[FONT=Times New Roman]Hello![/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]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.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]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.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]Following is a written description of the elements that will make up the website, along with links that visually exemplify the ideas:[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• There will be an icon in address bar (company logo). [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman](example: Yahoo!; I think I may be able to use [URL=“http://www.chami.com/tips/internet/110599I.html”]this tutorial to accomplish this.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• Window size fills the entire browser space (example: Dreamgirls).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman](Will [http://www.kirupa.com/developer/flash5/fullscreen.htm"]this tutorial](http://www.kirupa.com/developer/flash5/fullscreen.htm) teach this?) [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• Graphic while site is loading / countdown (ex: Check out the cryptex used as a loader on The Da Vinci Code 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).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]I was not able to find a tutorial for this upon first search… And what exactly is this device called?[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]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?[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]Some examples: The Da Vinci Code (Da Vinci Gallery page), [URL=“http://incrediblehulk.marvel.com/index_flash.html”]The Incredible Hulk and especially this [URL=“http://www.avp-r.com/US/”]AVP-R 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 [URL=“http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/”]The Dark Knight website.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]- Of course I’d like to place a customary option to “Skip Intro” for those in a hurry – this is easy, right?[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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. I would also like to place a moving animated figure just above the logo, if not too much trouble.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]- 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 (any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages) for examples.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• The Site Menu animates into construction accompanied by sound effects (example: The menu at the bottom of the screen on the King Kong 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.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• Same background song for entire site. (I have no clue as to how to load music.)[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• Option to turn Sound off or on (as an “audio” icon, see at the top of the screen on the Ocean’s 13 site).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• Links within menu light up / glow (with sound effect) upon mouse-over, and sparks fly off (see the 30 Days of Night menu).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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 site, particularly the Command Ctr. link).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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). Background music fades down when the video content is activated.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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 > Photo Gallery page, also the effect of the reddish moving image accompanying the navigation menu on the [URL=“http://www.avp-r.com/US/”]AVP-R site, which “flips” when you move your mouse around.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]- Any text on the current page will explode (accompanied by a sound effect).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]- Background layers forming the page will separate and fade out (see The Dark Knight website, when choosing different links from the navigation menu).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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 and [URL=“http://www.themummy.com/”]The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor websites).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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 [any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages] and [URL=“http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/”]The Dark Knight website, when choosing different links from the navigation menu).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]- Light effects (“smoke” or “ocean floor lights”) infiltrate each layer (see effects on The Da Vinci Code [any of the backgrounds in the Characters pages], and [URL=“http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/pirates/atworldsend/”]Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End > Cast & Crew section).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]- Flash elements particular to each page (see any of the links on The Dark Knight website [e.g., fire, etc]).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]- 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 website).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]- 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 site, particularly the Command Ctr. link).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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 site).[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]• 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?[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]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.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]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![/FONT]
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