- FAQ - Overview
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- FAQ - Graphic Design and Formatting
- FAQ - Flash Animation Development
- FAQ - Audio
- FAQ - Video
- FAQ - 3rd Party Software Solutions
What is flash animation design?
Flash is created using Adobe Flash Software Program which create a raw file format in .fla and a finished flash format in .swf. The finished flash format of .swf (shockwave) requires a Flash player to view on a web browser. Flash player are available for download for free at Adobe.com. Flash is a highly compressed file format that combines pictures and sound together to make up a flash movie format.
Is flash format search engine friendly?
Not yet. Since flash format is not part of the approve set of Internet Standards, it is not legible to search engines. However, search engines have tried or continue to try to accommodate flash formatted web sites within their search engine system in the past but have not been fully successful due to the complexity of its layers. There have been talks that this is happening soon but they are only rumors.
Why should I use Flash on my web site?
Flash is interactive therefore, it is very impressive to your online audience. It is highly compressed, therefore, it loads quite fast. It is displayed in high resolution vector format, therefore, it provide quality graphics without the long load time. It has sounds thus making it more informative to viewers that are too lazy to read. Flash is ideal for web sites who already have a captured market meaning, you have a big volume of registered users or large customer base that you can invite to view your web site content. Otherwise, we don't recommend it due to flash requiring a flash player and mostly because it is not search engine friendly.
I've seen videos in flash format, please explain how that works?
Movies can be streamed to the viewer using Flash program. Flash player is a lot like a movie player - there are many movie players out there - most commonly used one is Window Media Player. To play a movie in Windows Media Player, you need to format your video as .wmv. The only problem with using movie players is that the video has to be fully downloaded before it even plays on your choice of video / movie player. With flash, the video immediately starts to play within a few seconds of the download process because it does not require for the entire movie to be downloaded prior to playing the video. This is referred to as flash streaming videos. Please note that movie players are not Internet standards therefore, flash player is just one of many players that we can choose to play the video and since it is one of the most common players around, it only makes sense that we utilize it the most.
Do I have any say on how I want my flash animation to be designed?
Of course! In fact, even before we begin any flash work, we will need to create a storyboard of the flash animation prior to starting the work. This will help determine the work to be done. Planning is key to any design work - whether it be web design, graphic or flash animation.
How long does it take to create a custom flash design?
This depends on how extensive the project is. It also depends on how prepared you are when presenting the project to our designers. The better prepared you are the faster and less costly it will be for you.
Do you provide stock photos that we can use for our custom flash animation?
Yes. We have a library of stock photos that will be available to your flash and graphic designers for their use and reference, however, it none of our stock photos is to your approval, it might be necessary to purchase them from a third party source. Please note that we have millions of stock photos so it will be kind of hard not to like them all.
Do I own the finished flash animation?
Yes, of course. You own the raw flash files as well as the finished flash files. You own everything that we finish on your behalf.
Do you provide a backup copy of the raw and finished flash file?
Yes, of course. This is in case, you lose your copy, we always keep a copy on your behalf at no additional cost to you. Please note, however, that we only keep a copy for a certain length of time. We do not guarantee that a copy will be available to you for an indefinite period of time. In most cases, we do keep a file copy indefinitely, but there is no guarantee.
What I need to modify the finished flash animation at a later date?
We charge by the hour for the time it takes to modify the finished flash animation. The hourly rate depends on whether you are participating in our Management Program or not.
Web Design Resources: Important Notes to Consider
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