By Robert O'Brien
Web Publications Coordinator
Art Institutes International

A direct result of the Information Age is that our world is becoming smaller and smaller. As we head into the new millennium, global communications not only allow us to communicate instantly, but give us the chance to spread messages in more colorful images and sharper sounds than ever before imagined. Traditional forms of media and design -- video production, audio production, broadcasting and graphic design -- are being redefined and integrated with the computer, the tool of today's generation.

As bytes of sound, animation, video, graphics, and text bombard, your mission is to sort through these various forms of media and merge them into a coherent multiple-sensory form of meaningful communication. The result is an emerging new field called multimedia, a major vehicle that drives the Information Age, giving us storytellers for modern times.

How Do I Know This Is What I Want To Do?

• Is your hand permanently attached to a computer mouse?

• Do you enjoy programming?

• Do you like designing graphics or animation?

• Would you like to tell a story with video and sound?

• Do you like to write?

• If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you might be interested in working in the field of multimedia.

• After Studying Multimedia, Then What Can I Do?

People working in multimedia combine technical and creative skills to produce CD-ROMS, Web sites, and kiosks for business, medical, government, educational and entertainment purposes. Some specialize in one aspect of multimedia such as sound, video or animation. Others become multimedia specialists each of whom is a jack-of-all-trades, an English expression that means a person who can perform many types of work.

Some examples of entry-level jobs you could do in multimedia:

• You work as a graphic designer for an entertainment company that creates video games. Your job is to design the background screens for games such as basketball and baseball. Visuals of the stadiums and scoreboards, you've designed, make this multimedia sports experience realistic.

• As sound producer for children's educational CD-ROMS, you inspire learning. Music pieces you've captured and edited propel students through the program. Your sound bytes tell the young learners if they have the right answer or provide words of encouragement if they are wrong.

• As a multimedia specialist, you create and design all the interactive promotional materials for a small manufacturing company. You incorporate sound and visuals for your company's Web site and software.

What Do You Need To Learn?

In order to succeed in this exciting new field, you must be given a strong foundation in drawing and design, digital imaging manipulation, multimedia system design with audio and video production, and scriptwriting. After learning the basics, you can move on to interactive authoring, computers in animation, and video teleconferencing. In addition, taking classes in business, marketing and communication can not only add to your creativity, but give you good organizational skills, too.

The lessons shouldn't stop here. Classroom learning and projects should be supplemented with practical, hands-on experiences. Assignments that reflect real-world work situations are the best ways to learn what multimedia is all about. You need to take classes that will help you build a portfolio. A digital portfolio, you've created, is a good way to show prospective employers that you have the skills to work in multimedia.

Shopping For A School.

The United States has thousands of universities, colleges, and postsecondary institutions. Trying to decide which school is right for you can be difficult. So here are some questions to consider:

1. Does the college have today's technology, computers, and software? What is the student to computer ratio? (This is important because you need easy access to computers so that you can hone your skills.)

2. What is the student to teacher ratio? (Some American colleges have many students per class, making it difficult to receive individual attention.) Will there be opportunities to take English classes or receive tutoring to improve language skills? (For many students, studying in a second language provides the biggest difficulty so help with English is essential.)

3. Are business, marketing, communications, and design classes offered as part of the program? (These classes will make you a more rounded student and an attractive candidate to potential employers.)

4. Will you graduate with a portfolio of your work? (A CD-ROM displaying your multimedia projects will allow employers to judge your work first hand.)

5. Does the school have an employment assistance office that can help you locate jobs?

If you are interested in a career in the Information Age, one place to find out more about schools and scholarships in the United States is to search the Internet.