Stupid Question...The initial keyframes, do they have to be filled?

[anthony1500]

This may sound stupid but, i am starting a new movie. I made a movie clip of some text fading in and out. So I drag it from the library to the 3rd keyframe in the main timeline. I do this to leave the first 2 keyframes blank to put in the preloader later. But when I test it, it doesn't play unless I move it to the first keyframe. Why? Does does a keyframe have to be in the first 2 frames for a movie to play? This is really bothering me. What do you do for the preloader? You would have to have it in to frames that are free of anything else, wouldn't you?
Thanks, Anthony

[anthony1500]

This may sound stupid but, i am starting a new movie. I made a movie clip of some text fading in and out. So I drag it from the library to the 3rd keyframe in the main timeline. I do this to leave the first 2 keyframes blank to put in the preloader later. But when I test it, it doesn't play unless I move it to the first keyframe. Why? Does does a keyframe have to be in the first 2 frames for a movie to play? This is really bothering me. What do you do for the preloader? You would have to have it in to frames that are free of anything else, wouldn't you?
Thanks, Anthony

[Stinger]

The movie clip should work regardless of what frame it's in. I usually allow a few frames even before the preloader and then a couple of frames after the preloader before anything else starts. This is probably stupid to ask you, but do you by any chance have a "go to and play frame 1" action in the second frame? You mentioned that you were saving these frames for a preloader so I want to be sure it's not something as simple as that. If that is the case, take the "go to and play" out and try it. If not, email the .fla to me and I will have a look.

Thanks,

Scott (Stinger)