Multi-media Authoring -- Getting Started

by

Michael Tobin, M.D., Ph.D.

Getting Started

O.K. So you've seen those multi-media instructional displays which teach you everything from nuclear physics to where the hospital cafeteria is located. Cute aren't they? With their little animations and glitzy fonts, they don't seem all that difficult to do. You feel now it's time to try your hand at this kind of thing. Well where do you start?

If you read the usual Amiga magazines with their repetitive reviews, you might think that now is the time for endless in-depth reviews in mind-numbing detail of all the authoring systems available to assess their relative strengths and weaknesses. While there is definitely a place for such product reviews -- and indeed you will probably have to make some kind of choice somewhere down the line -- I suggest that you ask yourself the following questions before you begin.

1. Do you really have something on your mind that you want to say and are you willing to put in the effort to get your message across? This is NOT a trivial question. Whatever it is that you decide to communicate will take time and effort to research and present in a usable and an attractive form. Don't overlook the commitment factor.

2. Are there people out there interested in what you have to say? The answer to this is almost always "yes". In spite of the incessant outpouring of TV, movies, books, etc., truly valuable and useful information is in short supply. Anything you can do to extract the pearl from the sludge will be truly appreciated.

3. What else has been written or produced on your topic? Maybe someone has recently done an award winning multimedia exhibit on electricity which is exactly what you had in mind. If you feel strongly enough, I would encourage you to go ahead anyway. The definitive work is yet to be written. Nonetheless, it is important to know what else is out there, if agree with the approach and contents, and how you would do it differently.

4. Are you willing to become something of an expert on your topic? Even if you are only writing a module on where the exits are in a public building, you better have a very clear idea of where they are yourself. People become uncommonly angry when given directions which lead them into brick walls. And -- heaven forbid -- if there is a fire in the building when they find a brick wall instead of an exit, they will be very unhappy campers indeed. The moral -- Make sure you know what you're talking about. This will require some effort on your part (see point 1).

5. Who are you writing for? Is your multi-media presentation on how to avoid the common cold intended for young children, expectant mothers, or the 77th annual convention of physicians expert in infectious diseases? More presentations fail because the speaker or writer neglected to take into account his or her audience than for any other reason. Your content, scope, and approach must be adjusted for the group you are trying to reach. I guarantee you that the very same lecture on special relativity that resulted in your being carried out in triumph on the shoulders of theoretical physicists, will get you nothing but spitballs from a group of seventh graders.

6. Is your topic well defined? The importance of the Amazon rain forest is much more manageable in its scope than the topic of environmental conservation from the 17th century until now. If you make your presentation too narrow ("A multi-media approach to eyeballs of the newt") you may be limiting your audience unnecessarily (although maybe not if you are targeting newt experts). I recommend starting narrow and expanding if necessary. "Lizards in the area of Walden Pond" is a well-defined topic that could be fun both to author and to learn about. You can always broaden your topic to include lizards that used to live near Walden Pond if you need to.

7. Is a computer presentation the best way to communicate your ideas? A little kiss on the cheek and an "I love you" whispered in the ear has yet to be duplicated on a computer system. Books, pamphlets, fliers, spots on radio and TV all have their place. Think -- Is a computer the best way to go?

8. What computer authoring program should you use? If you do decide on a computerized multi-media approach, now is the time to make your software selection. Read the magazines, speak with your friends, but above all, get a demo disk and see completed projects made by others. Obviously, don't select a software package that doesn't handle music well if your project places heavy emphasis in this area. And just as obviously, some programs are easier to use and less problem-prone than others. But having said this, the limiting factor is usually the creativity of the author rather than features lacking in the software, which often can be easily and satisfyingly "worked around."

So before you begin making those "hot spots" on the screen, ask yourself the questions I have listed above and any others you feel I have left out. Then take a deep breath and ...........start creating!

September, 1992

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