[...]... Self-portrait of the author trying to learn Flash from other books Chapter 1 / Introduction to The Art of Flash Animation 15 And as I talked to some other members of ASIFA-Atlanta (the Atlanta chapter of the International Animated Film Association, from a French acronym), I discovered they too didn’t care much for the other books available on Flash So I arrived at the only possible conclusion… I’d write the book... Flash, I bought three or four books on the subject, most of which had pretty good reviews on Amazon.com But I ran into several problems with these other books: n They were already out of date n They were written by people who either used Flash for purposes other than animated cartoons or, even if they did make Flash cartoons, couldn’t draw n They didn’t tell me what I wanted to know Self-portrait of. .. untouchable In the animation industry, he’s known as the Animation Maestro, and deservedly so He garners somewhat the level of respect that Steven Spielberg has in the film industry My first view of Richard Williams in San Francisco in June 1997 Though the ropes were actually there, the pedestal has been obviously added for dramatic effect Chapter 1 / Introduction to The Art of Flash Animation 7 Moments... rather than vegging out on the couch in front of someone else’s bland video offering, then this book is precisely what should empower you to make that happen Now that we’ve established that animation is the doorway into that fantasy world you’ve always dreamed of creating, then what is the key? Why Flash? You May Ask Flash is a program I had heard about, but mainly in the realm of web design And then,... hardly remember the rest of the conversation, and was now convinced that I would be meeting Richard Williams, come June When the magical day finally arrived, and I stepped to the front of the theatre sidewalk, I think I was one of the first students to recognize Richard Williams when he arrived I’d seen his 30-second appearance in the 1988 TV special Secrets of Toontown: The Making of Who Framed Roger... learn Flash? Chapter 1 / Introduction to The Art of Flash Animation 13 Why Not Just Learn Flash? It sounds silly now, of course, but we all have a nasty tendency to settle into our comfort zones, especially in the realm of learning, which is an ongoing process (like it or not) I taught character animation for 10 years at Auburn University Montgomery, all with Macromedia Director, but they only offered the. .. the “bargain bin” in Wal-Mart (I bought two copies: one for myself and one to give away as a “Best Film” prize in one of my animation classes.) The Heart of Texas guys turned out to be a friendly bunch, and I greatly enjoyed sitting with them in class and hanging out with them during breaks At the first break, however, I noticed that Mr Williams was gathering his notes just to the lower-left side of. .. should we invest so much of our time and efforts in this art form we call animation? Good question, my friends Well, here’s our alternative to animation: the lowest, most base of pathetic, whimpering Hollywood executives throwing up their hands and wantonly admitting they’ve run out of “original” ideas, by slinging in our general direction… the so-called “reality show.” Here’s the problem I have with... stop making these It’s one of the reasons I cancelled our cable 10 Section I / Drawing and the Animation Process When I allow my “suspension of disbelief” to kick in, I could care less about a group of mismatched trailer park princes and teen queens arguing about their pickup’s engine problems or their nail color choices or their roommates’ total lack of personal hygiene When I switch on the TV go to... stripes It was a habit I started when I didn’t know whether they’d let me take credit for my work Once I confessed this practice to my fellow art department workers, it became a game to find my hidden signatures Chapter 1 / Introduction to The Art of Flash Animation 5 Despite that, I stood by my notice at the former steady job, and resolutely decided to go on to KinderCare, knowing the new job was now far . alt="" The Art of Flash ® Animation: Creative Cartooning Mark Stephen Smith Wordware Publishing, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Smith, Mark Stephen. The art of flash animation. xv Section I — Drawing and the Animation Process Chapter 1 Introduction to The Art of Flash Animation 3 Why Animation? You May Ask 9 Why Flash? You May Ask 11 Why Not Just Learn Flash? 13 Why This Book?. production on which he served as director of animation. 3 Introduction toIntroduction to The Art of FlashThe Art of Flash Animation Chapter 1