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Thread: New Masters of Flash - Necessity

  1. #1
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    As the first post in this wonderful new topic, just wanted to post a little about the New Masters of Flash book. I got it the other day and have read it cover to cover - I love it. It is (my opinion) a must for anyone who is a pro or who is considering becoming a pro using motion graphics in web design. This book rocks - get it - absorb it!

  2. #2
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    As a reply to the first post in this new board.

    i will like to say, i really want to be a pro, but i dont know where i can find that book.

    do you know if i can buy it in México?

    can you plz, give me the details about this book (Example: Author, etc.....)

    -LisandroG

  3. #3
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    The title is "New Masters of Flash"

    The publisher is "friends of ED" (yep, that's the name!)

    The ISBN is "1-903450-03-9"

    It contains hardcore Flash interviews with 19 pros, tutorials from each of them on how they do a technique that is unique to them, and there are even examples on the accompanying CD-ROM - (CD not as rich as I would have liked, but it is not bad anyway).

    You could probably get it from Amazon.com.

  4. #4
    i really found it to be an autobiography and all their ideas explained... i only liked the video interviews...

    i would disagree, its a not a MUST, rather something to get if someone were particularly interested in one of the authors work.

  5. #5
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    This book however will not make you a pro, you have to do that for yourself, this book wont teach you flash either!

  6. #6
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    Originally posted by GreatGooglyWoogly
    The title is "New Masters of Flash"

    The publisher is "friends of ED" (yep, that's the name!)

    The ISBN is "1-903450-03-9"

    It contains hardcore Flash interviews with 19 pros, tutorials from each of them on how they do a technique that is unique to them, and there are even examples on the accompanying CD-ROM - (CD not as rich as I would have liked, but it is not bad anyway).

    You could probably get it from Amazon.com.
    Thanks

    And FlashGuru, thanks for the warning

  7. #7
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    No it won't make you a pro by any means...but for me it contained a lot of "aha" moments. Little tips and things about manipulating flash that I had not thought about before - like the flashlight effect of Ivo van de Grift - what he basically created there was a gradient mask, and the Swift 3D stuff from Vince Suriani - I thought it was all just great!

    It may be that some may not need it, but for aspiring pros, it is an excellent book!

  8. #8
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    I agree a very good book to sit down and read thourughly, josh's(praystation) chapter is down right cool!

  9. #9
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    Originally posted by GreatGooglyWoogly
    The title is "New Masters of Flash"

    The publisher is "friends of ED" (yep, that's the name!)

    The ISBN is "1-903450-03-9"

    It contains hardcore Flash interviews with 19 pros, tutorials from each of them on how they do a technique that is unique to them, and there are even examples on the accompanying CD-ROM - (CD not as rich as I would have liked, but it is not bad anyway).

    You could probably get it from Amazon.com.
    hey i guess they'll give me the book then?

    ed

  10. #10
    the traveler
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    i thumbed through it a few days ago at a bookstore downtown here. i'm not sure what to think of it yet.. maybe i'll bug my boss to reimburse me for it and then i can have more than 10 minutes to make a judgement.

  11. #11
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    I saw the book as inspirational, but not very practical in any other sense. It gives you a great look at things you may not have known or thought were possible in Flash, but it doesn't really tell you how. Now that I think of it, the writers may have just been showing off... Hmm... I may want my money back.
    -Bill

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    One word fot that Book!

    EXPENSIVE,

    I feel like I'm back in my University Book Store looking for my biology text, the book is like almost 90 dollars at chapters and indigo, INSANE.

    FOR that price you'd want it to make you a pro so you could make your money back LOL

    just read the flashkit boards and TUTS you'll be way more pro by doing that

  13. #13
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    Re: One word fot that Book!

    Originally posted by microcline
    EXPENSIVE,

    I feel like I'm back in my University Book Store looking for my biology text, the book is like almost 90 dollars at chapters and indigo, INSANE.
    yup, how couldd you spend that much to read what other people think about their own work. The only thing I'd like to really see is their special techniques. What was Eric Jordon's technique?

  14. #14
    Senior Member RazoRmedia's Avatar
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    it is expensive, very expensive (UK £43.99), but it contains a lot of good stuff. As mention by flashguru, it won't teach you stuff but it will create inspiration, Reading the background from some of these people, you find out where their inspiration comes from, what motivates them. It will not teach you anything apart from maybe a few ideas but it is more about design than tutorials in my opinion. The idea of this book is to introduce you to these famous flashers, fair enough is does promote them but I found it very interesting. Some tips are given by the designers about specific effects and/or the thinking behind them but they don't tell you how to create their sites in detail because what would be the point? Everyone creates clones of well known sites (look at site check and see threads titled '2advanced clone' or ask jelve or phooka), they want you to gain inspiration, give u an insight into their way of thinking and in my book, thats worth the money alone. I would reccomend it and I only bought it 2 days ago because I read this thread. Cheers GGW, u inspired me to make a great purchase, thanks mate

  15. #15
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    i've looked through that book. i think that was the one where they listed ray of light as http://www.rayoflight.com instead of the actual adress, http://www.rayoflight.net
    or maybe it was a different one... oh well.

  16. #16
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    heh, ray of light might be more inspirational if it had content. he made the site in like 1998 and then gave up on it.

    honestly, i wouldnt want to read about where they get their inspiration from to improve myself. True inspiration needs to be self discovered and not based on other people's theorys.

    Now maybe if they had a book filled with the flas from famous sites...i would buy that! lol

  17. #17
    Ive got new masters and think its a great book.

    It isnt a tutorial / how-to book which is what makes it worthwhile. There are a million other flash how-to books so if you want them you have a huge choice or you can go to sites like flash kit.

    The book should really be called "thinking in flash".
    The author offers some desctiptions and mini tutorials on their techniques which are interesting.
    But the real value of the book is when the authors talk about their process and thinking. In that way its similar to hillman curtis's book - its an insight into the designers world not a training manual.

    Personally I found the praystation and Yugo chapters the most inspiring.

    If you response to seeing yugo's site for the first time was 'how did he do that, I want the fla' - then maybe this book isnt for you (although it does include a yugo fla).
    However if your response was to be inspired and to start to rethink your approcach to interface and interaction - then maybe the book is for YOU.

    actually Im getting rather tired of the 'thats cool - give me the fla', mentality that is spreading through some parts of the flash community. For some people it seems to be less about learning and open source, and more about laziness and unwillingness to learn and expirement.

    If your a proffesional flash designer then the book is worth the money - If your not sure check out the site it has a sample chapter!

    dd


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