Tilt Shift Flash Example

Tilt Shift Example - Footage courtesy of Openfootage.net - If you cannot see the video, click past the break.

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Here's how this was done.

In this case I embedded the video file in the SWF, I recommend not embedding the file but streaming it from the server. The names I used below are changeable, use whatever you want.

Put the video in a movie clip container, this time called video.
Place video on the bottom layer of the stage. Blur it 25px.

Make another movie clip container, I call it gradient.
Make a gradient that consists of clear to black to clear.


Make another movie clip called mask.
Place the video movie clip on the bottom layer and
the gradient movie clip on the top layer.
(Video shouldn't be blurred in this clip.)

Set the gradient blending to Alpha.
Turn on cache as bitmap.


Close out of the mask movie clip and place it on the stage on it's own layer.
Set mask blending to Layer.


Test the video. Alter the gradient and the blur to fit your desires.

Finding an appropriate clip was the toughest part! You might consider boosting the saturation on the video clips to get that "toy" look.

Adobe Illustrator CS 4 - File Not Readable - Troubleshooting

For those who deal with the common issue of Adobe Illustrator giving the "File Not Readable" error, here's a few tips:


What's going on is that Illustrator is running out of RAM during the display/render process. When you place multiple high-resolution files into an Illustrator document, Illustrator uses RAM to render the objects etc.

• Illustrator is a 32 bit application is not taking advantage of your 6 Gig of RAM, but only accesses 3 gigs. Nothing you can do will make Illustrator use the rest.
  
• When you place so many files into illustrator, it attempts to render them, using up your RAM.
  
• Make sure you're LINKING files, not PLACING them on the actual page.
  
• Reduce linked file's sizes to exact dimensions you need. (Don't use a 20" x 20" 1200 dpi image if you're printing the file at 300dpi.)
  
• You can force Illustrator to display Document Raster Effects Settings to 72ppi, which will reduce some of the RAM requirements, until ready to output. Also turn of Anti-aliasing in the preferences while manipulating the document.
  
• Illustrator is not a page-layout application. Learn to use InDesign for page layout rather than Illustrator (I'm still working on this myself.)
  
• Once a file gives the dreaded FILE IS NOT READABLE error, you're basically stuck. Your only recourse is to close the application and open it again. If you save a file, which gives the error on opening, the file is pretty much useless. I've found no way of getting into a file that Illustrator has saved in an "unreadable" state.

Many thanks to Wade Zimmerman for help on these notes.

Alpha Gradient Masks Flash CS 4

Since I keep going back to this video for help, I've decided other folks might want to see it too.