Flash animation
The best way to teach the creative skill of using
the computer is its practical application - work on a particular artistic
project. In
case of groups taking part in the project, it was work on Flash animation.
The task was the more difficult that it was the children who were
the workshop participants, children who often worked with the computer
for the first time, and although Flash is not particularly difficult
application, it still is the program which was created for professionals
and the full use without some experience with computer is not possible.
The animation which was being created was to illustrate the proverb
"A
friend in need is a friend indeed">>>
, the myth
myth
about Persephone>>>. In the second year the animation was based
on Shel Silverstain's story entitled "The
giving tree"">>>
, and the William Shakespeare's play "Romeo
and Julia">>>
Flash technology was created in the middle of the 90s. Since that
time, Macromedia Flash programme has been developed a lot, giving great
opportunities to graphics and designers with designing among other
things, interactive animations. The interactive animation means one
where there is an appropriate response programmed for a particular
user's command or behaviour, for example colours smoothly changing
after running the mouse over an object. And although this is an expensive
programme, it is getting more and more popular, not only amongst professionals.
Flash technology is widely used to create web pages, computer games,
animated films, video clips, and animated logos. One advantage of this
technique is that ready files are small, and additional opportunities,
for example streaming data sending (when a part of image is already
shown, the rest is only being sent to the computer) regardless of the
capacity of the link, make up the attractiveness, especially when making
web pages.
Flash allows also for the use of vector graphics made in different
programmes, scanned images, or free-hand drawings; it also lets inserting
texts and music to the ready animations.
For people who want to work with Flash programme, there is some preparation
needed- in Romanian and Italian group the part of participants have
never had any contact with computer, therefore it was essential during
work to introduce some basics of computer use, the information about
the elements of the Windows system, and the explanation how the computer
is built and how it works. The workshop participants learnt also the
relation between the computer construction and software - it is the
basic for further work.
The next phases of work was the presentation of animations basics in
the Flash programme, beginning from recurrent object movements
"House">>>,
until more difficult, combing the movement of a few objects, the changes
of colours, etc.
"Street">>>
These basic animations were made independently by the workshop participants.
While working on fundamental animations, which, let's notice, do not
take full advantage of all technical possibilities, the participants
used a few basic Flash tools. As a play, children got many different
ideas and solutions, which were later analyzed later with the instructor
and the rest of the group. The conclusions were used during further
work. Children proved that they had a lot of imagination and that they
could be extremely creative.
"My yard">>>
Taking into account the complexity of the animations which were being
created and the difficulties in the use of the Flash programme (connected
with the set level of animation - hundreds of takes, thousands of layers)
the instructors had to react, especially in situations where the synchronization
of work was necessary or when children's work were different than the
script.
The last phase of work consisted in making the sound track to animations,
finding the proper sounds in the Internet and editing them to the animations.
Tutorial sites
http://www.lynda.com/
http://www.neave.com/
http://www.kirupa.com/
