Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Video Studio Techniques

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Video Studio Techniques

by Robert Reinhardt
Released August 2007
Publisher(s): Adobe Press
ISBN: 9780321480378

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Book description

From pre-production to post, author Rob Reinhardt shares the techniques that make Adobe Flash a powerful tool for sharing video over the Web. With sections on capturing and encoding video, creating and using cue points, working with transparency, and deploying and delivering optimal quality, he covers the information that users need to get started, and then goes in-depth to bring his readers to expert status quickly.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Author
  3. About the Technical Editor
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. I. Introduction
    1. End-to-End Production Know-how
    2. Who Should Read This Book?
    3. What’s in This Book?
    4. What’s on the DVD?
    5. Where Do I Go Beyond This Book?
  6. I. Working Foundations
    1. 1. Pre-production Primer
      1. Designing the Video Experience
        1. Nonfloating rectangular video
        2. Floating rectangular video
        3. Masked video
        4. Chroma-keyed video
        5. Resizable video
      2. Planning Your Video Shoot
        1. Shot list and storyboards
        2. Location scouting
        3. Talent
        4. Wardrobe, props, and other considerations
      3. Selecting Equipment
        1. Video formats
          1. High definition (HD) video
          2. Standard definition (SD) video
        2. Video cameras
          1. Imaging device
          2. Lens quality
          3. Exposure control
        3. Microphones
          1. Balanced audio
          2. Unbalanced audio
        4. Lighting
        5. Tripods and stands
        6. Hard drives and storage
        7. Backdrops
    2. 2. Capturing and Processing Video
      1. Capturing Video
        1. Guidelines for better video captures
          1. Connecting the video device to your computer
          2. Running your video capture program
          3. Specifying a capture location
          4. Initiating the capture process
          5. Saving the clip list
          6. Backing up the capture files and source tape
        2. Video acquisition with Adobe Premiere Pro (Windows only)
          1. Preparing your video device
          2. Creating a new project
          3. Starting a video capture
      2. Processing Video with Adobe After Effects
        1. Rendered video effects vs. real-time Flash effects
        2. Basic video effects
          1. Adjusting color temperature in After Effects
          2. Deinterlacing video with After Effects
    3. 3. Compression Primer
      1. Distinguishing Source Files and Their Differences
        1. Ideal source-file formats
          1. Apple QuickTime (MOV)
          2. Microsoft Video for Windows (AVI)
          3. MPEG
        2. Ideal source-file codecs
          1. DV codec
          2. DVCPro and DVCPro HD codecs
          3. MPEG codecs
          4. Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) codecs
          5. Hardware-specific codecs
      2. Understanding Video File Bitrates
        1. Variations within clip properties
        2. Variations within subject matter
        3. Variations in connection speed
      3. Learning About Player Versions and Codec Options
        1. Sorenson Spark codec (H.263)
          1. Strengths
          2. Weaknesses
          3. When to use it
        2. On2 VP6 codec
          1. Strengths
          2. Weaknesses
          3. When to use it
        3. Screen recording codecs
        4. Audio codecs
      4. Determining Your Video Compression Profiles
        1. Total bitrate
        2. Audio bitrate
        3. Video bitrate
        4. Frame size
        5. Frame rate
        6. Keyframe interval
        7. CBR and VBR encoding
    4. 4. Delivery and Deployment Primer
      1. File Formats: SWF, FLV, and HTML
        1. Embedded video (SWF)
        2. External video (FLV)
        3. Video playback (SWF)
        4. Web page (HTML)
      2. Protocols: HTTP vs. RTMP
        1. HTTP
        2. RTMP
        3. Protocol usage
          1. Encoding parameters
          2. Guaranteed access
          3. Content protection
          4. Online or offline playback
          5. Duration of content
      3. Delivery: Web Server, Flash Media Server, or CDN?
        1. Low-volume Web site with limited video
        2. Low-volume Web site with protected or long content
        3. High-volume Web site with distributable content
        4. High-volume Web site with protected content
      4. Playback: Live Streaming vs. Prerecorded
        1. Requirements for live streaming
        2. Built-in real-time compression
        3. Live streaming video from prerecorded Flash Video
      5. Budgets: Bandwidth and Transfer Rates
        1. Real-time streaming video
        2. Progressive-download video
        3. Bottom line: estimate your transfer rates
  7. II. Production Essentials
    1. 5. Placing Flash Video on a Web Page
      1. Integrating Flash Video with Dreamweaver
        1. Setting up the FLVPlayer SWF
        2. Detecting Flash Player with SWFObject
        3. Using ExpressInstall with SWFObject
      2. Playing Video with Flash CS3 Components
        1. Picking a Flash Player version
        2. Playing video with the FLVPlayback component for Flash Player 9
          1. Building an FLV player with authortime-assigned FLV
          2. Creating an FLV player with an HTML-assigned FLV
        3. Using the FLVPlayback component for Flash Player 8
          1. Making an FLV Player with an authortime-assigned FLV
          2. Creating an FLV player with an HTML-assigned FLV
        4. Navigating the MediaPlayback component for Flash Players 6 and 7
          1. Making an FLV player with an authortime-assigned FLV
          2. Constructing an FLV player with an HTML-assigned FLV
      3. Gathering Files for Deployment
        1. Dreamweaver Flash Video Player
        2. FLVPlayback for Flash Player 9
        3. FLVPlayback for Flash Player 8
        4. MediaPlayback for Flash Player 7
    2. 6. Exploring the FLVPlayback Components
      1. Overview of the Components
      2. Configuring the Component
        1. For the FLVPlayback component (AS3)
        2. For the FLVPlayback component (AS2)
      3. Enhancing Playback with Cue Points
        1. Planning cue point usage
          1. Cue point types
          2. Cue point behavior
        2. Creating embedded cue points
          1. Adobe Flash CS3 Video Encoder
          2. Sorenson Squeeze
          3. On2 Flix Pro
        3. Implementing embedded cue points
      4. Dynamically Placing Video on the Stage
        1. Building solutions with ActionScript 2.0
          1. Attaching an instance on the first frame
          2. Loading a preview Image
        2. Producing results with ActionScript 3.0
          1. Creating an instance on the first frame
          2. Loading a preview image
      5. Modifying Skins
        1. Creating a modified FLVPlayback skin for Flash Player 8
        2. Revising a FLVPlayback skin for Flash Player 9
      6. Building a Player with Custom UI Components
    3. 7. Building Your Own Video Player
      1. Making a Connection
        1. ActionScript 2.0—Progressive Download Video
        2. ActionScript 2.0—Real-time Streaming Video
        3. ActionScript 3.0—Progressive Download Video
        4. ActionScript 3.0—Real-time Streaming Video
      2. Building Basic Playback Controls
        1. Pausing the Video on Load
          1. ActionScript 2.0
          2. ActionScript 3.0
        2. Adding Play and Pause Buttons
          1. ActionScript 2.0
          2. ActionScript 3.0
      3. Reading Metadata from a Flash Video
        1. ActionScript 2.0
        2. ActionScript 3.0
    4. 8. Integrating Multiple Bitrates
      1. Knowing When to Offer More than One Bitrate
      2. Determining Which Bitrates to Offer
        1. Content Scaling
        2. Content Quality
        3. Connection Speeds
        4. Capacity
      3. Preparing SMIL Files
      4. Calculating Available Bandwidth
        1. Placing Bandwidth Bets over RTMP
          1. Installing the Server-Side Script
          2. Setting up the FLVPlayback Component
        2. Estimating Bandwidth over HTTP
          1. Monitoring Download Speed with ActionScript 2.0
          2. Calculating Download Speed with ActionScript 3.0
      5. Enabling Dynamic Buffering with a Real-time Stream
        1. Dual Buffering with ActionScript 2.0
        2. Dual Buffering with ActionScript 3.0
  8. III. Creative Explorations
    1. 9. Building a Video Index and Playlist
      1. Making a Marker Index for Video
        1. Retrieving cue point data
        2. Creating buttons for each cue point
        3. Changing the button color during playback
      2. Building a Video Playlist
        1. Determining an XML schema
        2. Loading the playlist
      3. Playing Video Ads during a Video Feature
        1. Defining the XML schema
        2. Instantiating the PlaylistManager class
    2. 10. Constructing Banner Ads and Captioned Videos
      1. Coding a Video Banner Ad
        1. Reviewing the technical requirements
        2. Surveying the assets
        3. Controlling playback of the interactive ad
        4. Adding captions to the ad
          1. Reviewing Captionate’s XML schema
          2. Implementing the custom Captions class
      2. Controlling Captions with Timed Text XML
        1. Understanding the Timed Text schema
        2. Integrating the FLVPlaybackCaptioning component
    3. 11. Constructing an Interactive Video Host
      1. Planning the User Interface
        1. Understanding the business objectives
        2. Reviewing the technical requirements
        3. Surveying the production requirements
      2. Producing the Video Footage
        1. Shooting the video
          1. Reviewing the equipment and costs
          2. Rolling the tape
        2. Editing the video
        3. Processing the footage in After Effects
      3. Encoding the Flash Video
        1. Establishing specifications
        2. Adding cue points
      4. Developing the ActionScript 3.0 Code Base
        1. Core Classes
          1. DraggableWord class
          2. WordCollection class
          3. VideoWords class
        2. Document Class
    4. 12. Delivering a Reliable Video Experience
      1. Creating a Deployment Plan
        1. Defining progressive enhancement
        2. Examining the technical requirements
        3. Assessing the production requirements
      2. Encoding the Flash Video
        1. Establishing specifications
        2. Improving the source video file
          1. Telecine and 3:2 pulldown explained
          2. Removing 3:2 pulldown in Adobe After Effects
          3. Extracting an audio track in MPEG Streamclip
        3. Determining Encoding Profiles
          1. High-quality 800 Kbps
          2. High-quality 500 Kbps
          3. Medium-quality 300 Kbps
          4. Low-quality 44 Kbps
        4. Creating the compression presets in Sorenson Squeeze
      3. Developing the Video Player
        1. FLA files
          1. ExpressInstall file
          2. Poster file
          3. Video player file
        2. Core Classes
          1. ReliableVideo class
          2. ApolloPoster and Poster classes
          3. ExpressInstall class
        3. ReliableVideoExample document class
      4. Customizing the Video Experience with HTML and JavaScript
        1. HTML and CSS
        2. SWFObject Revisited
        3. ExternalInterface and JavaScript
  9. Appendices
    1. A. Software Installation
      1. Adobe Software
      2. Flash Video Encoders
      3. Flash Video Utilities
        1. QuickTime software
        2. Adobe FLVCheck Tool
        3. Captionate
      4. Public-Domain Video
    2. B. Flash Video Project Checklist
    3. C. Encoding Flash Video
      1. Overview of Common Features and Workflow
        1. Major Compression Controls
        2. Other Factors
      2. Comparing Video Encoders
      3. Other Flash Video Utilities
        1. QuickTime Export Components
        2. On-Demand Compression
        3. Open Source Tools
        4. Caption Tools
    4. D. Troubleshooting Flash Video

Product information

  • Title: Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Video Studio Techniques
  • Author(s): Robert Reinhardt
  • Release date: August 2007
  • Publisher(s): Adobe Press
  • ISBN: 9780321480378