Planning in D202 - Multimedia

The chances are you've finished D201, so you know what is expected for this unit. However, there are some special things to think about when tackling it.

These include:

• Collecting and producing components - Make a list of what you need to produce and come up with different ideas for how you could produce them. For example, if you need to produce an interactive quiz, this could be done using Flash, PowerPoint, Visual Basic, FrontPage, JavaScript, Captivate. Captivate produces really good interactive quizzes quickly and easily, PowerPoint is simple, but the quizzes are not as sophisticated.
• The hardware and software available - It's sensible to make a list of the facilities you have and then weigh up the pros and cons of each.
• File formats - These are really important in this project, as it can be quite difficult switching between different formats of video and sound. Look carefully at the file types allowed, and make sure the equipment you use is capable of producing the correct ones.
• Editing completed multimedia products - You really need to iron out all problems as you develop the product. Make sure you plan in plenty of time to review your work as you go along.
• Download time - Plan in time for testing download speeds. This could be tricky, as you will need to save work on to a machine on the internet, rather than on the network you're working on.