🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <MemYVmm00UzxI6Lkkp@andrew.cmu.edu> "Robert W. Jordan" <rj25+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>
>What are some things that somebody majoring in Computer-based Multimedia
>Development should be learning how to do?

I think some computer and/or programming courses would be appropriate.
Specifically some Operating System Internals courses (so you can learn about
exciting issues like through put limitiations, compression schemes, etc. - as
well as developing a fundamental understanding of how Operating Systems
work); some peripherals courses (so you can learn about hard disks, CD-ROMS,
etc); and some User Interface courses (so you can learnn about how GUIs are
built and used).

I hope my thoughts/opinions are useful.

Marc
----
Two of the worst things we teach our children are that a knowledge of science
is nice but not necessary, and a knowledge of sex is necessary but not nice.

Marc Guyott              Constellation Software, Inc.          (508) 620-2800
                         Framingham, Mass. 01701 USA                Ext. 3135
mguyott@primerd.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!primerd.prime.com!mguyott
mguyott@eriador.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!eriador.prime.com!mguyott

In article <MemYVmm00UzxI6Lkkp@andrew.cmu.edu> rj25+@andrew.cmu.edu (Robert W. Jordan) writes:


>   I am a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University and I need some help. 
>At CMU, students don't declare their major until after their sophomore
>year.  Right now, I've kind of decided on majoring in Creative Writing. 
>However, what I think would be way cool to do is develop my own major
>called, "Computer-based Multimedia Development."

	Where is
		Programming in C/C++

(reply to a student who is building a special-topics degree in mm) 

I graduated im May with the same kind of major you've described.  It was 
a lot of fun, and the only reason I don't have a steady job yet is that 
I'm trying to stay in the Nebraska/Colorado area.  As far as I know, this 
is the FIRST four-year degree ever awarded in Multimedia Computing.  
Believe me, that looks good on a resume.  I'm working at a video studio 
now, producing 3-d animation.  Eventuall I hope to land a job in true 
multimedia, but all the offers so far involve moving.  I may have to 
move anyway if nothing shows up in my area, but the point is that there 
ARE jobs out there for such a degree.  

I took courses similar to the ones you've described, but I added another 
group:  I'd find a professor with mm equipment, and propose a special-
topics course where I work one-on-one with the prof on some mm application.
This requires a lot of knocking on doors and hearing the word 'no', but I 
learned more from those courses than anything else.  You should also 
consider more film courses, especially film history (to see how others 
developed a new medium) and filmmaking.

PLEASE let me know how it turns out.  I'll help out however I can.  If 
the 'big cheeses' balk at the idea of a multimedia degree, tell them 
the University of Nebraska already approved such a degree, and they have 
even less mm equipment than your college does.

As for the future, I believe that mm, or something equivalent, should 
become a regular degree program.  A good mm director should know about 
computers, video, audio, images, writing, etc. to take full advantage 
of the medium.  I believe that existing mm titles still don't use the 
medium to it's full power, primarily because we're still developing the 
'language' of the medium - like the early film directors.  Multimedia, 
though poorly defined, isn't going to go away, but neither art nor  
comp sci directly address all the issues we need to be aware of.  We 
need a regular degree program.

--William Dye
willdye@helios.unl.edu

In <venable.161@faculty.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu> venable@faculty.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Wallace Venable) writes:

>In article <MemYVmm00UzxI6Lkkp@andrew.cmu.edu> rj25+@andrew.cmu.edu (Robert W. Jordan) writes:


>>   I am a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University and I need some help. 
>>called, "Computer-based Multimedia Development."

>	Where is
>		Programming in C/C++


WHY?? Programming in C/C++ has *NOTHING* to do with Multimedia development?
Multimedia is a form - it is a way of thinking about delivering a message -
not a platform or language specific thing!!!

Too many so-called Multimedia products are video clips strung together with
some fancy buttons and graphics - CLEARLY THERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE EXPLORED!
Knowing programming is good, but it misses the point for Multimedia.  Authoring
tools should do the hard-core work - not C/C++


S. Raj Chaudhury			|
Dept. of Physics    			|  raj@phys.ksu.edu
Kansas State University			|
Manhattan, KS 66506			|
--
S. Raj Chaudhury			|
Dept. of Physics    			|  raj@phys.ksu.edu
Kansas State University			|
Manhattan, KS 66506			|

In article <1aige2INNo1l@moe.ksu.ksu.edu>, raj@phys.ksu.edu (S. Raj Chaudhury) writes:
> In <venable.161@faculty.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu> venable@faculty.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Wallace Venable) writes:
> 
> >In article <MemYVmm00UzxI6Lkkp@andrew.cmu.edu> rj25+@andrew.cmu.edu (Robert W. Jordan) writes:
> 
> >>   I am a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University and I need some help. 
> >>called, "Computer-based Multimedia Development."
> 
> >	Where is
> >		Programming in C/C++
> 
> WHY?? Programming in C/C++ has *NOTHING* to do with Multimedia development?
> Multimedia is a form - it is a way of thinking about delivering a message -
> not a platform or language specific thing!!!
> 
> Too many so-called Multimedia products are video clips strung together with
> some fancy buttons and graphics - CLEARLY THERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE EXPLORED!
> Knowing programming is good, but it misses the point for Multimedia.
> Authoring tools should do the hard-core work - not C/C++

	Clearly, you haven't done anything in multimedia.  You're right that
there is much more to be explored.  If you can't program, where does that
leave you when the off-the-shelf authoring tools don't do or provide what you
want?  Sometimes the authoring tools *do* provide what you want, but the
implementation imposes restrictions or is too unwieldy or slow, so it becomes
unacceptable.  Multimedia is a new and emerging field - *no* authoring system
will give you everything you may want.  And the actual reality is that an
authoring system and custom software are just part of the *methodology* of
creating and delivering a multimedia application.

-- 
________________________________________________________________________________
	R. Kevin Laux				Email: rkl1@hound.att.com
	AT&T Bell Labs				Voice: (908) 949-1160
	Holmdel, NJ 07733			Fax:   (908) 949-0959

In <1992Oct5.130627.15693@cbnewsh.cb.att.com> rkl@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (kevin.laux) writes:

>In article <1aige2INNo1l@moe.ksu.ksu.edu>, raj@phys.ksu.edu (S. Raj Chaudhury) writes:
>> >	Where is
>> >		Programming in C/C++
>> 
>> WHY?? Programming in C/C++ has *NOTHING* to do with Multimedia development?
>> Multimedia is a form - it is a way of thinking about delivering a message -
(stuff deleted)

>	Clearly, you haven't done anything in multimedia.  You're right that
>there is much more to be explored.  If you can't program, where does that
(more stuff deleted)

Right you are. I actually *have* done stuff in multimedia where we have needed
to hire programmers to do hardcore C programming to accomplish the things we
desired our video-control to do.  Authoring systems are still very limiting 
for  many software needs - I just got riled by the C/C++ remark because I have
been trying to direct a student who wishes to pursue a MM major and really don't
think C/C++ is *necessary* - though clearly programming at some level is...


S. Raj Chaudhury			|
Dept. of Physics    			|  raj@phys.ksu.edu
Kansas State University			|
Manhattan, KS 66506			|
--
S. Raj Chaudhury			|
Dept. of Physics    			|  raj@phys.ksu.edu
Kansas State University			|
Manhattan, KS 66506			|

In response to the C/C++ messages:
I think you should add at least basic computer science courses to the
curriculum. Though a course on C/C++ is certainly asking too much, you
should however include 'Basic Programming' (or whatever it is called at
your college). You _will_ use scripting languages and they are nothing else
than retarded programming languages (Even if the manufacturers say their
scripting language is easy and every five year old can use it). Programming
skills and a little algorithmic thinking will certainly help you.

Generally:

Physics, electronics, and computer architecture really set the limits of
Multimedia today. You should try to get some knowledge in these fields.

My recommendations:

Computer Science I/II
Basic Programming (if not included above)

Maybe there is a CS course on Basic Computer Architecture (What is a bus,
what is a hard disk, what is RAM, how do they work together).

A course on audio and video basics (how does a TV work, what is HDTV) from
the EE department would be useful too.

*********************************************************************
*  Dr. Konrad Froitzheim                                            *
*  University of Ulm, (Germany) Dept. of Distributed Systems        *
*  Internet: frz@informatik.uni-ulm.de                              *
*  Fax: ++ 49 731 502 4142                                          *
*********************************************************************

In response to all the C/C++/programming in general/MM presentation
design vs. MM system design/ etc., etc., I think that the problem here
is not a matter of what courses/type of program would be good for a
"Computer-based Multimedia Development" degree, but rather what exactly
IS such a degree supposed to entail.  IMHO, there are several angles
from which this degree could be viewed, ALL of which equally valid and
somewhat independent of one another.  The way I see it, these varying
approaches could each be like a "concentration" in the general field of
MultiMedia Technology; just like an Information Systems major (like me)
can concentrate in Computer Science (like me) vs. Public Policy vs.
Artificial Intelligece/Expert Systems.  Again, IMHO, the "Multimedia
Major" could develop a concentration in:
                        1) Multimedia Technology / Computer Science
                        2) MM Applications Development 
                        3) MM Design
                or      4) MM Education

Since there is no established "Multimedia Major" here at Carnegie Mellon
(I'm also a student here - Sophomore Information Systems/Jazz Vocal
Performance), once more IMHO, the thing to decide is which of these
areas you would want to specialize in, and then come up with the set of
courses that are tailored to that concentration. (ie. hardware and comp.
engineering courses for option 1, software design/programming for #2,
graphic design/music composition for #3, and education courses for #4,
in addition to a course base for all 4 of music theory, computer
graphics, recording technology, electronic music, etc.  

All in all, Multimedia is such a broad and expansive field... no one
person can be expected to be a hardware designer, programmer,
presentation specialist, and educator all in one.  Once the choice is
made as to where you want to go, the courses involved, I think, would
become a little less subject to debate...

Have a good one and keep making music...

                                                -Jeff Kunins


Normality is the flagship of the uncreative...

S mile
M ore
I n
L aughing
E nchantment

Jeff C. Kunins
(412) CMU - GALS
(412) 268 - 4257