Flash Forward just finished. Although I had plans to be there, I wasn’t able to attend because of my job at DirectPointe. I started to notice how many people from Utah attended. It made me realize what a mecca Utah has become for Flash talent. The 2006 Austin Flash Forward was well represented by Utah Flashers. For starters Tyler Wright (of mediaRAIN) and Rob Taylor (of Strathus and www.FlashExtensions.com) spoke at the conference on Flash SEO and Browser communication.

We also had 2 Flash Foward Film Festival Finalists from Utah as well. Paul Mayne otherwise known as Pete, and Scott Stoddard. They both had phenomonal projects and both should have won. Scott Built an amazingly cool Flash game. I don’t know if I have seen one of this caliber on the web. Pete built a wonderful symbolic piece. His Flash Navigation and concepting is great. The project has an objective around helping people that are ill by lifting their spirits. Pete is great.

mediaRAIN, the best Flash Design in Utah, was just honored with another Macromedia/Adobe site of the Day

The List:

Tyler Wright – Lead Flash Developer mediaRAIN / musicRAIN , Flash Forward Conference Speaker
Rob Taylor – www.FlashExtensions.com, Flash Forward Conference Speaker
Scott Stoddard – Spiritonin.com, FlashThief.com Site of the year, Shockwave.com featured game, Flash Foward Film Festival Finalist
Paul Mayne – Flash Foward Film Festival Finalist
Matt Maxwell – Adobe Site of the day
Pete Hawkes – AGIdeas Speaker in Australia, OgilvyOne Verge Exhibit in the Guggenheim and the CJM award for simplistic complexity
Jared Kroff/Adam DeVincent – 5 FITC Awards
Chase Brammer – Utah Multimedia Arts Festival Winner and interactive Marketer for DirectPointe
Jake Hilton – Flash Media Server Beta Team, writer of a Macromedia Developer Center Article
Ryan Simmons – Creator of Cartoon Solutions and StarWars Spoofs(the best place to get Flash Cartoon Character Animations) Dreamworks Animator, Numerous Animation Awards
Josh Buhler – Cofounder of Uflash.org and big time blogger
Kyle Follett – Folco.net (The only guy I know that can update his site constantly)
Bryce Barrand – mediaRAIN
Evan Ehat – Hey Evan what is your website?

Honorary Great Utahns:
Larry Lentz – Lead Flash Programmer at Air New Zealand (US) (Took my class and lived in Utah for many years)
Josh Dura – Flash Communications Server Applications Developer for Yahoo (From Utah)
Danny Dura – Developer Relations Product Manager, Adobe, Inc. (From Utah)
Robert Penner – Lead Flash Programmer Adobe, Inc. (Contracted with mediaRAIN and spent much time in Utah including Rock Climbing)

I know that I forgot some people so I apologize in advance. Please, if I know and like you let me know who you are. If I know you and really respect you and your work I would be happy to put you on the list. If I don’t know you but you think I would like to then post a comment and let me know who you are. If you know someone that you feel is a great Utah Flasher, then please post a comment.
Thanks,

Curtis J. Morley