Week 10
Monday * March 15
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 from the book: Lesson 7 (bring book and CD to class!).
- LECTURE 1 Converting audio file formats; using Audacity to create a clean 30-second clip from a song.
- LECTURE 2 CLASS CANCELED THURSDAY, MARCH 18. Professor McAdams will be at a conference.
DUE 9 a.m. Monday (via e-mail): Critique 2 (this is the Monday immediately after Spring Break)
READ Lesson 7 in Adobe Flash CS4 Professional Classroom in a Book (ACiaB), pp. 256–284. SEE NOTES BELOW.
EXAMINE The Fight for Iraq: A Regional Powerplay (MSNBC.com). Yes, it is all Flash!
Notes * * *
We will skip the first part of Lesson 7 in the book (about sound). Reason: In journalism packages, sound is almost never used that way, as short little sound effects. 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 7 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 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 * * *
- Summary of Lesson 7: Download this 3-page PDF and use it to ensure that you have understood the key points in the VIDEO lesson in the book. There is also a VITAL CORRECTION to the main video exercise in Lesson 7.
- Web video template: Spokesperson presentation with synchronized graphics (a 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). More great tutorials: gotoAndLearn.com.