SFuller79
August 26th, 2008, 05:40 AM
Hello!
I’m a graphic designer well-versed in Photoshop and very familiar with the Adobe Premiere video editing program. I am attempting for the first time my very own Flash portfolio website. My problem is that, while I have both Dreamweaver MX and Flash CS3, I know pretty much nothing about these programs. I’m in a bit of a pickle as I need the site up by September 6th – this is for a huge, very well-known music event at which I’ll need to pass out business cards with a link to my portfolio.
The site I have in mind is very ambitious as I have quite a catalog of artwork to put up. However I’m not as concerned about this issue because I have all of the artwork at web-size resolution ready for upload, and I can work to load the images up relatively quickly. My biggest worry is the website design. I already have a domain name and website hosting, and only need to put the site together offline so that it can be published.
Following is a written description of the elements that will make up the website, along with links that visually exemplify the ideas:
• There will be an icon in address bar (company logo).
(example: Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com); I think I may be able to use this tutorial (http://www.chami.com/tips/internet/110599I.html) to accomplish this.)
• Window size fills the entire browser space (example: Dreamgirls (http://www.dreamgirlsmovie.com)).
(Will this tutorial (http://www.kirupa.com/developer/flash5/fullscreen.htm]http://www.kirupa.com/developer/flash5/fullscreen.htm) teach this?)
• Graphic while site is loading / countdown (ex: Check out the cryptex used as a loader on The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) site – I’d like my loader to come in as pieces and form a solid object like this, if possible – then reverse the animation once the page has loaded).
I was not able to find a tutorial for this upon first search... And what exactly is this device called?
Also here, how would I go about providing a link to those who might happen upon my site and do not have the latest version of Flash installed? Will Flash automatically detect this and display a link? How does that work?
• Intro: Quick montage of best artwork (along with a short mp3 song I already have prepared). Images transition/dissolve into each other and complete to merge and form the site’s main background image.
Some examples: The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) (Da Vinci Gallery page), The Incredible Hulk (http://incrediblehulk.marvel.com/index_flash.html) and especially this AVP-R (http://www.avp-r.com/US/)site which exemplifies how I would like the animation to conclude by forming the site’s background image. Also see how the intro animation transitions into the background on The Dark Knight (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/)website.
- Of course I’d like to place a customary option to “Skip Intro” for those in a hurry – this is easy, right?
• Main Site: Once the site’s main background image has formed, I’d like the company logo to “grow forward” onto the screen (with a little sound effect) after the intro animation sequence, like in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (http://www.themummy.com/). I would also like to place a moving animated figure just above the logo, if not too much trouble.
- Last here, I’d like there to be little flash elements that glow within the main background (with some unobtrusive sound effects). See The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) (any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages) for examples.
• The Site Menu animates into construction accompanied by sound effects (example: The menu at the bottom of the screen on the King Kong (http://www.kingkongmovie.com/home.html) site). The design of the menu itself can be very simple, just like King Kong’s menu; it’s the animation effect I’m going after.
• Same background song for entire site. (I have no clue as to how to load music.)
• Option to turn Sound off or on (as an “audio” icon, see at the top of the screen on the Ocean’s 13 (http://oceans13.warnerbros.com/_dvdsite/index.html) site).
• Links within menu light up / glow (with sound effect) upon mouse-over, and sparks fly off (see the 30 Days of Night (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/30daysofnight/site/main.html) menu).
• When transitioning from thumbnail to thumbnail, artwork materializes in random “strips” w/ sound effects (examples when maneuvering through the main menu links on the XXX: State of the Union (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/triplex2/site/main.html) site, particularly the Command Ctr. link).
• Screens playing video content are customized in shape (see the shape of the video player on the main page of the website for The Reaping (http://thereapingmovie.warnerbros.com/)). Background music fades down when the video content is activated.
• When a new page is chosen from the menu, the logo flips, then implodes (accompanied by a sound effect). See the way the photos flip on the Ocean’s 13 (http://oceans13.warnerbros.com/_dvdsite/index.html) > Photo Gallery page, also the effect of the reddish moving image accompanying the navigation menu on the AVP-R (http://www.avp-r.com/US/) site, which “flips” when you move your mouse around.
- Any text on the current page will explode (accompanied by a sound effect).
- Background layers forming the page will separate and fade out (see The Dark Knight (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/) website, when choosing different links from the navigation menu).
• 3D graphic while next page is loading / comes together from different places off the edges of the page, explodes when done (see the “loader graphics” on The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (http://www.themummy.com/) websites).
• New pages form in multiple layers alongside sound effects. These background layers come in from all positions (sideways, bottom , top, etc.) to end up as a straight composite (see The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) [any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages] and The Dark Knight (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/) website, when choosing different links from the navigation menu).
- Light effects (“smoke” or “ocean floor lights”) infiltrate each layer (see effects on The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) [any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages], and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/pirates/atworldsend/) > Cast & Crew section).
- Flash elements particular to each page (see any of the links on The Dark Knight (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/) website [e.g., fire, etc]).
- Letters come together from pieces to form the title of new page (and sublinks on the page) (see any of the pages on The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) website).
- Logo fades up in same way that artwork materializes (again, see examples when maneuvering through the main menu links on the XXX: State of the Union (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/triplex2/site/main.html) site, particularly the Command Ctr. link).
• Again, when new pages are chosen, the main menu animates into construction accompanied by sound effects (example: The menu at the bottom of the screen on the King Kong (http://www.kingkongmovie.com/home.html) site).
• Finally, what should I do regarding search engine optimization? I’ve heard that you really need to optimize your website for SEO before you complete it.. Any ideas here?
At this point, unless I can somehow get some quick pointers that would put together the site reasonably close to what I have planned out, I’m considering using flash site templates that I purchased online and attempting to learn how to alter the elements within them.
Thanks to anyone who takes a look at this and is willing to throw out some reference or offer instruction in how to get this going – this site has been in the planning for years now!
I’m a graphic designer well-versed in Photoshop and very familiar with the Adobe Premiere video editing program. I am attempting for the first time my very own Flash portfolio website. My problem is that, while I have both Dreamweaver MX and Flash CS3, I know pretty much nothing about these programs. I’m in a bit of a pickle as I need the site up by September 6th – this is for a huge, very well-known music event at which I’ll need to pass out business cards with a link to my portfolio.
The site I have in mind is very ambitious as I have quite a catalog of artwork to put up. However I’m not as concerned about this issue because I have all of the artwork at web-size resolution ready for upload, and I can work to load the images up relatively quickly. My biggest worry is the website design. I already have a domain name and website hosting, and only need to put the site together offline so that it can be published.
Following is a written description of the elements that will make up the website, along with links that visually exemplify the ideas:
• There will be an icon in address bar (company logo).
(example: Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com); I think I may be able to use this tutorial (http://www.chami.com/tips/internet/110599I.html) to accomplish this.)
• Window size fills the entire browser space (example: Dreamgirls (http://www.dreamgirlsmovie.com)).
(Will this tutorial (http://www.kirupa.com/developer/flash5/fullscreen.htm]http://www.kirupa.com/developer/flash5/fullscreen.htm) teach this?)
• Graphic while site is loading / countdown (ex: Check out the cryptex used as a loader on The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) site – I’d like my loader to come in as pieces and form a solid object like this, if possible – then reverse the animation once the page has loaded).
I was not able to find a tutorial for this upon first search... And what exactly is this device called?
Also here, how would I go about providing a link to those who might happen upon my site and do not have the latest version of Flash installed? Will Flash automatically detect this and display a link? How does that work?
• Intro: Quick montage of best artwork (along with a short mp3 song I already have prepared). Images transition/dissolve into each other and complete to merge and form the site’s main background image.
Some examples: The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) (Da Vinci Gallery page), The Incredible Hulk (http://incrediblehulk.marvel.com/index_flash.html) and especially this AVP-R (http://www.avp-r.com/US/)site which exemplifies how I would like the animation to conclude by forming the site’s background image. Also see how the intro animation transitions into the background on The Dark Knight (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/)website.
- Of course I’d like to place a customary option to “Skip Intro” for those in a hurry – this is easy, right?
• Main Site: Once the site’s main background image has formed, I’d like the company logo to “grow forward” onto the screen (with a little sound effect) after the intro animation sequence, like in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (http://www.themummy.com/). I would also like to place a moving animated figure just above the logo, if not too much trouble.
- Last here, I’d like there to be little flash elements that glow within the main background (with some unobtrusive sound effects). See The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) (any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages) for examples.
• The Site Menu animates into construction accompanied by sound effects (example: The menu at the bottom of the screen on the King Kong (http://www.kingkongmovie.com/home.html) site). The design of the menu itself can be very simple, just like King Kong’s menu; it’s the animation effect I’m going after.
• Same background song for entire site. (I have no clue as to how to load music.)
• Option to turn Sound off or on (as an “audio” icon, see at the top of the screen on the Ocean’s 13 (http://oceans13.warnerbros.com/_dvdsite/index.html) site).
• Links within menu light up / glow (with sound effect) upon mouse-over, and sparks fly off (see the 30 Days of Night (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/30daysofnight/site/main.html) menu).
• When transitioning from thumbnail to thumbnail, artwork materializes in random “strips” w/ sound effects (examples when maneuvering through the main menu links on the XXX: State of the Union (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/triplex2/site/main.html) site, particularly the Command Ctr. link).
• Screens playing video content are customized in shape (see the shape of the video player on the main page of the website for The Reaping (http://thereapingmovie.warnerbros.com/)). Background music fades down when the video content is activated.
• When a new page is chosen from the menu, the logo flips, then implodes (accompanied by a sound effect). See the way the photos flip on the Ocean’s 13 (http://oceans13.warnerbros.com/_dvdsite/index.html) > Photo Gallery page, also the effect of the reddish moving image accompanying the navigation menu on the AVP-R (http://www.avp-r.com/US/) site, which “flips” when you move your mouse around.
- Any text on the current page will explode (accompanied by a sound effect).
- Background layers forming the page will separate and fade out (see The Dark Knight (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/) website, when choosing different links from the navigation menu).
• 3D graphic while next page is loading / comes together from different places off the edges of the page, explodes when done (see the “loader graphics” on The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (http://www.themummy.com/) websites).
• New pages form in multiple layers alongside sound effects. These background layers come in from all positions (sideways, bottom , top, etc.) to end up as a straight composite (see The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) [any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages] and The Dark Knight (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/) website, when choosing different links from the navigation menu).
- Light effects (“smoke” or “ocean floor lights”) infiltrate each layer (see effects on The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) [any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages], and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/pirates/atworldsend/) > Cast & Crew section).
- Flash elements particular to each page (see any of the links on The Dark Knight (http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/) website [e.g., fire, etc]).
- Letters come together from pieces to form the title of new page (and sublinks on the page) (see any of the pages on The Da Vinci Code (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html) website).
- Logo fades up in same way that artwork materializes (again, see examples when maneuvering through the main menu links on the XXX: State of the Union (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/triplex2/site/main.html) site, particularly the Command Ctr. link).
• Again, when new pages are chosen, the main menu animates into construction accompanied by sound effects (example: The menu at the bottom of the screen on the King Kong (http://www.kingkongmovie.com/home.html) site).
• Finally, what should I do regarding search engine optimization? I’ve heard that you really need to optimize your website for SEO before you complete it.. Any ideas here?
At this point, unless I can somehow get some quick pointers that would put together the site reasonably close to what I have planned out, I’m considering using flash site templates that I purchased online and attempting to learn how to alter the elements within them.
Thanks to anyone who takes a look at this and is willing to throw out some reference or offer instruction in how to get this going – this site has been in the planning for years now!