Flash Character Animation Applied Studio Techniques (Applying Studio Techniques) [Paperback]

Lee Purcell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Applying Studio Techniques | Publication Date: August 20, 2001

Applying FLASH Character Animation Studio Techniques will demonstrate how Flash can be used to construct high-quality, compact, vector-based character animations for display on the Web or other media. Through a series of task-oriented, hands-on procedures, this book will showcase each of the techniques available in Flash for creating character animations and displaying characters against dynamic backgrounds. Tweening, shape and color morphing, frame-by-frame animation, panning and zooming, sound synchronization, and other processes will be covered and explained through examples.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Applying FLASH Character Animation Studio Techniques will demonstrate how Flash can be used to construct high-quality, compact, vector-based character animations for display on the Web or other media. Through a series of task-oriented, hands-on procedures, this book will showcase each of the techniques available in Flash for creating character animations and displaying characters against dynamic backgrounds. Tweening, shape and color morphing, frame-by-frame animation, panning and zooming, sound synchronization, and other processes will be covered and explained through examples.

About the Author

Lee Purcell is the director of Lightspeed Publishing LLC, a Vermont-based company that specializes in electronic publishing tools and techniques and provides technical communication for a wide variety of clients. As the author of eight books on emerging technologies—ranging from Internet audio to recordable CD and DVD—he primarily focuses his writing efforts on helping developers and users effectively take advantage of the most promising hardware and software tools in the electronic publishing field.

Purcell also writes the quarterly newsletter, CD-ROM Access, for Disc Makers, the largest independent disc replication service in the United States. In the course of authoring trade computer titles and producing articles on CD-ROM development, he routinely interviews many of the prominent designers, developers, inventors, and luminaries involved in the computer industry and rich media production, and he has earned a reputation for distilling difficult technical topics into clear, concise descriptions, so that they are accessible for readers with different levels of experience.

When not wrestling with beta software releases from computer companies, Purcell plays electric jazz bass, traverses the back roads of Vermont on a Ducati Monster, and works on completing a novel that has been slowly unfolding for the last 11 years. The novel, a ghost story set in and around Cape Ann, Massachusetts, is told from the point of view of the ghosts. He hopes to have it finished within the next year.

For additional information, point your browser to http://www.lightspeedpub.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Sams (August 20, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672321998
• ISBN-13: 978-0672321993
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,405,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for newbies, don't go if you're a pro., March 10, 2004

By 

Stephen Craton "Melchior.us" (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flash Character Animation Applied Studio Techniques (Applying Studio Techniques) (Paperback)

I got this book when starting to get somewhat serious about Flash animation hoping it would teach me to do some serious animation. I was somewhat dissapointed that it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know from another book or from tutorial reading on the internet.

The book is good if you're starting out in Flash, infact, it's very good for that. It walks you through tweening, frame-by-frame animation, and the works. However, just by playing around and using common sense, I already knew all this.

The examples this author uses are very...creative and unique. That's not a bad thing, except you can't really apply them to everday animation.

All in all, this book is a good book if you're starting out. It will get you through the basics and a little more. If you're an intermediate or pro user, don't spend the money for it. I think the only way to get to know what you want to know is message boards or just practicing...

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Learn by deconstruction, February 14, 2002

By 

T. Gallina "TMG" (LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flash Character Animation Applied Studio Techniques (Applying Studio Techniques) (Paperback)

(contributor) Working with flash native files that were created by professional animators and reading how they were done is a great way to learn tips and tricks. The books layout and design is the best I've seen on the market.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flash - Character Animation, December 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Flash Character Animation Applied Studio Techniques (Applying Studio Techniques) (Paperback)

An excellent reference book. I found this publication easy to read and comprehend. Utilized the information and step by step illustrations to create animation as described. I found it to be an excellent learning tool for beginners and intermediate users. I have advanced personnel on staff who found the applications described most accurate and complete with additional and background materials that serve them on a daily basis. The addition of interview materials was also most informative and resourceful. It added depth and value to the publication. Recommend it highly to those seeking to begin or expand their graphic skills and talents. Thumbs up!