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Matt's Webgift

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Description

Macromedia Software makes a program called Flash MX. Flash MX allows even beginning users to create content and applications for multiple platforms. Flash uses a timeline feature that allows you to animate different objects in your project to create action and effects. Many different media can be easily combined into a flash project: photos, graphics, music, sound, video, etc. This makes Flash an extremely flexible tool for creating complex applications. I elected to use Flash MX to create my webgift for Matt Midura because of its ability to animate multiple objects in unique ways. Here are my steps:

  1. Gather photos of different outdoor scenes and sports to use as the backgrounds for the various scenes. The photos are from my own National Geographic Images CD collection. Matt noted to me that he likes the outdoors.
    • Resize the images to match that of the flash project using Photoshop
  2. Gather quotes about or related to time.
  3. Locate a piece of music related to the theme of time.
    • Purchase the CD containing the music selection--I choose Clocks by Coldplay.
    • Using Abode Audition, “rip” the original wav file to MP3 format to compress the file size.
  4. Locate Dali’s, The Persistence of Memory, artwork from a book that I have entitled Art History.
    • Scan the artwork
    • Resize the image to match that of the flash project
  5. Using Flash, I imported all the media items I collected into the Library of my flash project.
  6. Next, I created the various layers for each object in the timeline
    • I started with the Dali artwork as my title screen.
    • I inserted a keyframe at frame one and added the scanned graphic.
    • I dragged the artwork from the library to the stage at frame 1
    • I added a keyframe at frame 32 and deleted the artwork graphic from the stage. In effect the keyframes indicated the start and stop time for the artwork to display.
    • I continued to add the different photographs that I had collected in this same manner by creating a new layer for each one and inserting keyframes as needed. Each graphic is on the stage for a period of 32 frames.
  7. My next step was to add the clock. This required three layers, one for each of the clock hands (3), one for the clock face, and one for the numbers. This was necessary to allow me to individually control each of the elements and to keep these elements organized for easy editing.
    • Each movement of the hands required a change on the stage and a keyframe to make the beginning and end of the movement.
    • My first step was to add the clock face and numbers. Using a layer specifically for this purpose, I inserted a keyframe and added the face and numbers to the stage. I inserted another keyframe on the timeline at the point where the last photo ended. This was the start and stop points of the clock graphic.
    • Next, I needed to add the clock hands. Using the secondhand layer, I clicked on a specific frame, added a keyframe and placed the second hand where I wanted it to be. Next, I clicked on the frame number where I wanted the second hand to stop movement, inserted another keyframe, and I moved the second hand to that location on the screen. Finally, on the second layer layer of the timeline, I right-clicked between the two keyframes that I just inserted and selected motion-tween. Motion-tween automatically animates the object between the start point and the end point.
    • Using the various layers for each object and the keyframes features, I repeated this series of steps for the minute hand and hour hand to create the illusion of the movement of a clock ticking forward and backward.
  8. Adding the title
    • The title was added and a transition was added by right clicking on the title and selecting Effects from the pop-up menu.
    • From the pop-up menu I select Blur to create the effect of the words blurring.
    • I selected 16 frames as the length for the blur and kept all other options the same.
  9. Adding the quotes and other text
    • A quote was added to each photo that related to time.
    • Quotes were formatted using the color, front and size properties inspector
    • Guides were placed on the stage to assist in placing the quotes.
    • Starting and ending keyframes were added to the timeline layers to control the appearance and disappearance of each quote. The method of doing this is described above.
  10. Once I had all the photos and the ending credits in, I needed to add my music piece. This had to be cropped and faded to match the length of the flash movie.
    • Using Adobe Audition I opened the MP3 file and located the timecode that matched my movie length: 113 seconds. Because I didn’t want to start the music until approximately 3 seconds into the movie, I need to shorten the length of the song to approximately 110 seconds.
    • To shorten the song, I located the timecode for 110 seconds on the Audtion timeline, clicked on the visible wave file at that point, moved the timeline to the end of the song, clicked again to select the end of the song. I now had the wave/mp3 file selected from the 110 second mark to the end of the song. I simply pressed delete to delete the highlighted section of the song.
    • To fade the song at the end, I clicked on the wave/mp3 file at the timecode for 105 and clicked again at 110. Using the effects menu, I selected fade out. Viola! The song would now fade out at the end of the movie.
  11. Next, I added a clock ticking sound effect to the very beginning of the movie.
    • I located a clock ticking sound effect on the Internet and downloaded it to my computer.
    • I imported the sound to the library of my movie.
    • I inserted the sound at the beginning using a separate layer and keyframes and mentioned earlier.
  12. My final step was to export the movie using the File>Export movie menu in Flash.

This project was not difficult in terms of technical skills. Most of the difficulty was in planning out the actions that would occur on the stage at different times. Editing was sometimes a challenge as it was important to use descriptive terms for the names of the layers. One of the features that I found helpful was the view option on each timeline. This allowed me to turn off certain layers when I was editing. I found this helped me in making sure that I was clicked on the correct frame in the correct layer when editing.

Reflection

This was a different type of project—creating something for someone else that I don’t really know that well. Immediately, you begin to worry about how you will measure up in terms of the gift you create. I was assigned to design a gift for Matt. Matt is the Director of Web & Multimedia Services at Pepperdine and it was obvious that he can create and develop any application that he would need. Hmmm…what could I possibly create for him. I asked Matt what he needed and he responded, “Time.” I could relate to what Matt said. I often feel like I need just one more day or one more hour. That’s all I needed to begin this project. My mind grabbed hold of a theme…The Gift of Time. Matt needed time. I began to toss around ideas in my mind related to time and how to convey or simulate the idea of time. I felt it was important that my gift convey the idea that sometimes we are so caught up in the business of our daily lives that we forget to “live.” Matt mentioned to me that he enjoys the outdoors. The outdoor pictures all of us that there’s more to life than the demands of our jobs. The quotes remind all of us that it’s the quality of our lives that matter.

 

I began to think more about Matt’s need for time and it dawned on me that Matt gives so much of his time to others that that’s why he feels so pressed for it. I relate to this also as I find myself volunteering for so many things to help others…then, I run out of time to complete my own tasks….then, I feel stressed and wish for more time…and the cycle continues. I began to remember VirtCamp and all the extra things that Matt did besides his role as a cadre member. It all became clear to me that Matt was really the one who was giving the gift of time to all of us at VirtCamp. Matt’s desire for time was partly caused by his gift of his time and talents to our entire cadre. He did so willingly. I felt the most appropriate closing to my gift to Matt was to thank him for his gift of time to both his Mission Mars 1 Team and to the Super 7 cadre. And, what better way than with quotes from his teammates. So, my webgift to Matt is a thank you for the gift of time that he gives to us and to remind him to take whatever moments he can to enjoy the appreciation of his cadre mates, and all that life offers him.

 

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