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Production Lab

The multimedia production laboratory (Library Resource Center Rooms 534C) is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (except university holidays).

The multimedia production facility utilizes state-of-the-art computer technology combined with a wide variety of peripheral devices to generate or capture media elements for incorporation into multimedia presentations and courseware. At the heart of the production facility are Power Macs and Pentium-based Windows computers. Multimedia development capabilities have been designed to support both platforms either directly or through translation and cross-platform development.

Media elements dealt with in the production facility include text, sound, graphics, photographs, video, and animation. These elements are created on the computer using a software application package or digitized from another format into the computer where they can be manipulated by a software application package.

Text is incorporated into multimedia through file translation or optical character recognition of scanned documents. Sound in multimedia is digitally recorded through input from CD players, cassette tape players, laser disk players, VCRs or directly from a microphone. Digital sound can be manipulated through editing and special effects software. Graphics components of multimedia can originate from paper copies of artwork that are scanned or be created with various computer graphics programs. Files from various computer graphics programs can be converted to a format compatible with presentation and courseware application software.

Photographs can originate from actual prints that are scanned or captured with a digital camera. The digital camera inputs photos directly into the computer where they are saved in the appropriate format. Images can be scanned in with a 35mm slide scanner. Digital photo manipulation can also be accomplished. Videotape can be digitized onto the computer's hard disk where editing, titling, and special effects are accomplished. The "finished product" of video can take the form of a QuickTime Movie that can be incorporated into a presentation or courseware application or a traditional videotape. Both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) animation can be created on the computer or captured from videotape.

Production capabilities also include live sound recording, CD-ROM recordings, still photography, and videotaping using professional quality equipment. These media elements allow the creation of materials specifically designed for courseware applications.

See also: Facilities & Resources