Question...

[betsy]

I have worked a little bit with animation, I have used photoshop & imageready to create animations, and I have done a little bit in final cut express. So I don't know very much. I currently work as a graphic designer for a small business. We design still ads that go up on TV monitors, but we are looking for a way to ad animation to our ads. We work out of photoshop, but we don't have the time to animate every ad in photoshop & imageready. Basically we need to a easy and quick way to, for example, make a ball bounce across the screen or make text fly in. Do you know of a program that is good for this sort of thing? I have done some research, but I just don't know what to look for! Help!!

[The Great Dragon]

I'd say Flash.

[betsy]

ok, thats what i was leaning towards, but i wasn't sure. thanks!

[Magnus]

On the subject of Flash--
I'm planning to get some software that I can use to make animations for a new website. I've been looking at something called Anime Studio (http://www.e-frontier.com/article/articleview/1913/1/793?sbss=793), by e-frontier, a program that was apparently once known as "Moho." From the examples I've seen, it can be used to animate anything from crude cut-out scenes to fluid, professional-quality 2D characters.

I was also thinking of getting the latest Adobe Flash, which I guess I always thought was not designed for character animation so much as for animated web-based visual advertisements and effects; however I've also heard rumors of IK bone systems...?

Does anyone know enough about either of these programs to offer any advice?