package
{
    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.events.Event;
    import flash.display.MovieClip;
    import flash.display.Bitmap;
    import flash.display.BitmapData;
    import flash.geom.Matrix;
    import flash.geom.Rectangle;

    public class Main extends Sprite
    {
        public var movieClip:MovieClip;
        public var bitmapData:BitmapData
        public var bitmap:Bitmap;
        public var maxMCheight:Number = 0;
        public var maxMCwidth:Number = 0;

        public function Main():void
        {
            if (stage) init();
            else addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, init);
        }

        private function init(e:Event = null):void
        {
            removeEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, init);
            addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, update);


            // for comparison, this is what I want the result to look like
            movieClip = new skeletonDeath();
            movieClip.x = 200;
            movieClip.y = 200;
            addChild(movieClip);

            // and this it the problem child
            bitmap = new Bitmap();
            bitmap.x = 70;
            bitmap.y = 300;
            addChild(bitmap);

            for (var i:uint = 0; i < movieClip.totalFrames; i++)
            {
                var tempBounds:Rectangle = movieClip.getBounds(movieClip);
                if (tempBounds.height > maxMCheight) maxMCheight = tempBounds.height;
                if (tempBounds.width > maxMCwidth) maxMCwidth = tempBounds.width;
                movieClip.nextFrame();
            }

            movieClip.gotoAndPlay(1);
        }

        private function update(e:Event):void
        {
            var bounds:Rectangle = movieClip.getBounds(movieClip);
            bitmapData = new BitmapData(maxMCwidth, maxMCheight, true, 0x0);
            bitmapData.draw(movieClip, new Matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, maxMCwidth - (bounds.x + bounds.width), maxMCheight - (bounds.y + bounds.height)));
            bitmap.bitmapData = bitmapData;
        }

    }

}