Audio-Visual News

By Trish McAuslan APSNZ EFIAP/b FAPS AV-AAPS AV Co-ordinator for PSNZ

Which Application? Information for Both Windows and Mac Users

I am still getting requests from people who find that once they have a problem with ProShow, there is no longer support to solve whatever issue they are having. Reluctantly people are coming to the conclusion that they will have to invest time and money to learn a replacement programme. The question is — which one?

Option 1: Photopia

The producers say it “is the next generation of slideshow software and takes slideshow creation to all new heights. All new from the ground-up, Photopia was built using many of the ideas Photodex had developed for the next generation of ProShow.”

This is subscription software — which means that you don’t own it but rather you pay a fee to use it — currently about $NZ13 a month or about $135 for the annual subscription. Some of our members are happy to do this and have found that the programme has similarities to ProShow which they are happy with.

Option 2: PTE AV Studio 10

This version replaces an older programme called PicturesToExe. It is the programme used by most of the AV workers in Australia, South Africa and Britain. At the beginning of April this year the company released a version of the programme for Mac workers.

I have started learning it on my Mac, using the tutorials originally created for the Windows users, without any problems. Recently John Hodgson EFIAP/b AV-AFIAP FAPS AV-FAPS ESFIAP Hon.FAP ran a workshop for AV beginners and he asked them all to download the trial version of PTE Studio 10.5. He said that several people had Macs and there really didn’t seem to be any significant differences between the Mac and PC versions. From a teaching point of view or from a group or club viewpoint there is an advantage in everyone using the same programme as they can help each other.

When you purchase PTE AV Studio, you own it. This is available as PTE AV Studio (approx NZ $100) or PTE AV Studio Pro (approx NZ $200). These are one-off costs and include free upgrades for the first year. NB The Pro version is the only one available for Mac users while PC workers have the option of the cheaper standard version or the Pro version. There is a comparison of the two versions on the website: https://www.wnsoft.com/en/ pte-av-studio/compare

Option 3: Other

There are several applications which allow you to make AVs which meet the competition requirements. For Apple users, iMovie is pre-installed on most new Macs or is available free from the App store. For either PC or Mac there is Premiere Elements which you can buy or Premiere Pro which is the subscription version. DaVinci Resolve is very well recommended by video editors and can be used to make audio-visuals as we know them. It requires a lot of processing power and some people who have tried it found that their computer couldn’t cope — so check it out first. I have not tried it but understand that it has quite a steep learning curve. DaVinci Resolve has a paid Studio version and a free version, available for both Mac and Windows.

Audio-Visual News

Judging the 321 Competition

The 321 is an international competition which is currently organised by a team of three AV workers from Germany. The Tauranga AV Group decided to become one of the judging teams again this year. The big difference was that we were able to meet together to judge while many of the other groups had to judge remotely for the second year. Our challenge was to judge 95 AVs during the day with frequent breaks for a snack and a brief chat.

Front Row: Elaine Ashford APSNZ LRPS, Adele Ashford APSNZ LRPS, Barb Lewis and Trish McAuslan APSNZ EFIAP/b FAPS AV-AAPS; Back Row: Richard Baldwin LPSNZ, Vivianne Baldwin APSNZ, Elizabeth Carruthers FPSNZ AFIAP, Dave Riddleston and Alistair McAuslan APSNZ AV-AAPS

Not surprisingly there were not a lot of travel programmes but there was a significant number of stories related to COVID. One story, that has remained with me, told how we thought we were all invincible until 2020 when we understood that we had to learn to live…with death always a possibility. It reminded me again just how lucky we have been in New Zealand.

Preparing a Narration

There is no hard and fast rule about when you should prepare the narration. In some situations it may be the first thing you do; then you will choose the images to support that story. In other cases you may use the narration to explain the story told by your images.

Some Tips for Writing a Voice Over or Narration:

• Write out a clear copy of the narration so you are not fumbling around trying to remember what you were going to say.

• Use an easy to read font in its normal form - don’t use capital letters as they are harder to read fluently.

• It is important to give the audience information they cannot easily see from the photos. Avoid telling them what they can see on the screen. • Use short sentences and words which are easily understood by your likely audience.

• Use punctuation to ensure that the reader pauses when you want them to pause. Use underlining or bold letters if something has to be emphasised strongly, but do not use it very often or it will lose its impact.

• Avoid phrases and words that are hard to pronounce. Read your script aloud and if you stumble over any words or phrases, change that part to something that is easier to read.

• Break the narration into segments and give your audience time to think about what you have said.

• Good pacing is a balancing act between narration and visuals. Work carefully with timing; the pacing of your video dictates when to use narration and when it is not needed. Use words only when you have to; otherwise, let the visuals send the message. If you find you are talking quickly from beginning to end of the AV, rewrite the narration removing some of the less important information.

• If you are reading it, try to make it sound like a conversation with your audience.

• Concentrate on getting expression into your voice and not talking too quickly. This may be very difficult to start with but keep on trying because it will get easier. If someone else is reading it for you, explain or show them how you want it read.

PSNZ Workshop Series 2021

Judge Training in Taupō: 28 & 29 August 2021

By Shona Jaray APSNZ Judge Accreditation Panel

Venue: Taupō Vintage Car Clubrooms, Hickling Park, A C Baths Avenue, Tauhara Taupō 3330

The start time will be advised nearer the date but has generally been around 10.00 am. Lunch, morning and afternoon tea are provided on both days. A comprehensive manual is also provided.

This year we are charging PSNZ members $25.00. The charge for those who are not PSNZ members but are members of affiliated clubs remains at $60.00. This charge will become non refundable after 27 July 2021.

Click on this https://photography.org.nz/salons-galleries/judge-training-weekend-registration/ to register.

The class is limited to 30 people and we often have a waiting list, so book your place now!