The Power of Animation: Learn Flash in Five Days

Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: A. Recognize and understand the Flash 5 interface and associated tools and palettes. B. Create vector graphics and manipulate bitmap graphics using the Flash 5 tools and palettes. C. Utilize Symbols and Layers to organize their movie and minimize file size. D. Learn multiple animation techniques and gain an understanding of the Flash Timeline. E. Learn how to apply special effects to a Flash animation. F. Export their file for different platforms and uses such as minimizing file size. G. Become famiar to advanced topics to explore on their own, as well as available Flash Resources on the web. Assessment 1. Upon completion of this class, the student will have demonstrated an overall understanding of the layout, tools, and palettes associated with the Flash 5 interface. 2. Student can receive feedback by emailing the instructor the short animation that was created as a final project. Day 1 ? The Flash Interface The first day will focus on becoming familiar with the layout of the Flash 5 Interface, including its numerous tools. A step-by-step demonstration will walk the student through the basics of Flash, and help them to become familiar with terms associated with Flash 5 and the world of animation. Day 2 ? Your First Step to Making Movies! Day two introduces the student to the concept of vector and bitmap graphics and explains the benefits of using each kind of graphic in Flash. The student will expand upon their ability to use the Flash toolbar by utilizing the available associated palettes. They will create their own vector graphics, and import their own bitmap graphics in preparation for their first Flash movie. Day 3 ? Planning Your Animation: Importing Files, Creating Symbols, Using Layers Now that the student has a grasp of how to use the basic drawing tools in Flash, it is time to plan his first animation! Although Flash can be used to make simple animations, it is a very powerful tool, and it can become complex if one does not plan ahead. This lesson will focus on the importance of organizing the movie before starting. Flash uses objects called Layers and Symbols to help simplify your animation. Using symbols and layers properly will save time, and keep the movie?s file size to a minimum! Day 4 ? Understanding the Timeline Today is the big day! The student has created his/her graphics, organized his Flash movie, and is now ready to make an animation! The key to Flash is to understand the Timeline. In this lesson, the student will learn about the difference between Frames and Key Frames, as well as three different ways to animate objects over time (Frame by frame animation, Tweening, and Scripting). Day 5 ? Ideas to Explore The final lesson will explain how to use the special effects palette to create several basic special effects. The lesson will conclude with the student learning how to properly export his Flash movie to be viewed on the web, or as a projector file that can be viewed as a stand-alone player. Finally, the student will be introduced to some advanced concepts to explore on their own, as well as Flash help forums and tutorials that are available on the web. Upon completion of this lesson, the student may email his completed animation file to the instructor for helpful review and feedback. Contact Hours: 10