Week 6 - Animation And Interactivity

Flash scares me. When I watch examples in labs and lectures I wonder how I will ever successfully pull this assignment off. I enjoyed Photoshop, simply because I’m used to it; Flash on the other hand, is new grounds for me. Hopefully I do a decent job before week 9!

I did come up with a concept, thankfully. After I watched “Are You Emo?” by Quinn Danielis and “Thief” by Andrew Miguel on blackboard, I decided I wanted to create an animation that was funny, with a simple vibe. I’m keeping it simple for I don’t want my expectations to become too high. If I become a master however, perhaps I will work backwards and add any touch-ups and new ideas to the finished product.

My vision consists of two kittens watching the moon, slowly falling in love. They begin to kiss, and roll over the field in lust (nothing sexually hinted here, simply rolling). This action goes on for an awkward length, when suddenly you hear a voice of a third cat. It happens to be the male cat’s girlfriend, scolding him for cheating on her. The video ends with the cat’s girlfriend ranting about the situation to the two awkward cats caught in the act.

It is random, I’m aware. Yet I believe the randomness is what will make the Flash movie enjoyable. I actually came up with this concept when watching cat videos on Youtube (i.e. “Two Cats In Love”). I chose cats simply because I think two cats rolling around in grass embracing each other is funny. I will have to research the details on what a cat looks like, and their movements for the video. Having realistic characters in a non-realistic setting adds to the comedy. Although if the vision doesn’t work out, I may change the cats to a different type of animal.

My idea is going to take many hours in the lab. Because I’m a rookie, I will have to master these tutorial handouts quickly before the due date. The techniques used in Flash (i.e. quality buttons, tweens, animation, sound) depend on how quickly I develop these skills and what works and doesn’t work with my layout.

Additional Sources
Petrou, Laurie. "Motion Graphics". Lecture. Ryerson University, Toronto. 13 Oct. 2009.
"YouTube - Two Cats In Love." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7VMwsAsUI&feature=PlayList&p=6C233A0FC4F7A95A&index=9