Page 180 - Mediapedia Mobile

PART I1I SHARING YOUR WORK
05_MP_176-213.indd 198-199
6/19/08
4:01:53 PM
SCREEN GRAPHICS
Screen graphics include text and other visual material that is integrated within the images of a slide show.
It’s tricky when text and images share the same screen. Reading a picture always requires more time than scan- ning a picture. Plus, text on one image tends to pull the reader out of a slide show’s flow. Generally speaking, there are three types of screen graphics: titles, lower-thirds, and credits.
lower thirds
title slide
A slide at the beginning of a slide show featuring a few words that give the piece a title and optional subtitle.
end credits
[ 198 ]
CHAPTER 5: SLIDE SHOWS
[ 199 ]
Sometimes it’s smart to place a title slide on a black or neutral field. This give the audience time to register what the show will be about. Of course text can also be super- imposed on the first slide. Legibility is always an important consideration, and choice of font, color, and size is critical.
The black edges around the letters of the title, “Jamaica”, help it stand out from what is a busy background. The choice of color also helps.
End credits cite some or all of those who worked on a partic- ular project, plus give copyright acknowledgments and any other information about the production of the slide show.
Lower thirds refers to text that is inserted low in the frame and provides information that identifies the visuals.
The term lower thirds originated in television, where elec- tronic character generators inserted the names of talking heads on the screen. For many years, a set of conventions controlled the placement and size of this on-screen iden- tification. Now, of course, digital tools can quickly create text, size and color it, and move it to any position within the frame.
Television programmers have stepped up the practice of inserting network logos and promotions for upcom- ing shows into corners of screen left or screen right. As a producer of television fare, I reflect on how little respect such usage has for the visual integrity of the shows being aired.
End credits are often shown as credit rolls, which start off screen and ascend through an underlying image. End credits can also be configured as cards or individual slides. People inevitably lift their chin a bit higher when they see their name on the screen, some generous with credits. But be kind to your viewers, too, and keep the credit rolls a reasonable length.
This frame suggests a credit roll. It’s good form to ac- knowledge those involved in creating your slide show.