Tips from our recent monthly newsletters:
If you look good, we look good.
To judge whether or not your presentation will be readable to the people at the back of the room, print out the presentation on full sized paper and place it on the floor. If you can comfortably read it, (while standing up) they will too. If you cannot, then break it into two slides and increase the font size.
Some movie files do not like simultaneous displays. They will either play on the laptop or the screen, but not both. This is the case even when embedded in a PowerPoint presentation. Choose the external screen if there is a problem
When setting up to videotape or teleconference, it is important to remember to add additional lights to the room's direct overhead lights. Even inexpensive socket extensions with swivel heads can shift the light enough to eliminate the "raccoon effect" on the eyes, and the shiny effect from foreheads.
The last row of seats should be 8 times the height of the image. So if you have a 6'(h)x8'(w) image, the last row of seats should be about 48' from the screen.
On a videoconferencing call, some locations can use IP based origination while other locations can use ISDN lines. Just remember to use a bridging service for best results between the two.
Always check the power on your laptop to make sure the computer is running off the AC and not off the computer's battery.
When in PowerPoint's Slide Show mode, you can still press the F1 function key to access the Slide Show Help dialog box. This box displays all kinds of shortcut commands that will work while you're in the Slide Show mode.
If you are just showing a video why not think about displaying a static image on the screen that has some graphic that is tied to the event. The image can be done in PowerPoint and with a few minor adjustments to your computer, can remain on-screen for the entire event. This also works well if you are giving a Power Point presentation. You can "paste" the graphic at the front and the end of your existing files. Now there is always something on-screen, eliminating the need to start up and shut down the projector. A screen with something on it beats a blank screen, and it has added little or nothing to your costs.
One of the biggest problems is also one of the easiest to correct. The problem, light around the screen, can be corrected by having an electrician put the lights near the screen on a separate zone. For sunlight, use sun blocking shades.
The most overlooked issue with either video teleconferencing or video recording is lighting and sound. Everyone is concerned with camera angle but no one is concerned with lighting, or microphone placement, which are the most important parts of the whole thing. Participants should not be more than 6 feet from a microphone, and not rely only on direct overhead lighting. Have some additional lights come down at an angle.
The average price of a projector in 1999 was $5,250.00. The average price today is slightly less than $2,000.00. Within two years the average price will be less than $1,600.00*
*Presentation MagazineHow bright should my projector be? Here is the rule of thumb provided by Infocomm:
This rule assumes a moderate amount of ambient light in the projector's location.Microphones are named after the pattern they pick up. The three most common types are:1) Omnidirectional mics which pick up sound in a 360 degree pattern, 2) Cardioid mics pick up a heart shaped pattern, and 3) Unidirectional mics pick up sound in only one direction.
For power point presentations, use CTRL+H to hide the pointer.
You can extend the lamp life on portable projectors by not moving the projector until after the lamp has cooled (approximately 5 minutes).
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