School Days - part 2 or variation on a theme

[fiona Profile Private message]

Hi,

I've done another end-of-term show but I'm not sure about the quote at the beginning - does it add or detract? Any comments/criticisms very welcome.

The link is:-

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... 2415&alb=0

Thanks very much.

Fiona

[HunnyB Profile Private message]

I liked your show. I wouldn't change a thing.
HunnyB

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

I liked it - only thing I would change is the very end. I would
come up with some sort of music/audio continuation into the
ending so it doesn't feel "stuck on the end". I do like the multiple
masked pictures effect -- guess I need to figure out how to do
that one.

mikey

[seektheburd Profile Private message]

Hi Fiona,
I liked it-quote and all! Great pics and usage of masks. Thumbs up!

Stephanie

[stickgirl Profile Private message]

Fiona,

I really liked the show. The only thing I might change would be to use a different quotation in the beginning. It seems to be a show about your class (I'm assuming you're a teacher?), so maybe one of the following would work:

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about." - Angela Schwindt

"The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things." - Plato

I especially liked how the pictures were focused on the kids, showing their eyes and smiles.

Fantastic job!

Kathy

[KellyInAz Profile Private message]

What wonderful photography! Impecable timing to the music. Don't change a thing.

Kelly

[fiona Profile Private message]

Thankyou all for your comments - they're very much appreciated.

(I'm assuming you're a teacher?)

No I'm not a teacher but I've had 3 daughters at this particular school and I've gone in to hear readers, been on school trips etc on a voluntary basis. My youngest is leaving in a couple of weeks, hence these slide shows. It'll be the end of primary school for all of us !

Regards,

Fiona

[daisyjane Profile Private message]

Hi Fiona,

First of all, what a great idea as a gift for a teacher. I don't know if that's what you're using it for, but I love it. The show kept my interest through the whole thing, I like the use of the masks, and the pics are great. The quote is good, but I think I like stickgirl's better...specifically about children. The only thing I might change is that some of your movement isn't smooth. Sometimes some of the panning seems to come to a stop, and even sometimes shake a little, rather than softly transitioning into the next picture. Also, (and I fall into this trap) I don't think you have to pan every picture. The pictures are so nice, panning all of them the same way detracts a bit. But I love the show and the idea.

JZ

[fiona Profile Private message]

The only thing I might change is that some of your movement isn't smooth. Sometimes some of the panning seems to come to a stop, and even sometimes shake a little, rather than softly transitioning into the next picture.
JZ

Hi JZ -

thanks for the suggestions; all of which I know how to apply except for this one! I'm very aware of this jerkiness (it's in all my shows - but not in all the pictures, if you know what I mean) but I don't know what's causing it so I don't know how to put it right (and I'd love to ). It also seems more noticable to me when I have 2 pictures on screen at once - would you agree? I've checked my panning co-ordinates settings and they look to be the same between slides (where I use motion, I use a pair of slides for each single photo with a 'cut' transition of zero between the two and a display time of zero with a 'crossfade' transition on the second slide).

(BTW do you know the difference between the crossfade 'linear' and the crossfade 'blend'?)

I'm very glad you've picked this up, though - it's an annoying niggle that I really want to eliminate. Once you notice it, you watch the stutter not the pictures! I'll let you know when I solve it .

Regards,

Fiona.

[daisyjane Profile Private message]

I used to have that same problem with jerkiness when I was using an older version of Gold, I thought it to be a glich more than something I was doing wrong...but I don't know for sure. I'm using Producer now though. What version are you using? I think there's an update available, maybe that would solve it??? As far as the transitions go, when you put them side by side (crossfade blend and linear), the difference is so subtle...I think it's just preference. Good luck with that jiggle thing...you might want to contact proshow...JZ

[fiona Profile Private message]

By the way, Kathy, thanks very much for the quote suggestions - I forgot to mention it earlier.

JZ, I'm running Producer v1942 so it's not that - contacting Photodex direct is a good idea I hadn't thought of; I'll give it a go.

Regards,

Fiona.

[hallz]

Hi

Great show! If you want constructive criticism, then in my opinion i would lose the quote altogether! Its a great celebration of the children and i kind of find quotations like that a bit pretentious and unncecessary in these circumstances!

As for the jerky movements, yes i noticed them but i dont think it detracted from the show - certainly miles better than anything i have done!

[alaskaninexile]

Hi Fiona,
Have to agree with hallz - you've already created a masterful and brilliant intro with sun shining through the trees - the quote and the second epxloding Shine caption tend to devalue the powerful symbolism of your opening (but subconciously I think yo were concerned about that as well by the fact that you raised the question). Other than that, and perhaps Mikeys comment, I wouldn't change a thing . I usually like nature shows more than people shows, but this 'people' show was great - loved it.
Alaskan in Exile

[fiona Profile Private message]

Hallz and A-in-E,

I have to agree that your views struck a cord with me. I figured that the quote would be wasted on my actual audience - the now eleven-year-old subjects of the pictures (plus the delay it inevitably created when presenting the show) - so I removed it before they watched it on DVD yesterday (I felt more comfortable with this, though I will definately use appropriate quotes in other presentations, depending on my target audience at the time).

Anyway, their reaction was brilliant and a wonderful reward for work invested. (I was also able to take shots of their reactions while they watched - so I have promising material for a follow-up show ).

Thank you all once again for your encouragement and comments - they means a lot to me and have given food for thought in that never-ending quest for improvement!

Regards,

Fiona

[debngar Profile Private message]

Hi Fiona,

I like your style, didn't mind the quote and "Shine" caption went nicely with the music. But no matter since you already said they were removed. What if you tried a different treatment of the word "Shine" next time, increasing the size very large but take down the opacity so that it is more see through and run it from right to left.

I would like in the next version of Producer to allow the captions to be placed on whatever layer I wanted instead of just on top.

Anyways -

BTW do you know the difference between the crossfade 'linear' and the crossfade 'blend'?)

If you are speaking of the AB and the A/B transitions, the difference is that the AB sort of fades to black in between the images and the other actually blends the two. You can see this for yourself by doing a little experiment. Insert two blank slides next to each other, one with a yellow background and the other with a blue one and set a 5 second transition between. Use an AB transition. Now copy those two slides and change the transition between the next two slides to A/B. Watch the screen and observe the transitions. You will see the A/B actually turn the screen to green for a moment. This is a good way to see the difference. You can take advantage of that and choose primary colors of your background that nicely blend into other colors during transition if you use the A/B!

Debbie G.