Flash Cartoon Animation : Learn from the Pros

by Kirkpatrick, Glenn; Peaty, Kevin

• ISBN13: 9781903450987
• ISBN10: 1903450985
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2002-12-24
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York Inc

Summary

Designed to help readers develop the essential skills of computer animation, a hands-on tutorial combines detailed exercises and real-world case studies with step-by-step instruction to explain the animation applications of Macromedia Flash. Original. (Intermediate)

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
Flash animation and this book	1	(2)
From the editors - using this book	3	(2)
Download files	3	(1)
Layout conventions	3	(1)
Support - we're here to help	4	(1)
Storyline & Scripting	5	(10)
Idea	5	(1)
Things to think about	6	(1)
Story	7	(1)
Tone	8	(1)
Are you sitting comfortably?	9	(1)
Outline	10	(1)
The pitch	10	(1)
Script	10	(1)
The Boy Who Cried Wolf	11	(2)
Refining the script	13	(1)
Over to you	14	(1)
Drawing with Flash	15	(34)
Tablets	15	(1)
The Tools panel	16	(7)
Paint Bucket tool	19	(2)
Eraser tool	21	(1)
Line tool	22	(1)
Using the Line Tool	23	(7)
Eyedropper tool	29	(1)
Arrow tool	30	(1)
Selecting objects	30	(4)
Symbols	30	(1)
Non symbol images	31	(1)
Lasso tool	32	(2)
Symbols	34	(2)
Graphic symbols	34	(1)
Movie clip symbols	34	(1)
Button symbols	34	(1)
Converting an image to a symbol	35	(1)
The Library	36	(8)
Organizing your Library	36	(1)
Placing symbols on the stage from the Library	37	(1)
Editing symbols	37	(7)
Optimizing drawings	44	(4)
Optimizing lines	44	(3)
Straightening curves	47	(1)
Smoothing lines	47	(1)
Develop your own style	48	(1)
Over to you	48	(1)
Art Direction	49	(20)
Line work	50	(3)
Black line	51	(1)
Self-color line	52	(1)
Color	53	(1)
Design	53	(1)
Characters	54	(5)
Keep it simple	54	(2)
Separate elements	56	(3)
Model sheets	59	(4)
The cast	60	(3)
Backgrounds	63	(3)
Establishing shots	63	(3)
Color styling	66	(2)
Over to you	68	(1)
Storyboarding	69	(30)
Laying out a storyboard	69	(1)
From words to pictures: visualizing your story	70	(1)
Composition and framing	70	(6)
Basic shots	70	(2)
Flash and the virtual camera	72	(1)
Screen direction	73	(2)
Storytelling through composition	75	(1)
Using the camera	76	(13)
Camera moves	76	(5)
Using the camera to aid narrative	81	(1)
Using the camera to provide a sense of depth	82	(5)
Using the camera to economize on animation	87	(2)
Dissolves, fades and wipes	89	(3)
The Boy Who Cried Wolf	92	(4)
Scene 1	92	(1)
Scene 2	92	(1)
Scene 3	93	(1)
Scene 4	93	(1)
Scene 5	93	(1)
Scene 6	94	(1)
Scene 7	94	(1)
Scene 8	94	(1)
Scene 9	95	(1)
Scene 10	95	(1)
Scene 11	95	(1)
Scene 12	96	(1)
The storyboard as a whole	96	(2)
Drawing quality	98	(1)
Level of detail	98	(1)
Over to you	98	(1)
Layout 1: Creating an Animatic	99	(34)
How layout worked traditionally	99	(1)
The Flash advantage	100	(1)
Movie properties	100	(7)
Frame rate	100	(1)
Aspect ratio	100	(3)
TV cut off	103	(4)
Creating layers	107	(1)
Importing the storyboard	108	(4)
Scaling the storyboard panels	110	(2)
Adding and deleting frames	112	(1)
Creating scenes	113	(3)
Creating a pan	116	(5)
Converting images to symbols	117	(1)
Layer control	117	(1)
Starting to pan	118	(2)
Tweening basics	120	(1)
Creating a camera truck	121	(2)
Transitions	123	(7)
Creating a fade	123	(3)
Creating a cross-dissolve	126	(4)
Completing the animatic - fade to black	130	(1)
Take a peek	131	(1)
Over to you	132	(1)
Layout 2: Sound & Testing	133	(16)
Recording and importing sound	133	(3)
File types and quality	133	(1)
Editing	134	(1)
Importing	134	(2)
Playing sound in Flash	136	(2)
Event sounds	136	(1)
Streaming sounds	136	(1)
Setting up sound within the animatic	137	(1)
Testing your film	138	(10)
Testing scenes for timing	139	(9)
Over to you	148	(1)
Animation Principles	149	(48)
Limited animation	149	(1)
Key posing	150	(1)
X-sheets	151	(2)
In-betweening	153	(2)
Timing	155	(8)
Cushions	156	(3)
Staggers	159	(2)
Stretch and squash	161	(1)
Weight	162	(1)
Line of action	163	(2)
Arcs	165	(2)
Foreshortening	167	(1)
Action and anticipation	168	(6)
The zip off	169	(2)
The cartoon take	171	(1)
Secondary action or follow through	172	(2)
Cycles	174	(10)
Walk cycles	175	(6)
Run cycles	181	(3)
Separating levels	184	(3)
Animating acting and dialogue	187	(5)
Body language and gesture	187	(1)
Facial expression	188	(2)
Dialogue	190	(2)
Top tips when animating acting	192	(4)
Working rough	194	(1)
Using the model sheet	194	(1)
Getting the feel right	195	(1)
Over to you	196	(1)
Animating in Flash	197	(36)
Motion tweening	197	(6)
Animating stretch and squash	200	(2)
Converting tweens to keyframes	202	(1)
Key posing	203	(11)
Cleaning up in Flash	205	(3)
Timing	208	(3)
Redefining and improvement	211	(1)
Easing	212	(2)
Pop and cushion	214	(1)
Cycles	215	(6)
Symbols and layers	216	(3)
Moving through a scene	219	(2)
Walk cycles	221	(5)
Looping	225	(1)
Panning walk cycles	225	(1)
Animating dialogue in Flash	226	(1)
Special effects in Flash	227	(3)
Alpha settings	227	(1)
Cast shadows	228	(2)
Drop shadows	230	(1)
Separate element effects	230	(1)
Learn from everywhere	230	(2)
Over to you	232	(1)
Animating `The Boy Who Cried Wolf'	233	(12)
Scene 1	233	(3)
Camera pans	233	(2)
Cycles	235	(1)
Sound effects	236	(1)
Scene 2	236	(1)
Scene 3	237	(1)
Scene 4	238	(1)
Scene 5	238	(1)
Scene 6	239	(1)
Staggers	239	(1)
Scene 7	240	(1)
Copying frames to reuse a scene	240	(1)
Swapping symbols	240	(1)
Scenes 8, 9, and 10	241	(1)
Scene 11	242	(2)
Problems with cross-dissolves	242	(1)
Panning tricks	243	(1)
Trucking tips	243	(1)
The first screening	244	(1)
Over to you	244	(1)
Output & Publishing	245	(18)
Preparing for the Internet	245	(11)
Preloaders	246	(1)
Making a preloader	247	(5)
Stop buttons and looping	252	(4)
Publishing your movie for the Internet	256	(2)
Video output	258	(4)
Exporting a movie on a PC	259	(2)
Exporting a movie on a Mac	261	(1)
That's all folks	262	(1)
Over to you	262	(1)
Over to You	263	(2)
Index	265