Flash 8/CS3 and Multimedia Packages

This training has two parts: Intermediate Flash (3 hours) and Planning for Online Packages (2.5 hours).

Intermediate Flash

Participants have completed Lessons 1 - 5 in the book Flash Journalism: How to Create Multimedia News Packages. This includes how to create and script buttons in Flash using ActionScript 2.

Some very simple examples of Flash news graphics:
Hopping around with buttons: We use Martini -- a very simple package -- to understand a package with three separate segments, or chapters.
Loading external SWFs into a container SWF: When a package has a lot of segments, or the segments are large, or you want to include Soundslides or video in the package ... it's time to load EXTERNAL FILES!
- Empty movie clip(s): See how to make one.
- View the 3 separate SWF files -- loaded_1.swf, loaded_2.swf, loaded_3.swf
- These will be loaded (on demand) into a 4th SWF -- container.swf
- Download FLAs (zipped file, 440 KB) to study the button scripts!
Loading multiple Soundslides into one container SWF (example: Three Views of Southeast Asia) -- the principle is the same as the loaded SWFs in the previous example. An empty movie clip allows the Soundslides SWFs to be loaded into the larger design framework.
Using Flash scenes: If you need to use the same BMP image(s) again and again in the different segments, it is not efficient to load a new SWF for each segment. The example is on your CD in the folder named "Complex News Graphic." It references a recent New York Times graphic, Deadly Rampage at Virginia Tech.

Note that the empty movie clip is essential to No. 3 and No. 4 above. No. 2 (Martini) does not require an empty movie clip, because no external files are loaded.

Planning for Online Packages

The afternoon session will use this page: Planning Multimedia Packages

Using Audio in Flash

Flash is a great vehicle for both audio and video. You can build a customizable MP3 jukebox, load any number of external MP3 files dynamically, and insert videos too. However, all of this requires ActionScript. There is just no way to teach this to beginners in a one-day workshop. However, it is perfectly feasible for you to learn how to do all of this, if you will only have patience and keep chipping away at ActionScript bit by bit.

Not to hype my own book, but Lesson 8 (pp. 187 - 220) explains all the intricacies of audio control for story packages. I am mentioning that because a lot of tutorials online are, in fact, about building music jukeboxes, and that is not really what you want to do for your journalism story.

For video in Flash, see this handout (PDF, 147 KB).

Movie Clip Symbols in Flash

Movie clips are one of the most powerful aspects of Flash, and once you learn how to use them properly, you will amaze yourself with the effects you can accomplish! However, I have found that most Flash beginners get very confused if they are introduced to the internal timelines of movie clips too soon. The end result is that too many people give up on Flash, because the confusion is just too much. You fall into a hole, and you can't see how to climb out.

In the interest of guiding you on to future success, I recommend that you master the empty movie clip, but don't even try to use the movie clip symbol in any other way until after you have completed about three or four multi-part Flash projects. Get comfortable with the basics. Restrict yourself -- so that you can create a better foundation for your future progress.

The Invisible Button

This is something you will use again and again: See this one-page tutorial. If you do not yet understand the Hit state of the button symbol, the tutorial might help.

Resources

Teaching Online Journalism
My blog about digital storytelling and how newsrooms are changing.

Journalists' Toolkit: Flash
Frequently updated list of free online tutorials and 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 8.

SNDies
Society of News Design annual interactive awards. See links to and information about the 2007 SNDies winners.

Miami Herald Flash Workshop 2007