Design Animated Text
Flash and Typography

Click on the image above to view a lyrical Flash presentation created by Raymond Rocan from Quebec, Canada.

To capture your target audience, you sometimes need to create motion on your page. You can add interest with animated graphics, of course, but don't forget that type can move, too. And Macromedia Flash is probably the most effective and the most widely used tool for adding movement.

This course teaches you how to turn type into high quality motion graphics, adding visual excitement to your pages. A good design sense, a feeling for type and a knowledge of Flash can make all this easier. In this course, a series of type projects will give you the opportunity to build your portfolio with creative visual communications.

Instructor:
Margaret Penney is a teacher, designer, writer and media artist...
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Course Developers:
David Witt is a San Francisco based new media artist and multimedia designer... get bio
David Holzman is an illustrator, graphic designer, painter, and educator ... get bio

Create interesting text compositions in Flash using an understanding of letterform anatomy and basic type animation principles.

Compensate for the low resolution of Web text and capitalize on its flexibility and interactive qualities.

Create an animation that illustrates the properties of letterforms, and apply frame animations and shape tweens.

Apply the type encapsulation technique to streamline text animation work and extend the range of properties that can be displayed.

Create an attractive, animated text logo that contains motion tweens and encapsulated letters.

Prepare expressive type designs based on the personality of a typeface and using letter spacing techniques.

Plan an animated type design and present it with a Flash-based motion blueprint, considering aspects of typography movement.

Develop a polished Flash animation that is focused on typography and employs a range of type, motion, and management techniques.

Outline:

LESSON 1 Bringing Movement to the Web We talk about letterforms and the value of adding motion to static type. You'll learn how to move and morph type.

LESSON 2 Beyond the Frames The object of motion graphics that include letterforms or typography is to create or release controlled visual energy — motion which communicates an effective message. We explore a case study which combines several letters to create an animated logo.

LESSON 3 Frames of Mind How do type characteristics affect mood? In this lesson, we discuss using elements such as size, weight, color, and spacing to put the viewer into a desired frame of mind. Your final project will result in a portfolio-quality work sample.

Tuition: $421 US