Summer 2008 week 7 evening—06/26

Hi everyone, You all should be happy with what you did this term so far. The work that I saw yesterday was quite good as a whole, and I see that you have all grasped the basic concepts that we will put into play for the rest of the term. As a matter of fact, regarding Flash as an animation too, you've learned pretty much all the technical skills it has to offer.    You've learned about the various types of animation: motion tweens, frame-by-frame, and shape tweens; you've learned about 2 of the 3 types of symbols, one which is largely graphic and static (does not contain animation), and the other that is animated and dynamic (may contain animation); you've learned about alpha and other effects that can be applied to symbols and colors; you've learned about how to use the tools in the toolbar (although think many of you need work here, especially with the pen tool and the gradient transform tool); and you have learned about different types of frames in the timeline, keyframes, blank keyframes, and in-between frames. There is more, but I think that that is a lot already. Congrats.    Now, we have to learn to use all those things together to form something more together than they are separately. The first little animation we've done now is a little like a kit of parts. Our next animation will be a much more seamless whole. It will have a real story, with 'camera shots' and 'camera angles'. Of course that is all fake and simulated. We are not dealing with a camera at all, just a computer; but the Flash stage is our camera and what's in our heads, in our imaginations, is going to be the world that we 'film.' Regarding your recently submitted midterm projects, for those of you who want extra credit at the end of the term, you may complete the midterm if you gave it to me incomplete; or, if you completed it, you can improve upon what you did. I wouldn't let working on that project get in the way of doing homework for the rest of the term, or learning the new stuff I will be presenting to you, but it is one way to make up some of the points that many of you have missed by not doing homework or by giving me an incomplete project. You may give the new and improved version to me again anytime you are ready. Carter-