Combining traditional techniques with digital media.

To create this poster I used the traditional technique of photography and with that I was able, with computer software, to cut up the images and combine them, add vector images, a gradient and using the brush tool add more grass to the image. Without combining the two techniques I would not be able to create an image like this.

I took these rubbing using a graphite stick so that I could scan them into the computer and create some textures from them. these textures can then be used in my work.

This is an example of the type of patterns and textures that can be created using this method. The advantage of creating patterns and textures this is that the same effect cannot be created using only a computer.

The advantages of tweening, in contrast to frame by frame animation.

One of the main advantages of using Flash for animation is tweening. Tweening is a proses that the computer performs, the computer fills in the frames between key-frames to create a smooth motion. In contrast to this the traditional way of animating, frame by frame, takes a lot longer and can be less smooth and precise as the more modern alternative option.

Creating a tween.

The first step to creating a tween is to have your object, if it is a bitmap image it will have to be converted into a movie clip (F8).

In frame 1 create your object, in this case I am using a cycle from the shape menu.

 The next step is to go to the the frame that you would like you movement to end at and on this fame create a new key frame. With the needle on this frame reposition the object to the end position of the movement.

To create the tween right click on a frame between frame 1 and the newly created key fame. a dropdown menu will appear and from this menu click "create classic tween", by doing this the flash will fill in all of the frames and crate a smooth movement.

This is a very powerful tool as in contrast to traditional "frame by frame" animation this tool can dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to create the animation, and it is also very accurate in filling in the frames.

Creating the robot.

The next step for this comic was to make the character. To do this,in Photoshop, I made each part of the robot and imported them individually to the library.

 Over ten frames I import the separate parts of the robot. For the moving parts at frame five I create a new key frame with them in their different position and in frame ten return them to their original position, I then tween the key frame to make the movements move smooth.

 To make the moving parts of the robot repeat, I add an action to frame ten that says return to frame one. By adding this action I can tween the robot across the main stage, with it moving, until I get to frame 59 on the main stage where I add the action below.

 On frame 59 of the main stage I add an action that says as follows:

robot.gotoAndStop (11), this makes the robot stage go to its frame 11 and stop. At frame 11 within the robot stage there is a still of the robot in a standing position with a speech bubble and some text.

stop(), this action will stop all the animation within the main stage. This means that the street lamp on the backdrop will stop moving across the stage.


robot.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fl_ClickToGoToAndPlayFromFrame_2);


function fl_ClickToGoToAndPlayFromFrame_2(event:MouseEvent):void
{
robot.gotoAndPlay(1);
gotoAndPlay (59)
}
This action says that when the screen is clicked, "robot" goes to frame 1 and play, and on the main stage "go to and play" at frame 59. By using this action once the viewer has read the captions they can click the screen to carry on with the comic.

At frame 90 on the main stage I have tweened the robot to move to the other side of the stage. At frame 90 the robot is about to fly off, so it's arms and legs need to stop moving. To achieve this I add an action that says, "robot. gotoAndStop (12)" at frame 12 within the robot stage there is a still of the robot which is what I need to create the fly effect.

The last part of this scene was to have the robot flying off the stage, to do this I tweened the robot between frames 90 and 123 changing the angle and position.

Adding the back drop.

The backdrop to this part of the comic is a city, so I made some tower blocks in Photoshop and imported them into the Flash library. I made the towers much bigger than the stage as later in the scene they will move across the stage to give the effect of faster movement.

To emphasise the effect of movement I have added a street lamp, which I made in Photoshop, that will move across the stage.

Making the pulsating start screen.

To make the word start pulsate I created a scene that was 60 frame long. At frame 1 the word start was at its smallest. At frame 30 I made a key frame and adjusted the "start" to it's largest, and finally at frame 60 made another key frame and returned "start" to the same size as frame 1. By then tweening these key frames together I crate the pulsing effect as the 60 frames constantly repeat.

Above is a close up of the key frames and the tweening between them.

To make the "start" keep pulsating and the spiral to keep turning until it is clicked I must create an action on the main stage. The action code is above, but in short says that until the screen is clicked return to frame 1 within "start" stage. And once the screen is clicked got to frame 3 on the main stage to continue the rest of the animation/comic.

Creating the turning background

After creating the spiral background I place it into a new 960x640px Flash document. To make the spiral turn I first made it into a move clip, I then made four key frames between each the spiral would turn 45 degrees.