The principals of Interactive Authoring:

There are different tools used for interactive authoring all with different levels on how complicated each software is, there are also two different levels of one which is high level and these are the authoring tools and the other which is low level which is for programming, the difference between these two levels is that the higher the level software the less complicated it is to understand and the high level authoring tools work more with the software, whereas the low level tools are closet to the hardware for things like manipulating with the memory of the pc which is one thing that the low level tools can do which the high level tools can’t do.

Two good software’s to compare that are a high level and a low level would be PowerPoint and Glbasic, these two software’s are both extremely different where PowerPoint is a high level software which is easy to use, Glbasic is a low level software which is close to programming, the difference between these two software’s is that PowerPoint is easy to use and everything is laid out on the software so you can just click and drag, Glbasic however is close to programming where you can do it all from scratch writing out the code instead of clicking and dragging the elements

High level software:

High level software is the type of software which isn’t close to the machine, what is meant by this is the high level software will barely affect the machine for example the memory, a type of high level software could be adobe flash this also uses drag and drop in the software, these high level software’s are also very simple and easy to use with the drag and drop you don’t need to change anything using code, although these are high level software’s they are probably made using low level software’s which are closer to the machine, since these kinds of software’s are generally easy to use they can be used by anyone and not just programmers, high level software means that people like developers are able to look more at the functionality of something instead of the hardware and actually making something work.

Low level software:

This type of software is close to the machine and more difficult to use an example of a low level software could be C these kinds of software’s are mainly used by programmers or software engineers, this kind of software also makes the programmer or whoever is using the software get the most from a computer and helps get to the lower level hardware of a machine, low level software can also be used to make high level software and a good example of this being used is a programmer in a game company could make a game engine for the game designer to use so the programmer uses a low level software to make a high level software for someone else to use to help make a game.

Here are some examples of high level/low level software:

PowerPoint:

PowerPoint is a high level software that uses slides and drag and drop to add elements to it, this software is easy to use as you can just click on something to add it in whereas in lower level software’s you would usually have to do some programming to be able to have that, this software also has things like transition effects in and this in PowerPoint is easy to do as this type of software is mainly drag and drop.

Prezzi:

Prezzi is a lot like PowerPoint however this is done on a website however this is still a high level software it is easy and simple to use but uses more transitions and effects than PowerPoint, although this is still drag and drop and can be used by anyone so there is no real difficulty in learning this software.

Glbasic:

Glbasic is close to programming but is still an authoring tool, the reason it’s close to programming is because the user has to use a language to program to make something, this type of software is a low level software because you are able to get close to the machine e.g. being able to change the amount of memory used this is good if you can use the software but can be bad if done wrong, so not everyone is able to use this kind of software as you will need to be able to do some sort of programming to fully understand this software and because this isn’t drag and drop you have to write the program from scratch.

Flash:

Flash could is more of a high level software however it doesn’t just use drag and drop it does have some programming in it for example as2 and as3 (action script 2 and action script 3) this kind of software then is both easy and slightly difficult to use depending on what you are using it for, if you use it for things like animations then it is easy and simple to use, however if you use it for programming a game then it becomes more difficult to use as not everyone knows how to use as2 and 3 so depending on what is being done on flash depends on what kind of person can use it.

here is an example of flash using drag and drop tools such as the rectangle tool:



there are also more tools in flash that use drag and drop elements as well which help make this a high level software and makes this software easier to use and also to learn.














However the parts that can make flash also a lower level software is the programming, flash uses actionscript as it's programming language, you are able to use actionscript 2 or 3, here is an example of what some programming can look like:

With high level and low level software you can do some of the same things, such as making an animation, so in flash it could be easy to do using parts in flash like the frames and drawing/editing the animation:

so using flash making a simple animation could take only minutes, however if you were using something like Glbasic this could take longer, as it is a lower level software without the frame or timeline feature that flash has and it would have to be made by scratch and also making it so it animates which would take a lot longer than simply making it in flash.

many people could decide to use a higher level software rather than a lower level software because the higher level softwares are easier to use so instead of using C someone could use GLbasic because it is slightly easier to use with the elements it has and also how GL basics language was easier to understand compared to using C.

another reason to use a higher level software could be depending on the job you have to do, such as if it is a designing a website then the better software to use would've been Flash rather than Gl basic, basically people could use a higher level software depending on what they need to do and also on how much time they have, if someone has a lot of time to do one project then they might use a lower level software to be able to do more rather than using a higher level software which could have less in.







Authoring:

There are different types of authoring tools and these can be used for different multimedia products, types of authoring tools can go into different parts, a type of this could be:

• Slide
• Frame
• Scripting language

A software which uses slides is PowerPoint this is a high level drag and drop software, a high level software which uses frames is Adobe Flash, this software uses drag and drop as well as a scripting language however a more common software for scripting language is Glbasic, but this is a low level software so this is different from the other two.

The benefits of these authoring tools are that they are easier to use by just dragging and dropping using little to no code at all so it is easy both to use and to learn however the limitations of these authoring tools such as PowerPoint means that you can’t do as much as you want to do or can think of doing whereas using lower level software means that you are able to do more and make more, however with this being able to do more though it is more difficult to learn as you need to program to make what you want instead of using drag and drop elements.

There are different kinds of interactive elements, such as timelines and slides, timelines are used in flash as well as frames the frames are just like slides except these are used more for animations or if programming in flash then can be used for different pages or buttons this is different to programming tools such as C as you don’t have different slides or timelines instead you have to program in new pages or different screens but it is more difficult to do as you have to write the program from scratch whereas with the higher level software in a few clicks you can do exactly the same in half the time the benefits of this in a higher level authoring tool is that you are able to do certain things with in the software a lot quicker.

The benefits of authoring tools is that they are easy to use, everything is there and ready for you to use so you have to program nothing and just use drag and drop to add elements and this Is simple and easy to do, another part that benefits the authoring tools is the fact they are easy to use and learn so you can learn and use them easily without any difficulty.

A limitation of the authoring tools is the fact you can’t change certain parts closer to the machine for example in Glbasic you are able manipulate the memory whereas in a higher level authoring tool such as flash you are unable to do this, and also with the authoring tools there are some limitations on what else you can and cannot do whereas if you use a programming software you are able to do certain things that can’t be done in higher level software’s.

[essay] How designers use digital video technology to enhance a user’s interactive experience on different delivery platforms:

Designers can use loads of different types of video technology to enhance a users interactive experience in many different ways today however before the internet this would’ve been extremely difficult to do as it would’ve had to take a lot more time to even show a piece of video, whereas now with the invention of the world wide web anyone can share their media in multiple different ways and not just from the web but also from multiple platforms including probably the most popular smart devices such as the Iphone and Android devices, and since the evolution of media has begun now people are able to buy software’s and hardware such as HD cameras and editing software for their own media.

With the evolution of this kind of media and more people being able to access media easily big companies and businesses are able to use this so people are able to learn about their business from anywhere, whereas before certain media inventions/improvements it would have been near impossible to learn about a company or business in a different country, and using types of digital video technology such as videos and adverts means that designers are able to show more and more people what they do.

Probably the most popular media/video sharing site on the web is the invention of YouTube, YouTube first came onto the web in 2005 and in the 8 years that it has been online people can upload their own videos for people all over the world to see, YouTube made it possible for people to share their media worldwide,  even big companies now use YouTube to advertise their business, even normal people can become celebrities because of their video on YouTube a good example of this is “Gangnam style” this music video went viral extremely quickly so PSY has been able to become a celebrity just because of one video and is now known worldwide with over  1 billion views.

And even because of people becoming famous just from one video online or even being a viral celebrity means that they are known worldwide and some have even been used in advertisements for big companies/designers and even video games, an example of a video advert is one for call of duty black ops 2, and in this video they used some “YouTube celebrities” such as fps Russia to advertise their new game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wIZp_E2CxQ

Designers who post their content to YouTube are even able to have making videos for people to watch as their full time job, the way this is possible is also because of advertisements, companies are able to advertise their business by the side of a video even before a video can be shown, so that could also be a way that big designers can use types of media to show off their company/design.

YouTube can also be accessed on several platforms and since the invention of smart devices and smart phones this has made it easier for media to be shared and not only shown but also filmed from these devices but anything with a camera that can film with can be used to record media and with inventions such as YouTube it has made it possible to share the media people have filmed.

With media sharing sites such as YouTube makes it possible for anyone with a camera or recording software to become a designer to share their digital content, now anyone on YouTube can have their own custom channel to put their projects and media on for people to see all around the world and it also makes it possible for them to become big designers of digital content, now this is alot different since before the internet the way for someone to share there media was to go through big movie companies to even have a chance on sharing their media, also before the internet designers wouldn’t be able to share their media over the world but it would of been shown in cinemas/theatres, even the costs for the equipment would’ve been extremely high, but now with inventions such as HD cameras it is extremely easy to record media, and now you don’t need to go to big companies to get a film or some kind of media approved, you can just upload it quickly and easily to the media sharing sites.

With the internet and media sharing sites there is now a way to even Live stream to the internet and people are able to watch media live when it is being streamed from anywhere in the world this has recently only become possible, when the internet was first invented there were no videos on the internet and the speeds made it difficult if not impossible to stream media to the internet and only now with technological improvements now using wifi to connect to the internet and with faster internet speeds it is easier than ever to stream/upload and watch media over the internet.

There are many different types of digital content which media can be viewed from here are a few examples:

·         DVD’s

·         Adverts

·         E-mail attachments

·         Smart devices

·         Media sharing sites (YouTube)

·         Social networking sites (Facebook)

With media people have filmed it is now even easier to even edit the media so not only can people record but they are also able to make edits to make films, series and even interactive games, software’s such as Adobe after effects and Adobe premiere just as a few examples but with big companies making software’s for people being able to edit their footage, and then after they have finished editing there are choices for multiple exports such as .avi .flv.  .mpeg  .mpeg4 etc. But with all of these different formats there are formats that will export to most devices and with this it makes it more convenient for people to watch and share.

The digital age of new designs such as tablets smart devices has made it possible for people to become designers easily, before these inventions then the only possible way to do this was via expensive equipment and using types of media such as VHS and a DVD’s  for media so this was expensive and a difficult process to go through, and now it’s simple and easy to share media as with inventions such as YouTube anyone can just film and upload quickly at a very low or even no price to pay at all.

Although YouTube is probably the biggest video sharing site there are multiple websites which anyone can share media to such as social networking sites like Facebook means you can share videos to your friends and family there is also just video embedding on any website so you can also put video footage and players on your own website, with these different websites and now with different devices such as tablets being able to access the internet means that most websites now have a mobile version so people are able to watch media or look at it on the go so this is also something that makes it more convenient for people to watch media and now this also makes it easier to watch media.

With big companies like Apple and android bringing out new tablets and smart devices it is also making it easier for people to watch and record media products for people not only locally to see but also worldwide,  also in this day and age smart phones smart devices and tablets are the most popular technology around and also the most common for media to be viewed and shared from, however people being able to record media from these devices can be good and bad:

Good:

The reason this could be good is for the news and how recording and sharing media will help spread news but this could also be used for where places could have been hit by things like earthquakes so the media could help spread the news of what’s happening and even get people to come and help, and especially with media sharing sites this also helps with millions of people using these sites daily.

Bad:

The reason this could be bad is because of privacy and with more ways for people being able to record and share media easily then it becomes more difficult for things to stay private with media becoming public now the site wikileaks shown video footage of the war and a gunner from a helicopter shooting on civilians, and now with websites like wikileaks its harder to believe the news and even keep news from the general public when its easy to access on the internet whereas before the internet there was really no other way on seeing what happened in places like warzones than on the news and you had to believe what they said on the news as there was no other way of finding out, this is called the “hypodermic needle theory” this theory is basically you believed what you were told when it was from the media before the internet was invented but now anyone can record the media and upload it for the world to see.

Overall it would seem that now it is extremely easy for designers to use video technology to enhance the users interactive experience in many ways, and if technology keeps advancing like it is then it will only become easier, with more software/hardware and equipment becoming available and invented  even with the invention of 3d and blu ray showing how much video technology is progressing and this is only going to become more available for the public to buy and experience, and with that more and more people are able to become designers, especially with the digital age growing and more people using interactive media to help enhance the users interactive experience and this will only become easier to do and also cheaper.

Reflective analysis for the interactive youtube game:

So for this assignment we were working in groups to make an interactive game for YouTube and the game had to be related to an EA game so in our group we chose mirrors edge, the reason we chose this was because it was an easy game to base it on as we wouldn’t need any props so we already saved on money, we were going to think about doing battlefield 3 but obviously if we were using fake guns then we could’ve gotten in trouble with the police because of it.

As the producer I found it quite a difficult role to have since I have never been a producer before so figuring out how to manage the group and the groups work at first was difficult to do as I was still thinking on how to do certain things as the producer, I found being the producer was boring at times as most of it was just all arranging work from the group, updating certain parts and making sure we did all the work on time, but as the assignment went on I started finding it easier to do with time management of the group.

I enjoyed doing this assignment as it was something different to what we have been doing recently however as the time went on I started to find some things that would annoy me about this assignment, really the main issue I started to have was the fact I had to rely on people to get work done, and to meet up to do the filming this was pretty difficult to do as we were working in groups we hadn’t worked in before so I didn’t really know what to expect, however this assignment has made me realise that I prefer doing solo work as I know what to do, if it’s finished, how much I have to do etc. Whereas in a group you need to make sure everyone’s done all of the work.

I think that the hardest part about this assignment was all the paperwork, as I was put as the producer I had to make sure all the paperwork was finished and up to date and all of it was all together, and the easiest part about this assignment was probably the filming, since I wasn’t the camera crew I was just offering advice on shots and camera angles,I would say the filming went well because we didn’t have any difficulties filming nothing went wrong so that made it easier to do, Im glad we had storyboards made up though as they helped alot as we had shots planned which Dan Vann had thought of, this made the filming easy so we weren’t stuck thinking of what to film, one part about the filming was getting the equipment, we had to fill out a risk assessment online before we could book it out, I asked for help on the risk assessment as this is the first one I have done myself, but learning how to do it has helped although it was quite difficult to do after some help it was easy to understand so that should help with future assignments with booking equipment out, another part of the filming which was the most difficult part to do was coming up with the decisions, it was more of the decision to go one way or another, and the difficult part of that was deciding how that actually affected the game itself, I feel maybe we should’ve had some more decisions in the interactive game but they were difficult to come up with so we couldnt think of that many, maybe we couldve had more decisions if we looked more into research of other interactive games so that would be one thing I would do differently is to do some more research of other interactive games and ones that related to our game aswell.

Although getting the group together and getting everything done was quite difficult in the end it all turned out pretty good as we all knew what we were doing so we were all able to get on with our roles in the assignment which made this easy to bring together at the end of the assignment.  

In this assignment the essay that we had to do was easy to do as it was very similair to my first essay which was to do with how interactive media has changed the world and this essay was very similair to that on what I had to write about and I was able to relate some parts from that essay to this one.

With the editing of the film I wasn’t really involved in I was able to offer some advice and give my opinion on certain parts, but overall I would say the edit went well with choices made for it, how it looks and the decision screens, the reason I wasn’t really involved in the editing was because Ryan Mitchell and Josh Spencer were working on the edits, we used Adobe Premiere CS6 to edit our footage, I don’t really know how to use that software all that much Im still in the process of learning it so that could be another reason why I wasn’t all that involved in the editing process.

Overall I would say this assignment has gone well with some difficult parts along the way but we were able to overcome any issues such as working together getting all the work together and making sure that all the work gets done, and I was also able to learn a few things such as learning how to do the risk assessments and also during the assignment I was able to start learning about Adobe Premiere CS6, I enjoyed certain aspects of this assignment like the filming going out and deciding on where and how to film, my favourite part of the assignment was doing the filming and working with people on the filming and my least favourite part of this assignment was working with a group whereas the first time working on an assignment with other people I found it good this time working with a group and getting everything done makes me think that I enjoy the solo projects more mainly because of the time management.