In which case there is no substitute for consistancy. All the presentations
should run the same way, from the same media, with the same visual
formatting of documentation. Each one should be so simple a child could do
it, because that's who you may be depending on.
Is there one app you can specify to the contractor, or bring to the
conference, that will play both visual and aural elements? You can then
publish out to the presenters detailed info to meet that standard. I'd
suggest everything come in on memory sticks, or, better, be pre-loaded on
the systems; no CDs, no switching computers. Advantages include easy copying
and sharing - a speaker could send it to the "Presentation Technical
Standards Committee" for a test drive on the approved platform. Those
platforms, ie laptops, could then be provided to the AV operators from which
to run the day's shows.
If I was running one of these things, after a night of rock-band PA-mixing
and debauchery, possessing minimal comprehension and language skills, I'd
love to open My Documents and see:
ARSC Presentations\Thursday\Morning\Session 1 10:00am\Presentation 1\Uncle
Dave Shocks.ppt
ARSC Presentations\Thursday\Morning\Session 1 10:00am\Presentation 2\Steve
Smolian Amazes.ppt
Etc, etc.
Don't know if PowerPoint will support embedded audio at CD quality, but
treating all elements as slides seems like a slick solution. If there's a
clicker at the podium, you are in control of everything but the volume.
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Smolian
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2013 5:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Tip for ARSC Conference presenters -- reinforcing
previous lessons
Many hotels have strict union rules forbidding this.
Steve Smolian
-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Strauss
Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2013 3:50 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Tip for ARSC Conference presenters -- reinforcing
previous lessons
> One approach could be to rent the equipement and installation locally, but
> ARSC have its own operators. Hands?
>
> I have been the AV boy for a local Rotary Club for many years, from back
in the days of the Kodak Carousel, and I sometimes wish for the return of
the Carousel, when the worst emergency was a blown bulb or a slide that
wouldn't drop. One of the most stressful situations you can have is when
the speaker shows up, often a little late, and his/her laptop doesn't like
our projector/sound system, or the speaker brings his/her presentation on
non/semi compatible media. MS has planted enough little time bombs in the
different versions of Windows and PP, so that the 5 minutes before the
presentation can be excruciating. The worst case scenario is when the
speaker shows up with a MAC, and doesn't realize we have a VGA projector,
even though that information was sent to him/her prior to the meeting. They
assume we have a converter/adapter and we assume they have done it before,
and have the necessary equipment. There is no substitute for operator
expertise and experience. Also, a very valid point was raised about what
is on your PP slide. Way too many people put a slide up and then read it
word for word. Another annoyance is the use of random slide transitions.
Just because they are there, you don't need to use them. Maybe a good
subject for a presentation at an ARSC convention would be how to put a
presentation together, including how to make things work in the 5 minutes
before show time.
--
Frank B Strauss, DMD
|