Upcoming Classes

Adobe Flash CS4: Video Development

Course Prerequisites

• Have completed the Flash CS4: Rich Content Creation course or have equivalent experience.
• Have completed the Flash CS3: ActionScript course or have equivalent experience.
• Have experience working with video (recommended).

Course Objectives

After taking this course you should be able to perform the following tasks:

• Encode video for use in different scenarios
• Deliever video through the Flash Media Server
• Add Flash Video effects to your media
• Create your own media player
• Stream live video

Course Outline

Unit 1: Course Overview

• Getting familiar with the course methodology and format
• Understanding the course objectives
• Understanding the course prerequisites
• Viewing the course outline

Unit 2: Introducing Flash Video

• Defining streaming
  
• Defining digital video
• Understanding key Flash Video concepts
• Looking at the evolution of Flash Video
• Viewing Flash Video market adoption statistics
• Examining the streaming video market
  
• Identifying key benefits of Flash Video over traditional media
• Introducing the Flash Media Server for streaming video
  

Unit 3: Building Component Based Media Players using Flash CS4

• Understanding the Flash Video development workflow
  
• Building a media player with the FLVPlayback component
• Building a media player with FLVPlayback Custom UI components
• Using components and events to control video playback
• Building a playlist and video picker
• Skinning FLVPlayback Custom UI components
  

Unit 4: Encoding Flash CS4 Video

• Understanding the Flash Video formats
• Introducing CODECs and video encoding
  
• Converting to FLV using the Flash Video Encoder
• Understanding the new video formats Flash CS4 (including High Definition)
• Understanding bandwidth and data rate
• Using advanced encoding settings
• Adding cue points, cropping, and trimming
• Using encoding best practices

Unit 5: Delivering Flash Video

• Understanding video delivery options
• Comparing Embedded and Progressive Download
• Streaming Flash Video
  
• Using Flash Video Streaming Services
• Using Flash Media Server
  

Unit 6: Reviewing ActionScript

• Reviewing ActionScript basics
• Using Media Components properties
• Using Media Component methods
• Handling Media component events
• Using ActionScript to control the Media components

Unit 7: Building a Custom Media Player

• Understanding the process for building a custom media player
• Learning the ActionScript required for streaming
• Creating a connection to the server
• Controlling and managing streams
  
• Introducing and using the embedded Video object
• Adding video playback filters
  
• Using the Sound class to manage audio
• Listening and responding to stream events
  

Unit 8: Adding Flash Video effects

• Understanding filters, blends, and masks
• Masking the FLVPlayback component
  
• Importing alpha channels with video
  
• Creating a Flash movie that uses video with alpha channels
• Understanding differences between author-time and run-time effects
• Embedding the FLVPlayback component inside a MovieClip
• Using blend modes
• Using ActionScript to apply filters

Unit 9: Enhancing the User Experience

• Understanding the importance of the user experience
• Creating auto detection for bandwidth, Flash Player version, and connection speed
  
• Creating playback controls
  
• Using full screen playback
• Creating error handling

Unit 10: Working with Cue Points and User Accessibility

• Introducing embedded cue points
  
• Understanding accessibility issues for video playback
• Adding closed captioning
• Listening for keyboard events
• Controlling video with keyboard commands

Unit 11: Using Live Video

• Introducing live video
• Using the live video encoder
• Setting the live encoder
• Recording a live stream
• Playing a live stream
• Creating bandwidth strategies
• Introducing Flash Media Encoder 2.5

Fig Leaf has provided training in the following cities: