Creating a custom preloader
by bcarlson41
on
Feb 6, 2007 at 3:50:25 pm
Hi,
I have a problem that i cant seem to find an answer to. I have a client that i have made a video for. its about 5 mins long and i need to get on to the web as big as possible with the smallest file size and of course, it needs to be done today. I have the video down to about 35MB at 600x400. BUT my main issue is that it cannot take a long time for them to download to play and they dont want to use a flash player. So i want to develop a loading bar that would work as about half the movie downloads, then have the movie play and progressively download the rest. I have searched for about a day and found nothing. Any answers or is this a pipe dream?
Re: Creating a custom preloader by bcarlson41 on Feb 7, 2007 at 9:26:10 pm
hi thanks for responding.
I made the entire video in after effects, but need to turn it into a flash site. so what i did was make it at big size and have been compressing it to hell. Their are two seperate layers for the video. (its a sing-a-long) their is the video then the lyrics. I have been trying to get the video compressed a tone, then re render it again in AE wit the lyrics layer on. THEN I take the mov file use sorrenson squeeze to make it into a flv file. Take that into flash and embed it. the smallest size i got it to was 23MB at 600x400. They want it big, but im pushing for 450x300px, see if that will be okay.
Any suggestions? basically i want to make the type as clear as possible. And i have abandoned the notion of a preloader.
Re: Creating a custom preloader by grafxflow on Feb 7, 2007 at 9:59:39 pm
Hi,
Can't see link but anyway...
Best not to re-render your movie twice. Place your lyrics and video as you want to edit them. But export them out using the animation setting. Warning this will most likely create a big file, but it will keep the best quality.
Then take it into sorensen squeeze and make sure the flv settings are using the 'sorensen 2 pass VBR' method. Personally I think your client needs to know the reality of the web. In order for people to see a smooth streaming video... on the flv front in my experience Small Video = high quality, Large Video = low quality. As for 600x400 it's pushing it. I wouldn't embed the flv within flash but link to it externally using the flvpalyback component.
I have an example on my website of an flv streaming. http://www.grafxflow.co.uk/ then choose videoshowreels and version 2006, (2007 is not active YET!)
If pre-loader is no longer an issue then I would suggest next best thing being an mpg4 via quicktime. This should give you a good quality movie and small in MB size.
Re: Creating a custom preloader by bcarlson41 on Feb 7, 2007 at 10:14:08 pm
Thanks,
I am trying the suggestions right now. The funny thing is that it is not the client, but my boss. He doesnt understand why. When i explain it he doesnt believe me. Web isnt made for a large full video that is 5 minutes long. Anyways, thats me venting.
Re: Creating a custom preloader by grafxflow on Feb 7, 2007 at 11:02:39 pm
Hi,
At the moment you are having to download the whole 30mb. Which will push certain browsers to their limits. Remember that the swf and flv are a compressed format.
When steaming an external flv of 30mb, browsers can cope better with the playback due to it streaming.
Another advantage of doing this, is if the video needs to be amended, you would just have to convert the flv file and replace it on the server. The swf would still be linking to flv address on the server.
Re: Creating a custom preloader by grafxflow on Feb 7, 2007 at 11:11:13 pm
Hi,
I forgot another advantage of a streaming external flv is that it will be playing while downloading. Not sure if you have viewed the example I gave you. You will notice how quick and smooth the playback is, this is because it is an external file streaming.
I don't know your level of actionscript in flash, but when dealing with external streaming flv you can set a buffer which will allow for a certain amount of the video (timewise) to be downloaded before it plays... say the first 10 seconds.
setting a loadmovie fuction for a FLV file? by bcarlson41 on Feb 13, 2007 at 2:15:17 pm
(admin note: Link removed at request of the website owner due to traffic considerations)
Now i am having an issue of it not having a custom animated preloader screen while the flv file buffers. Is it possible to have a loadmovie function begin downloading while i have the FLV file from the server begin to download? and while that is playing. have an animated screen?
Also, my client says that it is not playing at all for him. is this happening for you? IT plays fine for me EVERYWHERE I look at it from.
If you could help me with this i would need to repay you because this info is invaluable to me!
Re: setting a loadmovie fuction for a FLV file? by grafxflow on Feb 18, 2007 at 4:26:54 pm
Hi,
I would create on frame 1, layer 1 an a movieclip containing your preloader anim. Then on frame 1, layer 2 your flv component. Then in your actionscript once the flv has buffered simple hide the movieclip on frame 1.
preloader_movieclip._visible = false;
Hope this helps.
Might be that your client doesn't have the correct version of the flash plugin installed.
