How To Create a Slide Show

Notes by Jim & Joanna Macaulay
Originally presented at St. Mary’s County Camera Club, Oct 6^th 1999

Simple Slide Show (Projector, slides and live voice)

1. Gather slides on a particular topic or theme. (examples-travel, family, mailboxes, birds, pets).
2. Put slides in a logical order (ex-chronological, types of cats, shapes of mailboxes).

Use your best slides.
Discard slides that are mistakenly out of focus, too similar to another slide, too "busy" (too many subjects in one slide), poor exposures (too dark or too light), anything you would have to apologize for.
BE RUTHLESS!
Vary the focal length of your slides (close-up, medium, wide angle).
Avoid alternating from vertical to horizontal & back again. (All horizontals are nice if possible).
Avoid the same thing with season changes, time of day changes, and dark slides to bright slides.
Notice the direction of movement in the sequence of your slides (cars, people).

3. Number the slides on paper and write a note about what you would like to say for each slide. It is good to leave some blank. Keep the sentences short. Try to use words that are easy to pronounce, to avoid getting tongue tied. Avoid using "This is" or "These are". Don’t state the obvious!

Example:

Woman feeding dog:	NOT	"Here is Mom feeding the dog."
	Better	"Rover just can’t wait for a good meal"

4. Clean the slides before putting them in a slide tray.
5. Preview your slide show to make sure the slides aren’t upside down. Spot slides.
6. Practice reading the script with the slides on the screen.
7. Time your show. The maximum length should be about 30-45 minutes. Leave your audience hungry for more. Avoid leaving a slide on the screen for more than 15 seconds (unless it takes longer to read something on the screen, such as a sign). We recommend keeping a slide on the screen for 7-9 seconds.

For a 30 minute slide show
Total Slides required	300	225	180	150	120
Average screen time per slide in seconds	6	8	10	12	15

8. Present your slide show, and have fun!

Advanced Slide Show (With taped music or voice and 2 projectors)

1. Theme
   Examples poetry & music, a collection of slides on a particular topic that you already have collected, travel, instructional, essay, sports, nature, history.
   Who will the audience be? Ages and education?
   Brainstorm for ideas on your own or with others. Choose 6-8 important points.
   Research your subject-pamphlets, visit locations ahead of time to check the lighting and angles, interview experts.
   Look at existing productions or something similar.
   Are you limited to a specific length of show?
2. Select the slides you want to use and put them in order (same as above #2).

It is nice to include photos of transportation such as airports, trains and "the road" in travel shows or transition slides that connect subjects. Use street signs or labels.
Simple maps are also interesting.
Add a touch of humor if you can.
Try to include a variety of photos. (50 shots of Japanese temples is boring, unless you are doing your presentation for Japanese temple experts!)

3. Useful Aids
   1. Light box-a glass table used to illuminate the slides to help put slides in order.  Can use a sheet of glass with tissue paper on it, supported by 2 chairs.
   2. Storyboard-a set of index cards used to record ideas for photos you plan to take. There should be room for a simple sketch of the photo you plan to take, narration, slide #, and a brief description of the slide. These can be rearranged until you like the results of show. Number the cards.

Pro and Con of Storyboarding:
Very helpful if starting a show from scratch (before photographing).
Can be time consuming-may miss a better shot because you planned your photo in advance.

4. Script

Write a draft script. This usually includes slide descriptions, narration, time in seconds, and music/sound if used.
Don’t state the obvious.
Verbs are more important than nouns.
Plan graphics-title slides, cartoons, charts, maps, etc. (see below)
Write the scripts in segments to avoid being overwhelmed. It doesn’t have to be in chronological order.
Put the script away for a few days. Changes become more obvious.
One double spaced page equals approximately 1 minute.

5. Graphics and Title Slides

Needed for introduction, to fill in gaps, explanations, credits.
Progressive disclosure-add one statement at a time (with original statements still displayed).
Check for supplies at art stores or office supply stores.
Use computer-Powerpoint, Word Art, etc.
Construction paper background with letters, or stick drawings.
Dry transfer letters (rub off).
Typed letters with carbon ribbon, Cut into strips.
Letter systems-WRICO, varigraph, LeRoy, hot press.
Acetate Sheets.
Kodalith film (reversal) use gels, dyes or markers behind words-photograph black words on white background, slide has white words on black background.
Old calendars.
Your own slide as background with a 2^nd slide over it (try to find a slide with a large open area of sky, water, etc.
Fabrics-burlap, wood, wallpaper, textured papers and plastic 3 D letters (rubber cement).
Pamphlets, brochures, simple maps.
Clip Art.
Trace a picture.
Chalk picture.
Computer scanner.
Keep it simple.
Don’t use too many colors.
Use colors to create a mood. Warm (red, yellow etc for action). Cool (blue, green, etc. for background).
Legibility of letters

Easier to read without serif (example).
Avoid script.
Bold and medium thickness is better.
Leave margins.
Legibility formula-8H (If a screen is 6’ high, the maximum viewing distance is 48’).

Using a 6" x 9" template over a 10" x 12" working area the maximum ratio of letter height to height of the art work area is 1 to 30. Minimum letter height would be ¼".
You can use the template to draw your artwork and then remove it before photographing it.
Copystand

Photograph your artwork using a copystand or tripod.
It is good idea to standardize your artwork size-faster to photograph, lettering can all be the same size, don’t have to keep moving the lights and refocus.
Place two 3200 Kelvin lights on each side of your artwork at a 45 degree angle.
Be sure the film plane is parallel to the copyboard and mark your position.
Gray card is helpful (18% gray or medium gray).
Use a polarizer on your camera if you have a reflection from acetate or glass holding the artwork in place.
Use a cable release or self timer to keep the photo steady.

Computer Generated Titles

Use Powerpoint Slide Show - offers full screen view of each slide.  Could also use MS Paint.
Photograph the screen at 1/30 sec or slower, automatic exposure, bracket.

6. Timing

Try out the script. (See below for additional features of your show).
Time the slides. You should show approximately 7-8 slides per minute. Maximum of about 15 seconds, unless the text on the slide needs to be read.

7. Music

What type of emotion are you looking for? Lively, humorous, peaceful
Choose from your own collection, libraries, classical stations, Reader’s Digest
Need to pay copyright royalties if show is for profit or advertising purposes. (or use copyright free music)
Use segments or whole musical works.
Can have several moods.
Coordinate slides and music. How many slides are needed for the music segment? (cut or add slides)

8. Dissolve

Fading slides onto your projection screen, using two or more projectors.
Easier on the eyes
Used to create a mood.
Could use all horizontal photos or transition to a square before switching to a vertical.
Music should match the type of dissolve used.
Techniques

Snap change for impact
Slow dissolve-sunrise and sunset
Twinkling effect-rapid alternation between projectors (eg:-slides of machinery in motion, dog wagging tail)
Change focus-foreground to background

The Technical Side (Recording Techniques and Equipment)

1. Recording a Sound Track – Narration or Music or Both
   1. Tape Recording - Need a quiet room. No furnace running, traffic noise, kids playing, dogs barking, etc. Avoid clicks from starting recorder. Be careful shuffling papers. (Tip: drop used sheets to the floor). Best to record all in one session (voice changes). Enunciate and speak slowly, but use voice inflections, be animated.
   2. Narration Only – Connect microphone with "Y" to both channels, or use second channel for sync signals (use headphones to listen). Use script with times and stopwatch or timer. Turn record volume down when not talking, don’t switch mike.
   3. Music Only – Hard to cue slide changes, unless timed. Use tape player or CD player plus tape recorder. Turn record volume up after starting and down before stopping player to avoid clicks.
   4. Narration and Music – Complicated, but best!
      1. Buy $50 mixer from Radio Shack.
      2. Connect mike and player into mixer, mixer into recorder.
      3. Set record volumes, mark settings (or attach stops).
      4. Turn mike down, start copying music.
      5. Just before narration segment, fade music down 50% (1 second fade) & turn mike up (at same time).
      6. After segment, fade music up, mike down.
   5. Digital Recording – Much easier, computer does most of the work, better quality audio. Uses over 10Mb disk space per minute of soundtrack. Needs Pentium 200 MHz PC. Software is "Multiquence" by Chris Craig, $45 shareware (unregistered version limits length). See www.goldwave.com.
      1. Record each song and each narration segment into a separate ".wav" file.
      2. Paste songs into music track. May need to cut off some intro or end (easy with software). May need to fade out / fade in between songs, with software.
      3. Paste narration files into proper locations in narration track.
      4. Fade music volume to 50% at narration segments starting 1 second before through 1 second after. Software can do it automatically!
      5. Playback or Record.
      6. Can playback from computer, just connect line out to stereo, or use big computer speakers.
      7. Or record onto cassette tape, playback from boombox.
      8. Or burn an audio CD. Recorder costs $200-400. Digital quality, precise repeatable timing, archival. Playback from CD boombox.
      9. During playback, use script and stopwatch, or software on a pc. (Recommend DOS program, won’t crash).
2. Dissolve and Automatic Slide Shows – Two or more projectors, one fades out while another fades in. No harsh light/dark/light. Fade speed can vary, animation effects, panoramics. Buy or build a "twinning stand" to get projectors close together. Align them carefully.
   1. Cheap: Buy two lamp dimmers (incandescent, $18 each at McKay’s). Connect to special cables that plug into projectors (http://www.rmfproducts.com/avcables.htm#Dissolve%20Extension%20Cable, Model 903, $17 ea). Turn projectors on fan only, dimmers will power lamps. It’s a juggling act to operate! Could connect dimmer levers so increasing one decreases the other.
   2. Medium: Buy manual dissolve unit, or build pc-controlled unit (I can provide design notes).
   3. More: Buy automatic dissolve unit.
   4. More Yet: Buy programmable automatic dissolve unit. Has cassette tape with 1 track sound & 1 track synchronization signals. No stereo!
   5. A Whole Bunch More: Professional multi-projector dissolve unit, pc-controlled.
      Or Kodak Ektapro projector, connects to PC, self-dissolve. List price is only $1100. Each. Plus lenses. Plus cable!
3. Projectors - Kodak is industry standard, everybody has round trays. See www.kodak.com for details & tutorials.
   1. Three levels:  (Prices not including lens from www.adorama.com in NY except as noted)
      1. Carousel (basic), models 4200 ($163), 4400 ($235), 4600 ($255), 5600 ($360). 4600 & 5600 have auto-focus.
      2. Ektagraphic III (more rugged), models E Plus ($282), A ($370), AMT ($458), ATS ($536),
         ABR ($545) & BR ($400). The A's have auto-focus.
      3. Ektapro (top of the line) models 7020 ($975) & 9020 ($1,100).
         Who ever said photography was cheap?
   2. Lenses: Fixed $47, zoom $75 (not as bright). Fit all Kodak projectors.
   3. Tips: Always have spare bulb or projector. Don’t touch bulb glass. Don’t move or bump projector while hot. Leave fan on when done, to speed cool-down so you can move it..

  APPENDIX

Royalty Free Music:
 

Background Library
Digital Media Publishing
888-261-9926
1821 Darien Drive
Lexington KY 40504

Romeo Music Intl
508 877-8778
630 Potter Rd
Suite 3100
Framingham MA 01701

Royalty Free Music
800 772-7701
P.O. Box 4100
Santa Cruz CA 95063
 
 

Storyboard Cards (3x5"):

ShowTitle:_____________________________________ Slide Description________________________________ Frame no.______
	Notes:
	Narration: