Chabot College
Fall 2008
Course Outline for Digital Media 38
FLASH ANIMATION
Catalog Description:
38 - Flash Animation
3 units
Introduction to Adobe Flash, an authoring application for creating animation and user interfaces, with
emphasis on combining character animation, dialogue, and music into short animated cartoons
suitable for broadcast or webcast. 2 hour lecture, 4 hours laboratory.
[Typical contact hours: lecture 35, laboratory 70]
Prerequisite Skills: None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. use basic operating system features, including navigation of the desktop, saving and moving files
to various storage media, and adjusting system preferences;
2. launch Flash, navigate and customize its interface, use the tools available on its toolbars and
palettes, and apply commands by means of menus and keyboard shortcuts;
3. use Flash’s drawing tools to create and edit vector images consisting of lines and fills;
4. create and edit symbols, and organize the library in which symbols are stored;
5. import multimedia files, including bitmapped images and audio and video clips;
6. create a Flash movie that fits the technical requirements of broadcast video;
7. accurately synchronize animation to a dialogue or music track;
8. give animated characters smooth, natural, well-paced movement;
9. collaborate with voice actors, writers, and/or musicians as part of the creative process;
10. export a Flash movie in a format suitable for burning to a DVD or streaming over the web.
Course Content:
1. Using basic operating system features, including navigation of the desktop, saving and moving
files to various storage media, and adjusting system preferences.
2. Launching Flash, navigating and customizing its interface, using the tools available on its toolbars
and palettes, and applying commands by means of menus and keyboard shortcuts.
3. Using Flash’s drawing tools to create and edit vector images consisting of lines and fills.
4. Creating and editing symbols, and organizing the library in which symbols are stored.
5. Importing multimedia files, including bitmapped images and audio and video clips.
6. Creating a Flash movie that fits the technical requirements of broadcast video.
7. Accurately synchronizing animation to a dialogue or music track.
8. Giving animated characters smooth, natural, well-paced movement.
9. Collaborating with voice actors, writers, and/or musicians as part of the creative process.
10. Exporting a Flash movie in a format suitable for burning to a DVD or streaming over the web.
Methods of Presentation:
1. Computer demonstrations
Chabot College
Course Outline for Digital Media 38, page 2
Fall 2008
2. Lecture with whiteboard
3. Presentation of sample animations on a TV monitor
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
a. Create an animation storyboard
b. Record and edit a dialogue track
c. Create and test an animated scene
d. Review another student’s animation and give constructive suggestions for improvement
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a. Homework assignments
b. Quizzes and exams, including a final exam
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Adobe Flash CS3 Professional How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques, Mark Schaeffer, Peachpit Press,
Sep 27, 2007
How to Cheat in Flash CS3: The Art of Design and Animation in Adobe Flash CS3, Chris Georgenes,
Focal Press, August 6, 2007
Special Student Materials:
Portable file-storage device, such as a USB flash drive
iFolder\DIGM 38
New: 12/21/07