Search form

Flash video tutorials: New

30 posts / 0 new
Last post
Flash video tutorials: New

Just wanted to let everyone know that I just made 2 video tutorials on using character animation in Flash. One is how to quickly get started using symbols for animation, and the other is doing character dialogue using the "comp" system. Download them, watch them, and then tell me what you think.

http://www.animatorsclubhouse.com

bluehickey's picture
Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

I downloaded them earlier today but haven't had a chance to look at them.

I'm sure they are the best of the best! (Like everything else you animate)

I down loaded the symbols tutorial and it was excellent. Not having Flash I have always been in the dark when you guys talked about symbols. Visions of alphabet characters floating around on the screen making arms and legs move. After watching you video I think I can do something like that with my paint program. I am always on the look out for video tutorials.

I have completed two full video tutorials that are now available in the store:

"Drawing with the Brush Tool":
http://cartoonsolutions.com/store/product.php?productid=16262&cat=0&page=1&featured

"Squash and Stretch: Beyond the bouncing ball":
http://cartoonsolutions.com/store/product.php?productid=16261&cat=0&page=1&featured

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

Glad you found the tutorial useful!

Pcdoctor, after you watch them, let me know if they help you learn more. I know you are just getting into flash, and these are aimed at teaching those who are newer to flash.

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

I remember when I was a lad and you'd explained the comp system to me. This video is simple, not monotonous, and thorough while not padded. In short it's right to the point and does what it needs to do and then is just plain done. It's a fun example and shows the advantages using the system provides. Kudos.

Wow Scattered, that was like, the most perfect testimonial quote I could ever ask for! If you don't mind, I might just quote you on the site!

And thanks for letting me know it wasn't monotonous. I showed the tutorials to my wife and while she said they were good, she suggested putting a little more life into them with witty anecdotes and stories. I hadn't thought of that because I was too worried about getting through the content as quickly as possible so that the overall file size to download wouldn't be huge. Still, I don't like listening to my voice. Maybe when I hit the big time, I'll have a professional voice actor record my lines for me, to bring the audio quality up!
Ha ha! :D

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

BH,

You are going to laugh.
I did my first cartoon in '99 using Flash 4 but that was just trial and error.
I also did a website using flash in '99 but I neglected to keep the site on backup. It wasn't anything fancy, just trial and error again.
I also did a very small intro in '99 with a cartoon bear with two legs.
I also don't have that anymore. (It was some clipart that I animated and broke apart the legs and did my version of a cartoon walk)
I guess I never really pick up a book and read it for long.
This year, I'm going to try and actually follow the exercises in some books.

BH,

This is the cartoon that I did in '99 using flash 4.
http://webpages.charter.net/cartoons/broken%20pc/brokenpc.swf
I was trying to get more computer business in '99 because of the Y2K scare.
The cartoon was supposed to convey that if I don't apply Y2K patches on your pc, it could blow up or stop working.
(I guess it's my '99 version of your "Nerds on Call").
I made my own smoke and all!
Remember, I'm a network admin/computer techie not an animator.
I'm sure most of you already know I'm still an animator wannabe.
'06 I'm going to do more animation stuff.

Of course I don't mind!

And tell your wife to listen to some programming tutorials...good info but....drrroooonnnnnneeeee........at least you have inflection...and you can tell you care about the information and it coming across....makes a difference in keeping a person interested...

She does have a point if it were a more deeply involved tutorial...but I think people would feel inadvertently sidetracked if the anecdotes were at too great a length.....Maybe open with some backstory on that particular joke contest (that's where it's from, if I remember?) and that will fill the quota =)

If you have to go for a voice actor, I'm sure Xombie can be put on hold while a certain someone saves the day ;)

Of course I don't mind!

And tell your wife to listen to some programming tutorials...good info but....drrroooonnnnnneeeee........at least you have inflection...and you can tell you care about the information and it coming across....makes a difference in keeping a person interested...

She does have a point if it were a more deeply involved tutorial...but I think people would feel inadvertently sidetracked if the anecdotes were at too great a length.....Maybe open with some backstory on that particular joke contest (that's where it's from, if I remember?) and that will fill the quota =)

You should never ever use a joke. I think the tutorial is just fine as is, but if you go into making a much longer video then you could add in some reference remarks. Something like 'Avoid this because your computer will melt' ( or whatever) would punctuate a very important instruction. I have a number of video tutorial and some are awesome while other are a snoozes treat.

haha I'm not asking him to tell a joke...

The reason I spoke parenthetically is because to my recollection the pirate being used was a character from a cartoon he submitted to a Flash cartoon joke contest. That is, tell your favorite joke via Flash animation. The line from the tutorial is essentially part of the punchline.

BH,

The mouth comp tutorial was right on time!
Very enjoyable to watch and easy to understand.
I'm going to watch the other tutorial either today or sometime this weekend.
Thx for giving these fantastic tutorials for us wannabees!

No, I totally agree with you guys and not my wife. I am not about to start telling jokes in order to keep people's attention. I too don't want people to cringe as they listen.

I went through some video tutorials a few years ago to learn a 3D program (Motionbuilder) and there were two guys narrating it together. They older guy knew what he was talking about, but the young guy kept saying: "Awesome" and "sweet" the ENTIRE time! And any time he did any explaining he came across as a cocky hot shot who was low in skills and high in ego.

It was actually depressing knowing how many of the tutorials I had left to go through knowing that Laurel and Hardy where my hosts!

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

Great stuff!

But that in itself is no surprise, eh? ;)

Did a quick flythru of one of your tutorials...fantabulous! There's always something new to learn!

A great resource for saltydogs and newbies alike!

Two thumbs up!

Splatman :D

Is traffic starting to pick up now that you have these tutorials?

Is traffic starting to pick up now that you have these tutorials?

Good question! We have sold two of the drawing tutorials in the first few hours, but I still need to go through and alter the "tutorials" page where the free stuff is so that there is an obvious link to find the ones you have to pay for. Currently there is no link there connecting the two.
I think once I get a lot more out there and our website reflects the new products, things should really start hopping!

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

I have recieved some encouraging feedback, here and in other places online about the video tutorials, so I think I will go ahead and make some more in depth videos on animating in Flash. The new ones will not be free, but should be well worth the money!

Let me know what subjects you would like to see tutorials on!

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

Great

The tutorials were great. It is my goal to learn Flash this year and these would be exactly the type of videos I would like. I'm the type of person that enjoys learning from others more than books and with the videos I feel like I got that someone there.

only one question, I believe you work on a Mac. Are the key commands the same on a Mac and PC? Most of the time they aren't (exactly).

if not you might want to say, hey PC guys , figure out your own commands.

great job and I would definitely use these.

good point about the hot key command buttons. I actually took that into account although I could do a better job. Yes, I am on a mac, but I realize the majority of the world is on a PC, so when I said what the hotkeys were in the tutorial, I was actually giving them for a PC. But I think from now on, I will say both, or give a disclaimer at the beginning for the mac crowd that whenever I say "control" they should use the "apple/command" key instead.

Great feedback!

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

Another idea is to have an equivalency chart image as a "reference" on the same page as the tutorials that you know mention shortcuts.

Ah, that's a good idea! So mention on the web page: these are the hot keys that will be used during the tutorial: (and list them)
That way people will get a heads up and also have a place to look back to for reference!

Good concept!

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

Oops , I had that backwards.

key commands are so helpful!

it's unfortunate that all the key commands don't seem to jive with the two. Some commands that are simple with the Mac I've had a hard time trying to figure out on the PC.

Mac commands are much easier(which kills me when I get home).

I have recieved some encouraging feedback, here and in other places online about the video tutorials, so I think I will go ahead and make some more in depth videos on animating in Flash. The new ones will not be free, but should be well worth the money!

Let me know what subjects you would like to see tutorials on!

If you are going to be doing a two hour piece, you should charge no more than sixtyfive dollars but you can go as low as you wont to go.

If you are going to be doing a two hour piece, you should charge no more than sixtyfive dollars but you can go as low as you wont to go.

Personally, I sure hope my tutorials never get to be 2 hours long! The download time alone for something that big is a scary thought!
Is someone charging that kind of money for a tutorial somewhere currently? Better be a lot of info crammed in those 2 hours!

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

always good

As usual good info, very helpful stuff.Your website is becoming more and more robust everytime I stop by! Thanks from the other animators who aspire to be as good as they can be and with help from guys like you, its a shorter process.Still a long process, but a bit more streamlined.:)

As usual good info, very helpful stuff.Your website is becoming more and more robust everytime I stop by!

Thanks for noticing the robust-ness of the site! That's what I am going for. I want it to be a valuable resource to those who are learning flash and animation!

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com

I've been hovering around for a while, not posting, busy as heck, and finally took the time to come find this thread again and check out your site again/more.

--wow--

I'm about to teach Flash animation for the second semester of multimedia, populated largely by 9th graders. Your mouth comp system alone is much easier/simpler/faster than the swap symbols method.

I notice it favors internet animation since the eyeblink uses a movie clip symbol, but that could be adjusted for output to video with no trouble. My kids are headed in that direction anyway.

I just sent you email at your site asking permission to use the comp system in my lesson plans. I'm going to have a great time putting together a sample for the kids to work with. I also watched the free video on animating using symbols. I had some ideas in that direction, and have used it with the kids some, but nothing as smooth and simple as what you have. Lots of cool new tricks to use and teach.

Big thanks. Best part of my day.

Cartoon Thunder
There's a little biker in all of us...

hey, glad you found the info helpful! Wish I could take credit for the comp system! I only learned about that a year ago, and was kicking myself for not knowing how to use it the past 4 years I was doing flash!

Flash Character Packs, Video Tutorials and more: www.CartoonSolutions.com