Logic and Flash

[jeffbayson]

Has anybody ever created audio for a Flash piece? I need to create audio for a Flash piece (see my other topic, "HELP: Need studio quote fast"). I'm running Logic Audio Platinum v4.8 (or 4.9? Can't remember.). I'm not sure exactly how to synch them up. Basically, it's a crude animation of a woman talking. The animation has already been completed. I wouldn't need to perfectly synch words up with her moving lips, but I would generally need to follow her pauses and gestures. I will have a woman reading her lines in my studio at some point next week. So... I tried opening a SWF in Logic using the "open movie" option, but it crashes my computer. I did a little bit of extension conflict testing, but haven't located the problem (granted, I didn't try very hard). Sometimes the SWF would play for a little while, but at reduced speed, before crashing. Perhaps my computer isn't powerful enough? I have a G4 350mhZ. The only way that I can think I could make it work would be to bring a separate laptop PC in, put it next to my Mac, play the SWF on the laptop, and cut the audio file so it starts when I hear the "click" from hitting the laptop's mouse to start the SWF. A little primitive, but it would work. I don't have Flash (I mean, I have the Flash player, and can view SWF files, but cannot build Flash animations). There's probably a better way to do this. Any suggestions?

[Bunny Knutson]

I'm a bit confused here. Is the Flash animation already created? And you're trying to create audio for a pre-existing speech animation? AFAIK, usually the animation is done to match the audio. You would record the audio, and then import the wave file into Flash to create the corresponding animation to match the audio. But if you're trying to create an audio track for a pre-existing animation, I suppose I would just record the woman speaker in Logic as she monitors the animation in Flash, possibly on separate computers. Is this making any sense? I'm still not sure what you're trying to accomplish here.

[jeffbayson]

Thanks for your help, dBunny. [quote]Originally posted by dBunny: [b]I'm a bit confused here. Is the Flash animation already created? And you're trying to create audio for a pre-existing speech animation? [/b][/quote]Exactly. [quote][b] AFAIK, usually the animation is done to match the audio. [/b][/quote]That's what I thought. But we're doing it backwards, and there's nothing I can do about it. I have been brought into this process at this late stage, when the animation has already been created. [quote][b] But if you're trying to create an audio track for a pre-existing animation, I suppose I would just record the woman speaker in Logic as she monitors the animation in Flash, possibly on separate computers. [/b][/quote]That's what I suggested in my initial post (although I apparently didn't express myself very clearly). I'm planning on bringing a PC laptop home, putting it next to my Mac (which I use for audio), playing the Flash animation on the laptop, and having the woman watch the animation while I record her into my Mac. I know that will work... I was just wondering if there was a better way. Since Logic has a feature built-in for viewing Quicktime files, I wodered if I could synch the Flash (SWF) file with the audio file within Logic, so that 1) when we recorded the audio, we could monitor the Flash movie within Logic, not on a separate computer and 2) when we finished recording the audio, I could watch the audio and video play simultaneously within Logic. As it now stands, the only to check my results would be to hit "play" simultaneously on both the Flash movie and the audio file, on two separate computers, and seeing how well they synch. I guess this isn't so terrible - I just wondered if there was a more legit way of doing it, within Logic. I hope this is clearer... FYI: The creative director of the agency that built the Flash movie will attend the session at my studio. His agency has an in-house recording studio, but AOL opted to use mine instead to save money. This makes me think: "am I doing this incorrectly? Would he be able to record the audio to match the pre-existing animation in a way that I don't know about?" That's one of the reasons why I'm posting this question. Perhaps he created the animation before the audio because he doesn't know what he's doing. Or maybe AOL demanded to see the animation first, despite normal protocol. Who knows.

[Bunny Knutson]

Ah. OK. Gotcha. It could be, also, that they just lost the original audio file somehow. Y'know, shit happens. So, what you were saying makes perfect sense to me now. When the Flash guy imports the wave file into Flash, he'll be able to slide it around to fit the animation. Any audio edits you might need to make could be done back in Logic right there. Sorry if I haven't really helped you out here, but at least I know what you're talking about now. :freak: ;) Hope it works out satisfactorily for you!

[jeffbayson]

[quote]Originally posted by dBunny: [b]When the Flash guy imports the wave file into Flash, he'll be able to slide it around to fit the animation. Any audio edits you might need to make could be done back in Logic right there. [/b][/quote]This is what worries me - we're going to be making this at my house, and I don't have Flash. I know the animator can slide the audio around in Flash, but once I'm done, I'm done - I can't make any more Logic edits after he puts it in Flash, because at that point, he'll be long gone (and they've already told me there will be no more edits once they leave my studio). In any case, I have asked to be put in touch with this guy - perhaps we'll be able to straighten all of this out ahead of time. Now back to my day job :bor: ...

[SoundWrangler]

Here's a down & not-so-dirty solution. Download the Snapz screen capture utility at [url=http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/utilities/snapzpro/]Ambrosia SW[/url] , which works for 15 days as a trial version. (This is a great program for the price, BTW, & now has a version for OS X.) Snapz can capture any screen area you specify in real time as a QuickTime file. Run their Flash animation, & capture as a QT file (no sound), & then save out with some reasonably severe video data compression so it doesn't choke up Logic. Since Logic can load QT files (but not Flash animations, as you've discovered), you can now "post" the QT movie, & give the bounced mix file back to the Flash animators. BTW, the default MP3/shockwave settings for audio from Flash will trash your sound quality pretty severely. Not surprisingly, when reducing bandwidth, presets in this program tend to hold graphics in much higher regard than the audio! If you know MP3 throughputs, & can be there to "supervise" which audio compression method is used, you'll be glad you did! (For one thing, be sure to normalize (& compress the heck out of) this VO file; & also hi-pass out any low-freq. garbage, which audio compression algorithms tend to hate...)

[thisDude]

AFAIK, unless the newest version has added something, precisely synched audio in flash is done with markers and scripting for each individual sound element to be triggered when the playback head reaches a "visual" cue (like someone's mouth opening). Playback varies too much on different computers, so having a long, continuously running audio track wouldn't cut it. But in your case, the Flash guys should've known this, so an approximation should probably suffice. Flash and Director are both capable of exporting the swf as a qt movie with the same frame rate (in theory) as the swf. Have them do this and bring the qt movie into Logic and synch to that. Flash also has some audio editting capabilities, not sure if it can crop, but you can add effects and fades.

[GeorgeVW]

Here's another quick and dirty concept (which, of course, may not exactly mesh with your available equipment): I would use the S-Video out from my TiBook to record the Flash movie, then recapture in iMovie and export as Quicktime. It will then be easily loadable into Logic. Record each line of dialog as a separate audio file, if possible (because, as noted, Flash doesn't deal well with a single long audio file, and they can tie the individual lines to trigger points within the movie). George

[Salyphus]

I'm pretty sure Flash can export as a QuickTime movie, have you tried that? Definitely try that first, since it would be dead simple. I think you may need to do the export using Flash on the Mac. Also, Stream Sync will lock the frame rate of the movie to the audio. :thu:

[Salyphus]

Oh, I noticed that you said you don't have Flash...oops. If you are interested, PM me and you can send me the .fla file and I will export it and send it back to you.

[jeffbayson]

[quote]Originally posted by Sal ©: [b]If you are interested, PM me and you can send me the .fla file and I will export it and send it back to you.[/b][/quote]Thanks, Sal! That's nice of you to offer. Unfortunately, as of now, I don't have the files! I haven't even seen them. I just know they exist. For some strange reason, the person running the project refuses to put me in touch with with the person who created the files, and who has them. If that changes, and I do get the files, I just might ask you for a favor. :cool: