This page contains the preface to Theoretical Foundations of Multimedia by Robert S. Tannenbaum. It is included on the Web site for the benefit of those faculty members who may be considering the text for the first time. Together with the table of contents, this page gives a brief overview of the book. For a complete review of the text, please contact the publisher to request an examination copy.

Preface

This book is intended for people who have entered the exciting world of developing multimedia presentations or expect to do so in the future. It provides a theoretical foundation for the human communication and computer science principles that underlie successful multimedia, rather than references to or how-to-do-it instructions for particular hardware or software products. It is assumed that the reader is either familiar with the particular products needed for her or his multimedia development or can find the details elsewhere. The emphasis here is on theoretical concepts that will help the developer better understand what works and why and what is effective, interactive multimedia.

The approach is multidisciplinary. Fundamental principles, concepts, and theories from communication science, computer science, physics, psychology, sociology, physiology, music, graphic arts and design, law and other disciplines are interwoven to provide a foundation for a multimedia developer to use in designing a new production or strengthening an existing one. Readers with a general background who want to understand the theoretical aspects of both human communication and computer science as well as the other relevant disciplines as they affect multimedia will find this book of value. Although some readers may be familiar with portions of the theoretical material, most will not have experience with all of it and will benefit from the extensive cross-referencing and interweaving of the subjects.

An undergraduate majoring in communication sciences, for example, may have already studied some of the theories discussed in chapter 5, but can consider them afresh from the perspective that multimedia is a form of human communication. This reader may find most of the natural and computer science materials in chapters 2, 3, 4, and 6 new and challenging and learn how these sciences underlie multimedia. This reader may have an introductory acquaintance with some of the design principles and legal considerations in chapters 7, 8, and 9, but will benefit from the detail provided and the direct application of these materials to multimedia.

An undergraduate majoring in computer science may be somewhat more acquainted with the technical material in chapters 3, 4, and 6. This reader may read these chapters primarily as a review but may still find some details -- for example, information regarding resolution and refresh rates for monitors -- new or applied practically to multimedia. On the other hand, the information in chapters 2, 5, 7, 8, and 9 is probably mostly new and will require very careful study. A computer science student will gain insights into the multimedia implications of the physics, psychology, and human communication coverage in chapters 2 and 5 and benefit from the practical aspects of the design and legal information in chapters 7, 8, and 9. The text was written with this cross-fertilization in mind.

A person already employed in a multimedia development role will find the material in chapters 2 through 6 new and rewarding for the theoretical foundations and the explanations offered for why certain approaches have been found to be either effective or ineffective. The practical design and legal materials in chapters 7, 8, and 9 should also prove helpful, even if the reader has already encountered some of these principles; confirmation of existing practice or suggestions for improvements will be of value.

A reader sufficiently knowledgeable in one of the disciplines, for example, the theories of human communication (chapter 5), may skim the material related to that discipline and gather helpful information from other sections of the text. However, considering the theoretical material from the perspective of multimedia development should be new and helpful. Therefore, it is recommended that the reader skim the familiar chapters as well as read the other chapters in detail. The objective of the book is to show how each of the various disciplines contributes to the theoretical foundations of multimedia.

Goals and Organization

There are two primary strands weaving throughout this book: human communication and technology, that is, how best to communicate to others -- the goal of multimedia -- and the computer-mediated technology that can enhance that communication. Other aspects of multimedia, including social and cultural considerations such as intellectual property rights and economic matters, as well as management issues related to the development and production process, are also examined.

Because multimedia presentations are built on the extensive research and developments in both communication theory and computer science, combining these two disciplines in one text provides a unified theoretical foundation for a multimedia developer. The combination also indicates and clarifies some of the interesting overlaps between these two broad disciplines. For example, the work of Claude Shannon, which is cited at various points throughout the book, has had a deep impact on both the theories of human communication and the technology of electronic transmission (communication) of data.

In the earlier chapters, the history of human communication that employs more than one medium and the many uses to which multimedia productions are now put are explored. The book then turns to the media that are employed in those productions and the hardware and software needed for their development and presentation. Next, the relevant communication and computer science theories that underlie effective multimedia presentations are discussed. These theories help explain the effectiveness of multimedia and thus enable a multimedia developer to improve his or her creations. Finally, the book addresses several important social and political aspects of multimedia that impinge on its creation and effectiveness, and it explores development and delivery techniques that may be of value.

Chapter 1 examines the history and uses of multimedia. It begins with a brief history of multimedia: a discussion of storytelling, theater, and dance to describe the development of the presentation of ideas in dramatic fashion; a discussion of the combination of music and drama as a way of enhancing communication; and a presentation of the development of the use of pictorial representations as a means of communicating both reality and symbolism, as well as for the creation of special effects.

The role of computers in creating and delivering multimedia is presented, followed by a description of current state-of-the-art multimedia computer systems. A brief survey of a number of different applications of multimedia provides a glimpse of the almost limitless range of subjects currently being presented in this manner. Applications in scientific data analysis, research and development, experimentation, and professional presentations; instruction in school and elsewhere; business; entertainment; enabling technology for persons with special needs (adaptive technology); and fine arts and humanities are described. Chapter 1 concludes with a brief view of foreseeable future multimedia systems.

Chapter 2 is concerned with the science and psychology of visual and auditory communication. The discussion includes the basic physics of light and sound and the psychological bases of perception -- how people see; the perception and implications of color; the perception and interpretation of motion; how people hear, interpret, and understand sounds. It describes the implications of these scientific findings for the development of multimedia productions.

Chapter 3 gives a brief overview of the basic hardware used in modern multimedia. The assumption is that the reader knows what a computer is. The emphasis in this chapter is on the various input and output devices commonly employed in multimedia, the extensions to those devices that are currently being developed for use in virtual reality systems, and the networking hardware principles needed to understand networked multimedia.

Chapter 4 concerns the software that is basic to the development and delivery of multimedia presentations. This chapter concentrates on networking software; authoring systems for text, sound, images, and motion, both video and animated; and presentation and delivery software for multimedia.

A primary contention of this book is that communication by means of multimedia is similar to most other forms of human communication. Therefore, multimedia communication is subject to the same rules, attitudes, and conventions as other human communication. Chapter 5 surveys the basic principles and theories of human communication that have been developed by communication scientists. Models of communication are reviewed. Interpersonal and mass communication are defined and compared, and the question of where multimedia falls on the interpersonal-mass continuum is considered. Interactivity, the key element in multimedia, has been studied by communication scientists; their findings are discussed briefly.

Computer scientists have studied an extremely broad range of subjects, many of which are related in some ways to multimedia. Chapter 6 includes discussions of several of the most fundamental aspects of computer science that underpin multimedia. First, some of the most basic definitions of computing derive from the theoretical mathematical work of Alan M. Turing, which is discussed briefly. Second, the representation and manipulation of data in binary form and some of the various data structures that have been found to be most efficient are described. Third, the common steps that are taken to ensure data integrity during transmission are presented. Finally, a discussion of programs and programming languages is followed by a summary of some basic aspects of artificial intelligence.

Chapter 7 includes material related directly to the production of multimedia presentations, with an extensive discussion of design theories and principles, especially those relating to such matters as error processing, dialog, synchronization, interactivity, and Web considerations.

Chapter 8 contains an introduction to system engineering principles that have been proposed over the last thirty years or so. Most of these principles are related to authoring very large software packages. Some of them are quite relevant to creating multimedia as well. Next, there is a discussion of the producer/director role in the creation of multimedia packages. Many of the same principles that have been developed for this role in television and video production apply equally to multimedia production. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of cost estimates and cost control matters.

Chapter 9 concerns legal and societal questions related to multimedia productions. The primary legal issues arise from intellectual property law. Copyright, fair use, permissions, compensation, and licensing are among the major areas that are discussed. The societal issues covered include the availability and accessibility of multimedia productions, ethical considerations in the content and use of multimedia, and the advisability and implications of industry standards.

Chapter 10 provides a brief summary of several emerging issues in multimedia that may prove significant to the field in the near future. In hardware, holographic memory, DVDs, and MMX chips are discussed. In software, programming tools and SGML query language are covered. Collaborative tools to facilitate audio-visual conferencing and computer-supported cooperative work are described briefly, as are high-speed networks and video on demand. Finally, some of the most recent trends in virtual reality for multimedia are mentioned.

Features

Each chapter includes a number of questions and problems intended to help the reader focus on the theories and principles just discussed. The problems are designed to be open-ended, requiring considerable thought and having no simple, single correct answer. Most of the problems lend themselves to collaborative learning, and readers may wish to work in groups to answer them. In this way, each reader can benefit from the ideas and insights of the others. Each chapter also includes suggestions for further study. These suggestions consist primarily of important and interesting materials that will help the reader to probe a subject in much more depth.

Many sources have been used as the basis for the material discussed in this book. Throughout the book, citations are provided. All of the citations and suggested readings are included in an extensive bibliography at the end of the book. As a service to the reader, a special citation format has been used within the body of the text. Whenever possible, if a reference is made to a passage in a paper that has been reprinted, the page numbers in the original as well as the reprinted version are included for the reader's convenience. For example, the citation "(Myers, 1993, pp. 142-43 or p. 339)" indicates that the material just quoted appears on pages 142-143 of Myers' original paper and on page 339 of the reprint of the paper (which happens to be in Baecker et al., 1995, as noted in the bibliography entry for Myers, 1993).

Also at the end of the book there is a brief glossary of important terms included in the text. An extended glossary with complete definitions and references is included on the CD-ROM.

The CD-ROM that accompanies this book contains a number of helpful resources. There are extended versions of the chapter summaries, an extended glossary of key terms used in the text, and appendices relating to the physiology of the brain, the eye, and the ear, operating systems, computer hardware, two proposed fair use guidelines, and three codes of ethics for computer professionals. In addition, there are examples of multimedia software for use by students in responding to the questions at the end of each chapter, or as samples to be studied and imitated.

For instructors who adopt this book as a text for a course, a Web site is available that contains many helpful materials. On the site, there are PowerPoint slides for lectures. The slides may be downloaded and used directly, or they may be modified to meet a particular instructor's needs. There are sample responses to many of the questions and problems at the end of the chapters, which can be used by the instructor or shared with students. If there is interest among instructors who adopt the book, a listserv related to its use will be created for posting interesting queries and discussion items. And as they become available, there will be discussions of and references to new developments relevant to various portions of the text.