Screen Based Communication

To say at the beginning of this project that I was a Flash novice would be like saying that Hitler was a slightly unfriendly fellow. More accurately, I would be inclined to throw well-documented psychological condition of “Flash-Phobia” into the equation. At the beginning of this project, the mere mention of the programme would alight a deep-seated, primeval fear in my very soul, but where I stand now, with the whole grueling experience behind me, I can only feel enriched by my newfound knowledge.

My first right decision of this project was finding a subject about which I was passionate – books - and managed to channel my own condescending arrogance into creating something that could be seen as useful. The idea of opening the eyes of the “I’m too cool to read” and the “I’ll wait for the movie” people to the benefits reading can have on all aspects of their life, was motivation enough for me to keep moving forward.

I found salvation from the highly concentrated computer sessions in the form of character design. This for me was my biggest success and I still don’t tire of looking at little book Harry and Lord Ignorance flying around the page on their broomsticks. After six weeks of looking at my own illustrations, day in, day out, managing to still laugh at the work makes me think it must be, at some levels, a success. For me, I think these simple characters offered a way for me to escape back to my comfort zone away from the harsh, unforgiving light of the computer monitor.

If you’d told me 6 weeks ago that I would soon feel comfortable using Flash, I would have laughed in disbelief, but now, though some divine miracle I not only feel comfortable using the programme, but am starting to enjoy it.

Through the entirety of the Flash evening course I seemed to be constantly a week behind everyone else in the class, but this didn’t seem to be much of an issue. I can now proudly state that I can complete both motion and shape tweens, as well animating frame by frame. I feel comfortable using movie clips, buttons and graphics, and its all the more satisfying because I had to try hard to learn these things.

Not only has this project added another much needed string to my bow, but also awoken my hunger for learning. Learning to do something, prior to which I was completely ignorant and unwilling to try, has helped me remember that I can learn new things if I try hard enough and made me remember that exploration is the key to success.

If I never leave my comfort zone, how am I meant to ever achieve anything?