In a previous post I talked about the possibility of including “Flashcasts” in the re-launch of this site. Numerous people have asked; What is a Flashcast? In brief a Flashcast is a short Macromedia Flash Movie. It can play by itself as a .SWF file (Shockwave Flash File) or with the SWF imbedded in a HTML document. If you have surfed the web much at all you have seen numerous Flash files as multimedia advertisements on many popular websites.
Flash is a timeline based animation program that produces small file size “movies” with sound, graphics, photos and even video. With a proper plug-in they will play in any web browser and on most cell phones and PDA’s. The definition of a Flashcast is a short Flash production that tells a story or conveys a message.
In this case I think an example will be worth at least a thousand words. I have created numerous Flash movies in the past for numerous clients and organizations. They are designed to tell a story or sell a product.
The following link will take you to a page featuring four Flash animations. Each one has a different twist.
1. Zoom Zoom: Created for the San Diego Miata Club, this short promo movie illustrates the concept of “Zoom-Zoom.”
2. Twilight Dreams: The story of 80 Miatas driving off into the twilight.
3. Spinner: The Song and Poetry of an adventure around Orange Show Speedway
4. Downhill Heroes: Soapbox Derby Racing at its best
I would love to hear your feedback on the application of Flash movies in a blog application.
Enjoy!
