What is Multimedia?

Do a Google search for the term multimedia and you will get thousands of results that don't give a clear definition. What is multimedia anyway? Is it a Flash gallery on a website, SoundSlides? Animation, sound, and text in a combined slide show? Video on the internet? A gallery of photographs that are navigable? Is it all of these?

Multimedia is many things. It is multifaceted, multifunctional, multicultural, multifarious, multinational, multidimensional, multidisciplinary, multilingual, multipurpose, multiplayer.

As a photojournalist today potential employers want candidates to possess skills in producing audio visual slideshows, short video clips in Final Cut Pro, and flash presentations. The National Press Photographers Association offers a Multimedia Immersion Workshop May 18-22 in Syracuse, NY.

Like learning a new language photographers learning Multimedia must be immersed into it. In today's competitive job market it is sink or swim. For students like me it's great to have a resource like the website www.MultimediaStandards.org