Learning Flash

Learning Flash (or other design software for that matter) is no small task. Whether you’re an aspiring Flash professional or simply making animations in your free time, there’s always more to learn. This page is resource for users looking to learn more about Flash.

Books

Books generally offer more comprehensive learning environments than online tutorials, so they can be a great place to start. I’ve read thousands of pages of software books. In my experience, the Classroom in a Book series is among the best for new users looking for hands-on lessons.

Basic Flash

Advanced Flash

Animation

ActionScript

Some of Justin’s Personal Favorites

Video Training

Books can be fantastic, but sometimes it helps to have moving images and narration. There tons of great video tutorials available. This section lists some of the top commercial training sites, but there are also some free videos in the “Online Tutorials” section below.

Lynda.com

Lynda.com offers a subscription service that allows you to view video tutorials online. You can also purchase DVDs, if you like. I have nothing but good things to say about Lynda.com. I’ve yet to see a bad (or even mediocre) tutorial on this site. Generally, each course allows you to preview a number of videos within the course to see it is of interest.

You can also use this link to receive a free 24 hour pass to Lynda.com.

Total Training

Total Training produces some great in-depth (multi-DVD) training series. Their products are generally very comprehensive.

Adobe Press

The American Graphics Institute also has free video tutorials.

Online Tutorials

In addition to the tutorials on this site, the web is filled with useful sites that can help you learn Flash.

Chris Georgenes

Chris has tons of fantastic tutorials. Here are some of the best ones.

Lee Brimelow

Lee has been posting fantastic video tutorials on gotoAndLearn.com for years. He also posts helpful tips and links on his blog.

Paul Trani

As well as having some great courses on Lynda.com, Paul has plenty of tutorials and tips on both his site and blog.

Adobe Resources

Other Great Resources

Update (6/20/2012): I’ve added pages to this blog to specifically address the topics of lipsyncing and creating Flash extensions.

Forums

Sometimes it helps to have a back-and-forth with other users. If you need a tough question answered, try searching a forum. If no one has asked the question before, you can create a new post.

Showing your work

Chances are, you’re wanting others to see whatever you make in Flash. Here are a couple of  ways to do so.

Web Hosting

Having your own site will provide the most control. That means signing up with a web hosting company. We currently use Lunarpages, which I much prefer to other hosting companies that I’ve used through work. So far, they’ve been reliable and have provided all the features necessary to maintain this site. Plans start as low as $3.95/month. Use coupon code aff15off to get a 15% discount.

Portfolio Sites

In addition to having your own site, you should consider posting your work on public portfolio sites. You can include a link back to your site to draw traffic into to your own pages. This will help clients locate your work.

It’s not exactly a portfolio site, but Newgrounds is also a good place to post your Flash work.

Get updates from Ajar Productions

Sign up today and get the InDesign Split Text premium extension for free!

Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *