Aral Balkan

Here are some wise words of advice: If you are going to sit for an interview that might be broadcast around the world and quite possibly go into print as well (a) make sure you are not suffering from sun exposure and sporting a red, sun-burned honker from the day before and, (b) if you are, that you absolutely *insist* that the video crew use makeup on you even if they tell you that they'll "fix it in post". The interview I'm referring to is the one of yours truly talking about (the then-unreleased) Flash 8. It was shot towards the end of the beta days and has apparently been touring the world as part of Macromedia's launch roadshow for Studio 8.

Just recently I saw that they also quoted me on the cover of .Net magazine ("This will change the aesthetics of the web") and, lo and behold, a freeze-frame of the video, Rudolph-nose and all, adorns the article inside.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not really complaining. It's amazing in this day and age that I've made the cover of a magazine, even if only in quote, without having to wear a skimpy dress or bikini :)

The highlight of all this was probably seeing the article in this month's Practical Web Projects magazine on Flash Design, wherein I had the honor of being placed in the same box as Colin and Branden -- two of the greatest Flash developers I know.

"Three of the world's leading Flash developers, and beta testers for the latest version give their views on whether it will become the eighth wonder of the web."

Colin, Branden... dudes... I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!

Comments

• Now that you point it out, your nose was pretty red. :-) Macromedia really didn't spend too much time on post production with any of you guys. You certainly deserve to be up there with Moock and Branden no matter what they make you look like though. Thanks for all the work youv'e done, especially with osflash.org

  by chrisallen on 2005-09-20 04:41:14

• Very funny remarks ;) I thought it was the screen on which I watched at it ;) the twilight zone...
  
  What the interest of implementing ultra pro video codecs when you use a ultra amateurist studio equiped with light bulbs and a vhs camera to produce it (moreover to promote it)? Is it to demonstrate how their audience will provide their family movies worldwide ? ;) Why not propose a paypal link to provide found to the production of the video beforehand?
  

  by maddec on 2005-09-23 08:59:50

• [...] When I first saw alpha channel video in Flash, I stated that it would “change the aesthetics of the web“. I believe this has largely come about: We now have a an unprecedented level of integration between video and other interactive rich content on the web thanks to pioneering Flash-based web sites and applications. The video in such sites isn’t a separate item that you hassle over (”Do I have this codec or that? Which player do I select? Was the pop-up blocked?”); it blends in to become a transparent (no pun intended!) part of the experience. We’re about to see a similar fundamental leap in the aesthetics of the web with a technology that allows 3D to become a similarly transparent part of the web experience thanks to an open-source project called PaperVision3D. [...]

  by Amazing: Playstation-quality 3D in Flash today! at Aral Balkan on 2007-02-16 15:34:42

• Hello Great book. I just want to say what a fantastic thing you are doing! Good luck! Bye

  by tovorinok on 2007-07-05 04:28:29

• [...] you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember that last phrase. It's the same thing I uttered back in 2005 before the release of Flash 8. Back then, .Net magazine pasted my prediction on its cover and I was [...]

  by Web ‘08 predictions: The rise of RIAs and the 3D web at Aral Balkan on 2007-12-07 11:37:37