoring, designing and developing online documents, and design principles for online help.
5835 Kimbark Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637; 312/702-0539; Fax 312/702-6814.
The University of Chicago has a strong traditional print publishing program, with over 50 courses offered in the 1996-7 academic year. One of them is focused on multimedia, with more expected in the future. "Multimedia and Its Applications" is a two-day intensive course designed for defining and demystifying multimedia. It is aimed at new or potential users of the technology. Students author prototype multimedia applications as a group project. The course, which was first offered in March 1996, costs $385.
Computer Education and Cognitive Systems Department, 1300 Highland Street, Box 5155, UNT Station, Denton, TX 76203; 817/565-2000; Fax 817/565-2185; http://www.cecs.unt.edu.
The University of North Texas is the home of the Texas Center for Educational Technology, a research and development consortium. The department offers a full range of degree courses with extensive hands-on activity, including those covering computer-assisted instruction, authoring systems, educational software development, instructional systems design, advanced production of instructional materials, interactive video, computer graphics for media presentations, and building Internet information services.
#400-1168 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2S2 Canada; 604/685-8689; Fax 604/685-5830; catherine@griffin.multimedia.edu; http://griffin.multimedia.edu.
Vancouver Film School offers a ten-month intensive multimedia program run from a $5 million facility in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. According to the school, the facility is the largest privately owned dedicated multimedia training facility in the world. Resources include large Power PC and Pentium 90 labs, status as an official Alias Research training facility, computers hooked to the Internet at fiber speed, a 65-seat amphitheater, and a 120-seat main theater. The program prepares the student for a career in new multimedia but doesn't come cheaply. The price-tag is around $10,000 for the year.
13300 West Ellsworth Avenue, Golden, CO 80401; 303/982-8600; http://jeffco.k12.co.us/high/wotc/warren.html.
WARRENTECH is a program offered by the Jefferson County Public Schools' Technical Center. Multimedia Communications for Business and Industry prepares the student who wants to enter the field of multimedia communications by providing training in multimedia authoring, video production, computer graphics, and CD-ROM technology. Projects from real-world clients are assigned, and students participate in weekly presentation sessions where they explain and display their work. Students aged 16 to 21 without a high school diploma or a GED can attend with no tuition charged. Others, including adults, can attend for a fee. Who would have thought of going back to high school for continuing education in multimedia?
The Multimedia Studies program at San Francisco State University is currently running an alpha version of a prototype online course titled "Demystifying Multimedia Technology." This course is the first time that SFSU has offered a course exclusively over the World Wide Web, and since it's something of an experimental exercise at this point, the course if offered free of charge. For further information, check the course's Web site at http://www.cel.sfsu.edu/msp or contact Christopher Marler, Internet programs coordinator, at cmarler@dnai.com.
The Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (located at the Maricopa Community Colleges) has an excellent Web site devoted in part to multimedia authors at http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu. The center has a sense of humor, paraphrasing Mark Twain with "There are three kinds of lies--lies, damn lies, and server statistics." They get their share of hits--eight million by the end of 1996--and with good reason. There is a lot of valuable material on this site. The site is a Point Communications top five percent, Magellan three stars, IWAY top 500, and MacUser 101 must-see site. Go to the multimedia authoring pages for a run-down on authoring languages and links to authoring listservs, multimedia centers, commercial producers, and resources organized by specific media types, as well as a sub-site exclusively dedicated to resources for Macromedia Director. There is also a section on the site devoted to HTML scripting.
Don't forget the authoring software producers' sites either: Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com), Macromedia (http://www.macromedia.com), Gold Disk (http://www.golddisk.com), and hundreds of other multimedia tool developers will provide up-to-date information, updates, and utilities for their respective products.
As multimedia authoring activity from grade school to the corporate proliferates, new training opportunities will naturally appear. A number of effective research strategies will help plumb the new media education depths.
The first method should certainly be getting a copy of the calendars from your local universities and colleges. The continuing education calendar can be as important as the regular day college calendar in the case of multimedia. For distance education programs, magazine advertisements and announcements will be useful--some prime sources include EMedia Professional, New Media, Digital Video, and Multimedia Monitor, or any other new media related periodical, and certainly the local newspaper. The magazines are also good sources for finding out about upcoming conferences where a half- or full-day seminar may be available. Keep an eye on the monthly Conference Calendar section in EMedia Professional's news department.
The Internet is obviously an excellent source for information on new courses, with typical starting points being the search engines Infoseek (http://www.infoseek.com), Lycos (http://www.lycos.com), Altavista (http://www.altavista.com), Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com, or your own favorite. Searching terms such as a software or institution name, or a search string like "multimedia training" will get you off to a good start, and hypertext links will continue the process. Almost any training firm or institution listed in this resource directory is a candidate for further examination on the Web--through email, by faxed request, or even a phone call.
CompuServe, AOL, and other online services have a wealth of leads. Issues of SIGCAT's BLER╩and DISCours newsletters, for example, are available on the CDROM forum on CompuServe. On CompuServe, in the multimedia forum you'll find a dedicated education and training library.
In sum, there are plenty of course-like self-study materials available, and there are ways to study at home which can provide as much pertinent knowledge as some of the better courses in the larger and more formal programs. These, and the many instructor-led courses, are a great way of increasing your knowledge and experience, and are therefore an excellent means to better your marketability.
Dr. Paul Nicholls is an independent consultant, editor of NewMedia Canada, contributing editor for Computers in Libraries, research associate at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Western Ontario, and an associate of the Media Research Institute.
Comments? Email us at letters@onlineinc.com.
 Home Page |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Copyright © 1997, Online Inc. All rights reserved.
info@onlineinc.com
[This site created for best results under Netscape.]