Multimedia News Production Workshop 2006

Beginning Flash

1. Overview of the Flash 8 interface
2. BMPs inside, JPGs outside
3. Photo file size for the Web (see Tip Sheet/PDF)
4. Importing and optimizing BMP images
5. Moving (example: slide.swf)
   • Symbols
   • Keyframes
   • ActionScript: stop();
6. Zooming (transformation point; example: zoom.swf)
7. Fading (alpha and 99%; example: fades.swf)
8. Cross-fades (layer management; example: crossfades.swf)
9. Adding buttons and frame labels
   (example: zoom_no_mask_with_button.swf)
   • ActionScript: gotoAndPlay();
   • Loading an external JPG via a button (examples.swf; when you download th FLA, you must also get bikers.jpg to load)
10. Adding text (if we have time)
    • Select the Text Tool from the Tools panel
    • Change settings in the Propertes panel
    • Make sure Text Type says "Static Text"

Download the FLA files from here and open them in Flash to see how they are constructed!

Intermediate Flash

1. Beyond the simple slideshow: Example 1 | Example 2
2. Dividing and organizing content
   • Photos
   • Graphics, maps
   • Credits / About This
   • Resource links
3. Use of Scenes (scenes folder: scenes_with_buttons.swf)
4. Loading external SWFs into a container SWF
   • Empty movie clip(s)
   • Button scripts to load and unload SWFs (loading_SWFs folder: 3 separate SWF files -- loaded_1.swf, loaded_2.swf, loaded_3.swf -- are loaded on demand into a fourth SWF -- container.swf)
   • Scripts to disable buttons (for an overlay, e.g. credits) -- this example (overlay_and_disabled_buttons.swf) is the same as the previous one, but with an added button to open credits,swf
5. Use of external MP3 files
   • One MP3, not sync'd (mp3_loading folder -- mp3_buttons.swf)
   • Multiple MP3 files, each sync'd (mp3s_multiple folder -- multiple_mp3s.swf)
   • If we have time: One MP3, sync'd (using an array for time markers)

Download the FLA files from here and open them in Flash to see how they are constructed!

Handouts

Tip Sheet for how to handle photos in Flash (PDF, 173 KB)

Flash Basics -- follow-along for workshop (PDF, 4 pages, 178 KB)

Flash Intermediate -- follow-along for workshop (PDF, 4 pages, 59 KB)

Files -- SWFs, FLAs, BMPs, JPGs

Resources

Flash Journalism (the book): At Amazon.com

Flash Journalism: Web site for the book
An assortment of professional examples are linked on this page

Flash Journalism: Professional Practice Today
Online Journalism Review, Sept. 22, 2005
12 online journalists tell us why and how they use Flash.

Flash tutorials at GotoAndLearn.com (free)
This site has the best video tutorials for Flash 7 and 8.

SNDies (recent monthly winners)
Society of News Design annual interactive awards (direct links to 2005 annual winners are here)

Interactive Narratives
A database and group blog of great online work and news about our journalism tools (now featuring podcasts)

Copyright © 2006 Mindy McAdams | University of Florida