Flash Intro's Do's and Donts
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- bly
Compared to most designers here, I'm a n00b. Well I do love design but I cant call myself a designer. I'm studying broadcasting at school instead :| but I'm trying to somehow merge the 2 during my free time.
Anyways I'm looking for advice on fast paced vector intros or animaitons. Justin Harder is my animation idol :D I'd be really glad if you could share sum tips and dos/donts in terms of animation/intros for clients.
Is there a system? hm do people do story boards? also I just started work on my first one http://www.dogvox.com/itsmagic/t… its not finished and it makes no sense :| but comments would be helpful. hm ya
ktnxbai
- phs0
looks nice. ditch the lightning Id say, takes away from the nice illustration and rounded feel. Id say an intro in flash either needs alot of pace and to be over before joe somebody can click skip, or it needs to way over the top. Id say ur on the right track.
- unknown0
just say no to the intro
- unknown0
Do:
Make sure to put text that's intended to be read on the screen long enough for a view to actually read it. Moving a word or phrase across the screen so fast that it can't be read, or flashing it on screen accomplishes nothing.
Do Not: Have an intro before a site if there's nothing to be said. Doing one simply because it can be done seems a bit pointless. Have a message, have something to say, give people a reason to have an expectation of the site they're about to see.
- sauerbraten0
i agree with mg.
if you don't want to look like a n00b, don't have flashy shit that means dick. sure, it's fun to mess around with flash or whatever, but seasoned designers realize the thinking behind a piece is as important or more than the candy flavoring.
cheers!
- Redmond0
Just make sure that there is a "skip intro" button that works.
- ER0
no more than 5 seconds.
provide skip button.
autoload next page after done playing once.
asuming its right to even have one.
- bostonflash0
I just put the Flash intro right on the main page... why makem wait...
- phs0
I dunno about the intro qualms. I think this dudes intro would be a really nice paced illustration/abstract piece. Not so much a corporate placeholder which requires feasability and skip buttons. I mean who cares if they wait or not, espically if its good. And especially if its personal/art based.
- unknown0
flash intros are wrongheaded, and pretty much dead. Case closed.
If you like to do that kind of animation, stick to broadcast and make motion graphics for TV.
- phs0
mais chewbacca, the lines are coming much closer together with broadcast and the web. can intros are certainly dead, but implementing quicktime and animation in new ways is right onl
- stewart0
i did this intro + website 1 1/2 years ago.
now i can laugh at it, but it was my first flash thing i did for my first job. tell me what you think about it:
hahaha!
- CX0
It just couldve been 10 seconds shorter.
- paulrand0
they're comin back like woodgrain and stags
- stewart0
yeah CX, it is really boring, but the client still likes it a lot.
and there is a skip-button...
i don't know how, but i think you can make with a coockie or something that when you're visiting the website for the second ++ time, you jump over to the main site directly without viewing the intro. isnt it?
- CyBrainX0
nice work Stewart.
As far as some don'ts:
Don't have music without an off button. That's one my biggest pet peeves. Preferably have a volume control too.Don't listen to any Jakob Nielsons that tell you that all Flash intros are bad. It all depends. It's as dumb as a client telling you not to use blue. Just give some meaning to your intro. There are an infinite # of ways to communicate something, explain something that requires animation, or brands something quickly.
Don't forget to put a skip button, but label it something other than "Skip Intro."
Always storyboard ahead of time.
It might help to work in illustrator so you can draw well and import vector art.
Don't use shattered 3D backgrounds, or pixel drags.
- phs0
what exactly is a pixel pull, ive heard the term alot.
- bly0
^__^ so much positive feedback
*heart I'm making note of all this for future reference. Yeah I think broadcast wise, like somebody said, hm using ideas and concepts from flash intros might be a intersting :)
- CX0
Its not bad though. Yeah you can do that with a cookie.
- mennik0
put a view intro button on the mainpage.
don't make people wait.
- preston0
i think a pixel pull is like when you have an image, and you select a column 1 pixel wide in photoshop, and stretch it.