27 June 2006: Link to Alan Becker's Flash victim (or here)
13 June 2006: Link to Sending an HTML formatted e-mail
Using Video online
You have an increasing range of options for adding video to your web site:
1. Link to the file, it will open in the user's default media viewer, most likely Windows Media Player, QuickTime or RealPlayer.
2. Embed the video file as a QuickTime.mov, Windows Media Player.wmv or .avi using the Dreamweaver's generic media content option (the icon resembles a jigsaw piece 
)
< this is the MX palette
Dreamweaver 8 has changed the User Interface (UI) by grouping the icons into drop-down menus, making it much harder to find the right symbol for new users.
The Plugin may be hiding behind whichever media symbol was last inserted (see the options on the right) >>
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Once embedded you need to resize the jigsaw piece icon to the size of your movie file. If you make it smaller you will just see that area of the movie, if you make it larger there will be a white border around the movie in the browser. To see the controller add 17 pixels to the height for good results on the Mac, Windows has changed and now looks better with about 25 - test!
Quicktime sound and movie files can be controlled using the parameters button on the properties panel. Click here for some of the options
Video files are big despite ongoing improvements to the many different competing compression/decompression 'codecs' such as DivX and H264.
To reduce the frustrations of dealing with so many formats you might want to use Flash Pro to deliver video that is played and controlled in the common and often seamless Flash player - which Windows has started to 'helpfully' block! Mp3 is also
fully supported by the Flash .swf animation format which also offers the
most reliable way to create audio and visual interactivity for a website.
If you want a multimedia website Flash is the way to go. All the Flash
features are supported within a single downloadable plug-in which has
a huge installed base already. You can also use a small Flash movie just
to transmit sound. This can be useful to slip through college firewalls,
to prevent easy copying and to make use of the Flash plug-in rather than
taking pot-luck with the user's default media player which might be Windows
Media Player, Real or Quicktime.
Hosting Your Video
You may wish to save your own hosting space and bandwidth and make use of the services becoming available online:
http://video.google.com and www.googleidol.com
and don't forget myspace videos at myspace.com - find Jed at jednetuk
photobucket.com now accepts video up to 3 minutes in length
putfile.com takes files up to 25MB and allows a free homepage and a rating system.
atomfilms.com hosts work but you will be in company of the quality of Angry Kid by Darren Walsh of Aardman and Ninjai the Little Ninja.
Flash work can be hosted at albinoblacksheep.com or imageshack.us
Keep in mind the Intellectual Property ('IP') rights and copyrights involved if you have reused any video or music - the American Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) laws are draconian - a work that even bears a "substantial similarity" to an original copyrighted work can be punishable by a year in prison and up to $50,000 in fines, even if it's never shown commercially).
Viral marketing
If the work is interesting enough you may have success in having people e-mail it to one another in the manner of viral marketing. In this case it is vital to keep the filesize small and to have used a common compression algorithm (codec) such as Sorenson Video 3 rather than using one so brand new that people cannot see your movie. They will not forward on to others something they have not seen themselves.
Selling your project on DVD
You may find yourself unable to play a downloaded file. One Windows solution may be gspot and have a look at 3ivx.
Link to complete information for Units 28, 29 & 30
Unit 28: Multimedia Media, Techniques and Technology
Description of unit
This unit will enable learners to develop their specialist understanding of multimedia and the potential of the media for effective communication. Learners’ skills will be developed as they explore the techniques and technology of multimedia in design, production and application of multimedia products.
Summary of learning outcomes
To achieve this unit a learner must:
1 Effectively investigate multimedia materials and processes
2 Use multimedia materials and processes safely and skilfully
3 Demonstrate a clear understanding of the characteristics and properties of multimedia materials
4 Clearly evaluate their use of multimedia materials and processes.
3 Evaluate
Learners need to be able to evaluate their own use of materials and processes effectively.
This evaluation may take the form of written piece in a work journal or through sketchbook entries. It may also take the form of a series of visual entries that clearly illustrate how the learner has moved through a series of materials or processes.
Resources
The following types of traditional design and media equipment would be appropriate to this level:
• video camera
• stills camera
• tape recorder
• basic graphic studio resources.
The following digital equipment would be a minimum requirement:
• multimedia computers with internet access
• input or capture devices used for sound and images
• software used for editing images, text and sound
• appropriate multimedia development tools.
link to suggested reading and Web sites for these units
Unit 29: Multimedia Authoring Brief
Summary of learning outcomes
To achieve this unit a learner must:
1 Thoroughly investigate and record requirements for multimedia production
2 Plan and produce a range of effective paper-based concept designs
3 Design and assemble a successful multimedia prototype
4 Critically evaluate multimedia outcomes during design development.
Content
1 Requirements
Learners need to learn how to investigate and record the requirements for a multimedia production. In doing so, learners will need to investigate and discuss multimedia examples in the context of screen design, content and interactivity. In doing this learners will need to learn about the constraints of a system (eg delivery platform) and about input and output devices (eg mouse, touch screen, video camera and keyboard).
3 Multimedia prototype
Learners will need to learn how to design and assemble a multimedia prototype. In doing so, they will need to learn how to use simple scripting devices to produce interactive sequences (eg using buttons, simple scripts, variables, properties, behaviours, palettes, transitions, text fields).
Learners will also need to learn how to use moving images, sound, colour, graphics and text when producing effective multimedia communication. This may include:
• film loops, tools, movement paths, acceleration and deceleration
• communication styles (eg menus, windows, navigation systems, direct manipulation, form-filling, question and answer dialogues, tracking)
• sampled sound, speech feedback, generated sound, environmental sound, music, audio feedback sounds made in response to an everyday object or interaction with an element on screen (eg camera click, light switch clicking on and off, turning a page over, to reinforce an action).
4 Evaluate
Learners will need to learn how to check, evaluate and modify multimedia outcomes for usability, accuracy and content. Issues will vary according to the objectives of the work but may include:
• interface design standards and guidelines, copyright laws, cultural and contextual sensitivity (political, gender, ethnic, religious, particular needs)
• user groups, computer users and non-computer users
• cross-platform compatibility, size, economy, quality and compression techniques
With the ever-increasing demand for multimedia on the web, in education, and in the leisure industry, learners should be aware that not everyone uses the same delivery hardware. Development for the web brings a host of complicated issues for the multimedia developer. Learners should, at this stage in their learning, be alerted to these difficulties.
Multimedia outcomes should show effective use of basic audio feedback, music and/or speech, visual feedback, animation and/or video, overall aesthetic appeal, innovation and creative thought. Consideration must be given to the cultural and contextual sensitivity of the content. Intellectual property rights are at the heart of any professional multimedia production. This unit will enable learners to investigate and understand how these rights are created, protected, acquired and exploited. Evidence may be presented in the research file as part of outcome 1.
link to suggested reading and Web sites for these units
Dreamweaver links
Unit 30: Website Design
Grading criteria
To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:
• use a web browser confidently and effectively
• examine and critically analyse website design issues
• produce meaningful web pages
• investigate a range of relevant advanced web technologies.
To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:
• research and effectively organise a broad range of information to draw coherent conclusions about website design issues and advanced web technologies
• show an individual and creative approach to the design of web pages.
To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:
• show independence in developing theoretical understanding of website design issues and advanced web technologies and creating and presenting functionally and aesthetically assured web page designs.
Learners should provide evidence of completion of a set of practical tasks. "These tasks should include the evaluation of a number of websites in terms of design and usability and the production of a website."
