How to Build a Movie in Director

Follow these steps to create your own homemade multimedia movie in Macromedia Director. This program uses the analogy of a theater production - so you will be working with Cast Members, a Stage and a Score. These instructions apply to Macromedia Director 5.0. Procedures for other versions may vary.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Macromedia Director

1. Choose New from the File menu, then Movie. Name and save your new movie. The Stage will be displayed.

2. Open the Cast window from the Windows menu. Import or create the Cast Members that you plan to use in your movie.

3. Open the Score window from the Windows menu. Click in the first frame that you want to use to activate that frame, then drag your Cast Members for that frame onto the Stage. Rearrange them as desired. Copies of the Cast Members that you put on Stage now appear in the Score where they are called sprites.

4. Add scripts, transitions and other special effects from the Score window.

5. Repeat with other frames until the movie is completed or until you are ready to play it.

6. Open the Control Panel from the Windows menu. Play your movie. Make adjustments when necessary.

7. Click on Create Projector from the File menu. A projector is a self contained movie that another user can play without having Director installed on that computer.

Tips & Warnings

• The Cast window contains all the "members" of your Cast. This includes scripts, images, animations, digital movies, sounds and other content.
• The Stage is the screen - it is the area that your users will see when they play your movie. When your movie is not playing, you can remove, add and rearrange Cast Members on the Stage.
• The Score keeps track of what is on Stage in each frame, as well as allowing you to enter various special effects and scripts.
• Creating a movie in Director can be confusing. For best results, storyboard (plan) your movie on paper before you begin working with the software.