What is the best Flash developer/scripter?

Posted somewhere else, but maybe her I get the best response from ya'all :)?

For some projects (mainly online advertising) I want to know from the Flash community itself what a good flash designer and flash scripter must know to do. Could you all let me know what basic knowledge you must have to call yourself the best? How do I select the best?

Think about the following questions:
> What programmes you must master?
> What graphic skills must you have?
> What technical knowlegde must you have?
> What personal skills are required?
> What differences do you think there are between the best flash designer and the best flash scripter?
> etc. etc:

Many thanks tour your response(s)!
Pam.

You also posted this in the Boardroom. Please refrain from posting the same thing in multiple forums.

Be patient and be a good listener.

Careful how often you post, the first three letters of your name might give someone ideas. :)


Think about the following questions:
> What programmes you must master?
One would need to master the adobe flash authoring tool. Understanding script flow vs. the timeline is crucial. There are other 3rd party tools that compile flash but I'd wait until the limitations of the authoring tool drive you to use them.
Flash movies should be thought of overlays for real content in which case you are always going to need to be familiar with your shell be it a browser or a kiosk. For now you need a good grasp of how flash movies get displayed in a browser but as your needs for quality grow, you'll need to gain an understanding of xhtml, css, and javascript.

> What graphic skills must you have?
A flash programmer doesn't really need any but what really sets the best apart is a background in information design. Remember, its the information super highway, not the animation super highway. Don't bury the info under useless animation. A clear understanding of typography, negative space and contrast come in very handy.

A flash animator must have exemplary vector graphics skills. An understanding of how objects come together is crucial to pulling off certain effects.

> What technical knowlegde must you have?
The best flash experiences come from and understanding of bandwidth and how it varies among users. Gearing your movies to work under any situation will set you apart from timeline wannabes. Preloading and external resource management are paramount.

> What personal skills are required?
You need to be a self motivator. A true master is never satisfied with good enough. It's not something you do from 9 to 5. It's a constant, but rewarding journey. It also helps to be able to break complex problems into bite size pieces.

> What differences do you think there are between the best flash designer and the best flash scripter?
A designer likely has lots of background in motion graphics, timing, color, impact and spacial relationships.

A scripter needs to able to break down said animations into dynamic data-driven event based playback as needed.

Sorry for posting multiple times. Tried to delete. but that's not possible?

Any one other ideas?

Thanks!
Pam

Wow, Jaquan, that was a very informative, thoughtful post that touched efficiently on the key points.
You shall now be punished for posting it in the CL.
Release the hounds!

I know I'm impressed by that answer.

jAQUAN - not just a pretty face.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bannerson

Any one other ideas?
Thanks!
Pam

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ummm... what more are you looking for aside from the 'lenghtly' answer you got from jAQUAN: (not just a pretty face) ;)

What programmes you must master?

notepad and paint

What graphic skills must you have?

be better than clip art

What technical knowlegde must you have?

how to cheat in minesweeper and avoid the monster in skiFree

What personal skills are required?

ability to type

What differences do you think there are between the best flash designer and the best flash scripter?

one likes to draw one likes to code

phew. I need a beer

I'm much to lazy for all that typing. Amazon has some great books.

anyone else find his name to be foreshadowing?

rofl that question is as impresive as your post count (never saw that before)