How to make flash movies like those on bigfish?

[Deeper Thought]

Hey,

I've been looking at big fish games, and been very impressed with their small flash movies - each consists of game footage (which is sometimes zoomed in and panned around) intermixed with text describing the game features. I know how to record game footage and produce a series of images, but what I'd like to know is what tools you guys use to manipulate these into a similar movie format. Are there any tools that make it easier than flash?

Cheers
DT

[Bmc]

Hey,

I've been looking at big fish games, and been very impressed with their small flash movies - each consists of game footage (which is sometimes zoomed in and panned around) intermixed with text describing the game features. I know how to record game footage and produce a series of images, but what I'd like to know is what tools you guys use to manipulate these into a similar movie format. Are there any tools that make it easier than flash?

Cheers
DT

they are probably using flash video http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/video.html

[TMK]

I was wondering about the same thing, the Big Fish Games videos a couple weeks ago and started looking for programs to use.

There are a lot of programs that can do it, it's maybe not that fancy but seems like many use Windows Movie Maker, but I ended up with Ulead VideoStudio 10 after reading some reviews. It can do all of the cool stuff Big Fish does in their videos, like zooming, text, lowering the brightness etc. and isn't that expensive :)

I haven't tried all that many programs, so I just settled for that one, but I am very interested in other nice programs (that aren't too expensive) as well.

[Didier]

Just create a complete video in Windows Movie Maker, Adobe Premiere or other, convert the file to a *.fla file and upload it to your server.
Then let your custom flash player (like youtube, google video, etc.) include it and you're done.

Easy stuff!

Didier

[JoshuaSmyth]

If we want to use windows movie maker, what programs are there that can actually capture the gameplay images?

[Didier]

If we want to use windows movie maker, what programs are there that can actually capture the gameplay images?

Fraps and ZD Soft Game Recorder are the best for games (fast computer needed)
But adobe premiere can record too.

Didier

[RohoMech]

Actaully, check out something call Wink:
http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

its pretty spiffy, gives you a ton of control over how things run, and..its free!

[S2P]

We've used a few, but were recently introduced to Fraps (http://www.fraps.com). We then use movie maker on windows to add titles, music and reduce the size. Fraps provides you with benchmarking too :)

[LilGames]

Just create a complete video in Windows Movie Maker, Adobe Premiere or other, convert the file to a *.fla file and upload it to your server.
Then let your custom flash player (like youtube, google video, etc.) include it and you're done.

Easy stuff!

Didier

Uh no. SWF or FLV. Not FLA.

[Sysiphus]

Ive used ffmpeg dos tool to convert videos to flv...Worked nice after some work.

ffmpeg is being included in Blender, which totally rocks..

Also free, is the windows tool riva flv encoder. Works ok till an extent. I yet prefer lots of settings like the ffmpeg offers.


That for flv.

There's ming library, which I think allows converting to swf using with code the library...

I usually just do a video with all stuff I want using free tools (I'm poor ;)) , like VirtualDub (not as featured as Premiere, but very solid for avi editing..it has its tricks) , wax (outputs to swf, allows several filters, multiple tracks) , batch filters in 2d static tools, Blender (yup, comes handy if know it well), and...lately also swftools, specially its png2swf and avi2swf.

Also, camstudio 2 open source, can capture directly to swf, or as I do, I have my avi and use camstudio's swf producer tool, also free. Tip(painful if u dont know): DOwnload its free codec, is reaally good, lossless and makes files way smaller, and...the swf producer may have solid probs if you pass the 2200/2600 frames barrier...having saved the avi previously with that codec, wont show the prob; will actually work the automatic generation of swf chunks (there's a limit in frames for an swf, I didnt know...)

There's a tool called swf compressor, which actually works, but can kill your preloader...

Camtasia 4.x looks actually as a rocking great tool for outputting swfs in a good way, and actually , camtasia - I have 3.0 free from a mag- imo is the best capturing...for 3d capturing, yep, fraps, or the open source Taksi.Cantasia also brings a producer-editor tool, and has way cool while-capturing effects, really worth a look . (no, I have no connection with em, just like it) . Low down is it cost 300$...Sadly, 3.0 wont export as swf.

Flow player is an open source sfw file specially prepared to load your flv with many settings(feeded by a js or just the html , by variables it takes); you can host your own youtube with it..I sorta did, is freaking nice, imo. :)

Links time (in no particular order):

some description of ffmpeg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FFmpeg
I ...'think' the windows build that I could make it work well for flv output was this.. :
http://arrozcru.no-ip.org/ffmpeg_builds/

or maybe was this..download latest of each if so:
http://ffdshow.faireal.net/mirror/ffmpeg/

no, there's none in the oficial site(but a lot of info, tho I just dealt with comandline help( outputting to a >txt.. ;) )):
http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/

probably a nice place for extra info :
http://arrozcru.no-ip.org/ffmpeg_forum/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=76d78266094b202077a9784348be0e7e

http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/faq.html#TOC9


some tip on the flv transcoding, tho there's much more to be told...:
http://videotranscoding.wikispaces.com/WorkingwithFlashVideo

Taksi 3d capturer:
http://taksi.sourceforge.net/

wikipedia info on flv:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLV

on swf:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWF


great encoder ffdshow(no flash I think)...-to me that the tryouts is nothing to do with trial..is hosted at sourceforge..
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ffdshow-tryout/

place for Wink (I havent talked about that cause it doesnt capture smooth fades of splash screens(some low level prob I guess), but it tends to rock for swf tutorials...) and Wax video editor (in my epxerience, not as stable as Virtual Dub, but quite featured)
www.debugmode.com

http://www.debugmode.com/wax/

camstudio, to grab it, its codec and the swf producer:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/camstudio/

It's a great tool.

Cinelerra, great video editor. havent tried but seems really a serious one, for pro work. Linux (rpm or source) only :( :
http://heroinewarrior.com/cinelerra.php3

great comercial capturer and some editing tool Camtasia :
http://www.techsmith.com/


Cinepaint editing tool...Maybe useful, maybe not.Gotta try Glasgow, the Windows version... :
http://www.cinepaint.org/

Virtualdub. I do frankly recommend this tool. Even if u just want it for lossless video cutting and basic editing..Is rock solid (use the stable version)
www.virtualdub.org
With filters, it becomes really more powerful. It ha sa different way if ur used to Premiere, but can do much more than one thinks in the first 4 hours... ;)

sorry, didnt mention...Super.Is a tool to output swf..didnt have luck with it tho, but means nothing, I could be using it badly :
http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

nice riva flv encoder:
http://www.rivavx.com/?encoder

ming library
ming.sourceforge.net

MTASC. Free actionscript 2.0 compiler (now there's a new thing, Haxe I think... http://haxe.org/ , supports as3 ) yep, distantly related, but now that we're here. .:
http://www.mtasc.org/

what looks to be a really nice actionscript editor...There's another good one also, I just dont have the link handy...
http://www.sephiroth.it/python/sepy.php

the great flowplayer :
http://flowplayer.sourceforge.net/

My fav viewer of all times, has a really powerful batch option with advanced batch options... (for ie, dealing with PNG frames (easily converted to avi with other tools, you can extract from avi with irfan)):
http://www.irfanview.com/

Also remember Aobe PS2 can do batch processing with an an Action...which give endless power.(trust me ;) )

sorry, didnt mention, libflv for outputting flv files...I'm not programmer, so I yet just use riva encoder or, preferred, ffmpeg win32 dos command line...

http://sourceforge.net/projects/libflv/

oh, forgetting but important:
www.swftools.org

absolutely great tool for game people...for convert from grids of sprite frames to avi, etc...several two ways conversions...
http://www.bottomap.com/Software/A4B/A4B.html

Glueit rocks for similar stuff too.

swf compressor:
http://www.dcomsoft.com/en/product/SWF_COMPRESSOR-DECOMPRESSOR/

Surely am forgetting stuff...Well, if I remember to get back here...ask whatever, I may see it after all...That in case some of this was useful for anyone...

As some may have guessed, I needed to do this research for the company I work for...was painful and risking almost my job...So...I thought could be of help...dunno..I was able to do all stuff needed, several of these tools, (and of course Wings, Blender) etc...I have used for comercial products output in several companies, where I am quite required for quality level..A lot of blood and tears in my side, tho..

That is: I'd LOVE instead to have Flash, Premiere, Illustrator, Maya 8,(they'r so freaking easier and powerful in comparison) etc...But you know. You can get really far with free tools if work hard.

[electronicStar]

wow that's some informative post, thanks for sharing!

[Sysiphus]

glad to help :)