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Originally published at Internet.comWant to know what not to do when working with Flash Video? We turned to one of the country's top Flash Video trainers and asked him what problems his students routinely had. The answers could save you time and frustration.
James Gonzalez
As a Flash Video trainer who's taught in classrooms, in books, and in online tutorials, James Gonzalez has had a lot of experience getting students to master Flash. He's a professor at College of Marin, in California, and the author of Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Hands-on Training, published by Peachpit Press. He's also written tutorial articles for InformIt.com.
With that background, Gonzalez was clearly the best person to tell us the pitfalls, misconceptions, and stumbling blocks that new video makers typically have with Flash Video. 1. Video Capture Is the Real Difficulty
When teaching, Gonzalez often sees that capturing video gives his students far more problems that converting it. Getting the digital video they want into a format that can be encoded is the bigger headache. Often, students approach him with a commercial DVD and ask how they can get the content onto their sites. Gonzalez then needs to educate them about video formats-and digital rights.
2. Good Encoding Starts During Filming
In order for Flash Video to playback smoothly, it needs to have been shot well in the first place. That means using a still background, so that there's no extra movement, and avoiding colors that don't translate well.
3. You Can't Edit While Encoding
Because encoding tools are used to create online video, people often assume that they can be used for editing, as well. For the most part, they can't. While Adobe's standalone Flash Video encoder lets people make simple trims off the front or back of a clip, it doesn't offer true editing, and neither do the other encoders. For that, you'll need a separate editing tool.
4. Flash Video Is All You Need to Offer
People often assume that video formats like Apple QuickTime or Microsoft Windows Video have a broader reach than Flash, and that they should offer their clips in multiple formats. That's not true, says Gonzalez: Flash is nearly universal in Web browsers, so Flash Video is the only format you need to offer.
5. Correct Storage Is Key
By far the most common problem Gonzalez sees people having with Flash Video involves how the files are stored. People new to Flash Video typically assume that the video file should be kept in the same directory as the player. Do that and your video will play locally, but break when loaded online. Before students can get their videos to play, they need to understand Flash Video folder structure and how to link their videos.
Despite the hurdles, Gonzalez says, it's all worth it when students see their Flash Videos online. It's empowering for them to see their work available so quickly and easily, which, naturally, inspires them to go create more video.
Author: Troy Dreier
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