Due Saturday, March 17 at 9:30 a.m.
Background: In this assignment you'll explore the potential of Flash 5 for presenting a story in singular, linear sequence, with the possibility of embellishments or side variations. This will be a necessary first step before launching into all-out interactivity for the final two assignments. Assignment 3 also offers a chance to apply some of the ideas we've encountered in Hamlet on the Holodeck with regard to storytelling in multiple media.
Task: Create a Flash movie that tells a story, using moving images, sound, and text. Include significant optional variations that can be accessed by the user.
- Story
- This term refers to a causally or thematically related series
of events told or shown from a particular point of view.
- Moving images
- This term can refer most simply to static graphics that come
in and out of view through some visual effect such as a dissolve
(as in cinematic montage); or it may involve animation
or video, depending on your ambition and aesthetic.
You should probably use a variety of visual techniques.
- Note: If you use the Media Lab to produce or edit material for this assignment, you may have to complete required training on the equipment first. You should not ask Crissa Holder Smith or Media Lab assistants to teach you audio or video software. You must agree to be responsible for loss or breakage of any equipment you borrow.
- Note: If you use the Media Lab to produce or edit material for this assignment, you may have to complete required training on the equipment first. You should not ask Crissa Holder Smith or Media Lab assistants to teach you audio or video software. You must agree to be responsible for loss or breakage of any equipment you borrow.
- Variations
- Every project must include at least two buttons or rollovers
through which the user can access additional content during the movie.
(To borrow a non-interactive example, think about Pop-Up Video.)
You may add more than two such elements and you may also experiment with forms
of behavior such as randomly-triggered frame actions--though at
this point, only clickable or rollover buttons are required.
- Try to make your variations as interesting and meaningful as possible. Ideally they will add an important dimension to the story.
- Also be sure your variation cues are clearly apparent to the user, though ideally without intruding too heavily on the main presentation.
- Try to make your variations as interesting and meaningful as possible. Ideally they will add an important dimension to the story.
Conceptual Issues: Should you rely on one medium more than the others to tell your story? If so, which ought to dominate? Is there a way to distribute the narrative across media? What kind of story lends itself to this treatment? What sort of story can you tell in a limited span of time? (See below.)
Requirements: All work must meet the following specifications.
- You may use any window size and aspect ratio that seems practical and appropriate,
including full-screen.
The reference platform for this project is a Pentium II PC at about 400 MHz
connected to the Internet via a T-1--basically, the audio-equipped
machines in the Hypermedia Room.
- Minimum running time must be 30 seconds.
Maximum time will be determined by file size: see the next point.
- The Shockwave export file (.swf) may not exceed two megabytes (2 MB).
Please limit yourself to a single movie for this project.
You'll have the chance to use multiple movies in the last two assignments.
As in Assignment 2, the size restriction applies to the object movie, not the source file, so your authoring version (.fla) may be much larger, especially if you include non-MP3 sound, which will be compressed during export.
- Place three files in the Assignment3 directory within
your personal folder on Crow:
- yourLastName.assn3.fla
- The Flash source file
- yourLastName.assn3.swf
- A Shockwave export of your movie
- Assignment3.htm
- This will be the HTML page generated when you publish your movie.
- Generate a static JPEG image to represent your movie.
Store this graphic in the Assignment3 directory.
If your window size is large, either reduce this image or crop out a detail.
The final graphic may exceed the 300x100 slot currently available on your
index page, but keep things in some sort of proportion.
On your index page,
replace the dummy banner graphic for Assignment 3 with your JPEG.
Edit the associated link so that
it points to Assignment3.htm within your Assignment3 directory.
- Write a brief note about your project in the space provided for it on your index page. Be sure to point out the nature, location, and function of your variation elements.
You have three weeks for this assignment, but don't put off work until the last few days. I recommend starting right away with sketches or storyboards on paper. You should probably also list possible picture sources and media elements.
