CREATING AUDIO-VISUAL SEQUENCES
An audio-visual sequence (A-V) can be a great way to show your work to family, friends and even to other groups and organisations. The purpose of this guide is to offer some advice on the basic approach.
Firstly, let’s consider the subject: audio-visual; two words, each of equal importance to the finished product. An audio-visual sequence involves bringing the two parts together so that the whole is more than just the sum of the parts.
The simplest form of A-V is that which combines images with music. And this should be the start point for all new A-V workers. Take a selection of your images and experiment with different pieces of music. This will teach you how to match the mood of the music and the mood set by the images.
As you become comfortable at matching moods, you can then set about learning how to pace the sequence. This involves ensuring that, when the music demands, you have a slide change properly synchronised to that point in time. It also involves learning how to vary the slide durations and the duration of the transitions between adjacent slides. Eventually your skills will grow to the point where your sequence flows along naturally: the images paced exactly in accordance with the pace of the music.
A word of warning at this point: it is tempting to use all the “gee-whizz” effects that your A-V software provides, in the mistaken belief that this will make the sequence “better” or “more interesting”. The opposite is usually the case. Keep the transitions simple: fade out/fade in. Then add other transition types sparingly – and only when the chosen transition is appropriate to the upcoming image composition.
Once you have gained some basic competence you can start to think about broadening your A-V horizons. As you contemplate your next epic master-piece, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What is the purpose of your A-V?2. Who will the audience be?
3. How will it be viewed?
The purpose could be to educate or to entertain. It could be to illustrate a song, interpret a piece of poetry or tell a story. It could be a documentary about a subject, topic or theme.
Your audience might be just family and friends, or it might be that you want to get out on the “speaker circuit” and become a regular at other camera clubs, W.I.s and such like.
Will you be showing it by sitting round your computer monitor, by playing through your large-screen TV or by using a digital projector? Which-ever of these is the primary playback technology, it will have a bearing on how you create your sequence.
If you’ve not tried this wonderful medium, I would encourage you to give it a go. Keep it simple – and have fun! And ask your questions on the forum in the Audio-Visual section – I’ll do my best to answer them promptly.