Week 10
Monday * March 14
Creating a multi-part package with audio files and photos; video in Flash.
- LAB Work on exercises with imported MP3 files (not covered in the book); controlling sound with Stop, Play and Pause buttons. Also: Video in Flash (Lesson 8 in book, pp. 295–329); bring book and CD to class! Also: BRING HEADPHONES (or earbuds)!
- LECTURE 1 Converting audio file formats; using Audacity to create a clean 30-second clip from a song (you'll need this to complete the Flash 3 exercise). Examples of video and sound controls in online journalism packages.
- LECTURE 2 Essential concepts for incorporating video and/or sound in a story package: When does it make good sense? What are the pitfalls? This will help you make decisions about your Flash project assignment.
DUE 9 a.m. Monday (via e-mail): Critique 2 (this is the Monday immediately after Spring Break)
READ Lesson 8 in Adobe Flash CS5 Professional Classroom in a Book (ACiaB), pp. 295–329; SEE "NOTES" BELOW for rationale.
EXAMINE The Fight for Iraq: A Regional Powerplay (MSNBC.com). Yes, it is all Flash!
Notes * * *
We will skip the first part of Lesson 8 in the book (about sound). Reason: In journalism packages, sound is almost never used that way, as short little sound effects embedded in the SWF. Instead, we load larger sound files dynamically using ActionScript.
In class I will walk you through the normal AS3 techniques for loading external MP3 files into Flash and controlling them with player buttons.
Audio editing: The book's author shows you (in the part of Lesson 8 we are skipping) how to make small edits to audio within Flash. I would not do that; I would always edit audio files in a separate editing program. Some of you already know how to edit audio with Audacity. For those who don't, we'll spend PART of one lecture this week on basic use of Audacity, a free audio-editing program.
Video: In this course you'll learn how to work with and control finished video files in Flash. Video editing is not covered in this course.
Supplemental * * *
- Lesson 8 Notes and Tips: (video in Flash): Download this 6-page PDF and use it to ensure that you have understood the key points in the VIDEO lesson in the book. There is also an important CORRECTION to the main video exercise in Lesson 8.
- Flash CS4/CS5 and Sound Controls (AS3): Your instructions and sample files for audio are here.
- Web video template: Spokesperson presentation with synchronized graphics: A Flash CS4 tutorial from Adobe.
- ActionScript 3 Video Basics: A great tutorial by Lee Brimelow. This is VERY ActionScript-heavy (more advanced than what is shown in the book). It shows you how to make a custom video player from scratch using ONLY ActionScript 3. Yeah! Note it's fine that he's using CS3 in the video because the ActionScript works the same way in CS4 and CS5. More great tutorials from Lee: gotoAndLearn.com.