Weighing Multimedia
6D: Shockwave

Shockwave extras are the "high bandwidth" options on many web pages, and Macromedia knows it. Don't worry; Macromedia shows you how to shock with your ingenuity, not your magnitude.

Director: Working with Shockwave
Director's documentation devotes a surprising amount of space to minimization. To trim Shockwave graphics use 8-bit instead of 16-bit, substitute shapes for bitmaps, swap "field" for "text" when the text is long, take advantage of tiles, and, of course, use small graphics. When it comes to animation, use single cast members repeatedly, try film loops, experiment with blurred images, change inks and background colors, and use transitions. You'll also learn how to compress sound, including streaming sound, with Shockwave Audio.

Optimization Techniques for Shockwave Flash
This article says Flash comes with a size reporter that tells you how big each frame is. To use it, export your movie in Flash format and check Generate Size Report in the Export dialog box. You'll also get step-by-step instructions for slimming down graphics, preloading a symbol, using Wait for Frame, and getting the most out of your bitmaps. Bandwidth-wary typography enthusiasts should refrain from breaking up fonts and using multiple fonts  

[Move on to Tip 7: Frames]