USQ 5622 - multimedia portfolio pages of Graham Taylor

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Activity 3.11 - 'I can get you into the movies!'

If you do not have the QuickTime plugin installed it may be downloaded here. Aplologies for the cacaphony if all three movies play when the page initially loads. The probable reason is that your QuickTime and/or browser preferences are set to play automatically when the page loads. The individual sound files may be played using the controller.

3.11 Part A - Car Movie

Before Soundtrack - 32 k

With sound track - 160k

3.11 Part B - Haiku reading movie

As a 648k Mov file

What I have learned - Part A: It was very useful to learn how to place text and sound into QT clips. With more time and playing with the code the title could be centered vertically. Similarly, time prevents further tinkering with the sound track which needs to be reduced to specs by reducing the sampling and resolution of the 5 clips I used from a1freesoundeffects.com and Microsoft Office. The synchronisation is indicative and could be finessed with time. The relevant skills have been demonstrated and with substantial space savings on every other item (eg, 350 k on 3.11B alone) only the meanest of clients would penalise this!

What I have learned - Part B: I decided to assemble the haiku video in iMovie. The complete soundtrack, created in Garage Band (3.9), was first imported via iTunes and provided the timing for the graphics. These were imported via iPhoto and a title created. The graphics times were trimmed to suit the timing of the reading and simple transitions used. Volume levels on the soundtrack were tweaked and then saved, via QT voodoo and a spirit of compromise, to a 648k file, well under specs. Further space could have been saved by not using transitions/simplifying sound if necessary. Contrary to the course notes, I found it is much easier to start with the soundtrack and then fit the visuals to suit the narration. With more time this could be improved. It was the first time I had used still images in iMovie and this was interesting. Had I planned ahead more I would have made the original images, way back in 3.4, more of a QT viewer format.

What I have learned generally - Assignment 2: In addition to the specific points raised, I used Fireworks, ImageReady, Quicktime Pro, Melody Assistant, Audacity and Garage Band for the first time and added to my knowledge of iMovie and Photoshop. This has been demanding but ultimately useful. Learning programs I was quite unfamiliar with in developing this portfolio has reinforced my belief in the usefulness of help files and tutorials (including on-line tutorials) and I gleaned useful tips from the discussion forums.