I think for a beginner you should start by learning/understanding tweens
(motion and shape) after you figure out how to make objects move thats half the battle.
Then its a case of learning motion guides and masking.
If you like abit of programming you can learn actionscripting...try doing it expert mode to understand better what you are doing. You will need to learn some simple stuff like 'stop' 'goto' 'ifFrameLoaded'
good luck
