Macromedia Flash is everywhere. No seriously, it is everywhere. Not only is Flash used for online and offline movies, websites, games, and applications but it's also used for DVDs and broadcast television.

In fact, my first few years working with Flash (versions 3 and 4) were dedicated to authoring content for several broadcast animated series. Exporting from Flash to video formats so I could import and edit them on an Avid workstation was my only authoring requirement of Flash. I didn't need to know about Flash for the web, ActionScript, optimization, preloaders, or even buttons. It was analog Flash at its purest and that was the world of Flash that I lived in.

Eventually my Flash world expanded into the online realm of dynamic content when Shockwave.com asked me to develop an online animated series. I quickly learned how Flash was truly the Swiss army knife of design and development tools.

Today some of my clients request that their online content be repurposed for video, so the line between Flash for online and offline content occasionally becomes blurred.

You can do the same for your clients—or for yourself. What you need to do is learn how to set up the Stage so that your Flash project outputs optimally to video, use broadcast-safe colors in your project, and export your project to video.

Requirements

To complete this tutorial you will need to install the following software and files:

Flash Professional 8

Sample files:

• flash_to_video .zip (ZIP, 1.5 MB)

Prerequisite Knowledge

This article is geared towards intermediate Flash users and developers who are interested in creating Flash content for broadcast video, and converting dynamic Flash content into video format. You should have a basic understanding of Flash fundamentals, including timelines, symbols, and animation.