Flash Training

We've started our Flash training this week. Our tutor is Nick Butler, a freelance Flash developer currently based in Bristol. He has an impressive portfolio and has been really helpful in improving my ActionScript knowledge. We've been learning ActionScript and today built some basic drop and drag games. Loads of fun. I'm looking forward to working on our next brief. We don't know the details yet but we'll be designing a flash game for young children.

S4C Sgrîn Website Presentation
S4C, Cardiff
Friday 25th November

Although it was a mad rush in the last few days we finally managed to get our site together to present it to S4C. Although we did not quite have enough time to get all the links working, we managed to get all our images and content working from the database using ASP. The hardest part was getting an updatable multiple choice competition that you could edit from the admin section. The site can be viewed at: www.cyfle.co.uk/nmr/dw/ai. (*Sorry, site now offline*).

The presentation to the New Media staff at S4C went well and they seemed impressed by what we had achieved in such a small space of time. There only criticism was that we had used HTML tables in our design rather than external CSS. They showed us some of the sites they had been working on recently and explained the importance of using CSS designed sites, especially in terms of accessibility.

We also got a chance to discuss the areas we would like to work on when we go to S4C for our two-week placements in January. Hopefully we will look into CSS more, learn about video on the web and also look as some flash games.

The Essential Web Accessibility Workshop
Shaw Trust Disability Action Centre, Neath
Monday 21st November

This was a great opportunity to see various equipment disabled people use to surf the web. We were shown screen readers, screen magnifiers, voice-activated software and alternative input methods such as switch access.

It made me realise the importance of designing accessible websites. Although I was already aware of the importance of 'alt' tags and scalable text, I realised how important it is to try to limit the amount of links on each page. For example if there are 100 links on the home page of a site, someone using switch access would need to tab through all the links to reach the last one. It also underlined the importance of CSS, especially to reduce the amount of redundant information that screen readers read.

The Gems
Cineworld - Monday 14th November

We went to see films made on the Animated Gems short film scheme coordinated by Sgrîn Cymru Wales, S4C and SE3D, the Animate it! scheme and by animation students in Wales.

My favourite animation of the night was Astronauts, by Matthew Walker produced as his final piece for his Animation degree at University of Wales, Newport (http://www.animationnewport.co.uk/degree2005/nominations.htm). The 3D animation was particularly well executed and the plot was simple but effective in holding the viewers attention. It also succeeded in getting the best audience reaction.

Our First Brief

We have been given our first brief: to create an online version of a S4C youth magazine. It needs to be easily updated and include mailing list data capture form and a competition page, so the ASP we have been learning is going to come in handy. We only have 2 weeks to complete the project... i'm looking forward to the challenge and just hope we get something working by the end of it.

No Brake & Moseley Webb

We went to visit 2 design companies, No Brake (www.no-brake.com) and Moseley Webb (www.moseleywebb.com) this week. No Brake designed the DVD interface for Rings Around the World (Super Furry Animals, Sony, 2001). They told us about the way in which they went about this task and the technologies they used. The 3D design of the interface combined with transitions between sections won them a New Media BAFTA at the time. Since then they have worked on a variety of other DVD interfaces and now concentrate on motion graphics for TV. It was really interesting getting the opportunity to talk with them about how they approch each project and the kinds of software and technologies they use.

Mosley Webb specialise in multimedia design. Richard Webb showed us a selection of there recent work including a video campaign for the Welsh Assembly, Broadband for Life (www.broadbandforlife.com) and a multimedia presentation envisioning how ID cards may be issued to the public.

HTML, Dreamweaver, ASP...

Currently we are all trying to get to grips with forms and databases using ASP (with a little bit of SQL). It is a steep learning curve for most of us, but satisfying when you finally get it all working.

I have so far managed to get a contact form working (mikeday.co.uk/alice/contact.asp) and started working on designing a secure database login (mikeday.co.uk/alice/admin/login.asp). Both are elements of web design that I have wanted to know how to develop for the last year, so am pleased I finally have achieved this goal. (*Sorry sites now offline*)

Onedotzero Film Festival - Adventures in Moving Image

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
Sunday 30th October - Thursday 3rd November

Extended Play 05 - Sunday 30th October

An international selection of digital short films. Most were enjoyable, but a few lacked narrative content. I particularly enjoyed Over Time, featuring muppets playing jazz - stylish endearing animation.

Mike Mills Music Videos - Monday 31st October

Mike Mills has recently completed his first feature film, Thumbsucker. This retrospective was an opportunity to see a selection of his music videos, including work for Air, Yoko Ono and Mansun. I particularly like his video for Kelly Watch the Stars in which he juxtaposed a table-tennis competition with the basic ping-pong computer game.

Wow + Flutter 05 - Thursday 3rd November

This screening of experiments in digital animation and motion graphics brought the festival to a close. There was an impressive range of short works on show from across the globe. The film that got the best reaction from the audience was Park Football, a simple animation of cylindrical characters playing, you guessed it, park football. Full of humour, it illustrated how simple 2D vector animation can be just as effective as complex 3D animation if it is executed well.