Adobe Flash (previously known as Macromedia Flash) is a standard for viewing and creating animation files, and more recently has become the preeminent standard for video on the web. Many sites, most notably video sharing service YouTube, use Adobe Flash's FLV (Flash Video) file format to play back movies through the Flash player (*Note: Macromedia's SWF (Shock Wave Flash) video file format is still in-use, as well).

Besides playing video, Flash can also be used to create dynamic sites that exist by manipulating objects "on the Stage." The programming that causes the manipulation of these objects is called Action Script. If the Flash Animator / Flash Application Creator is skilled in programming, & knows when & how to use it, this maximizes creative possibilities.