Posted by Carl on Jan 18, 2010 in
Good Going
Happiness, sun and images of a awesome beach holiday, these are perfect components for the holiday of a lifetime when you trek to Cairns and Australia’s Queensland.
Blessed with an ideal weather pattern most of the year, featuring temperatures in summer (October-April) of 29-33 degrees C, and winter months (April-October) 25-29 degrees C, Cairns can offer some of the planet’s most vibrant natural tourist attractions, the great barrier reef, the world famous Skyrail and the Australian outback, and they are all here awaiting your discovery.
The very friendly locals of Tropical North Queensland will display the kind of friendly and unassuming hospitality that has become the envy of other tourism hot-spots. Adventure tourism, night life, fine eating and shopping add to the charm and attraction of this unique destination.
If you have been here previously, welcome home. If you are here for the first time, bathe in our tourist offerings and enjoy your vacation. Queensland’s finest non-capital city, Cairns is the world’s entrance to Tropical North Queensland. It is an exciting cosmopolitan destination with warm, sunny tropical days offset by cool onshore vespers.
Enjoy a walk along the interesting Esplanade or satisfy your lust for food in one of the city’s many multi-cultural, diverse and award-winning eateries. Cairns gives access to the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests along with the Australian Outback. Cairns, with its international and domestic airport, is the first stop for most visitors who want to see the real Australia. Relax on the sandy beaches, dive on the reef and experience the unique tropical rainforests that date back to when Australia was part of ancient Gondwanaland, thousands of eons ago.
Take a swim in the ultra-modern Esplanade lagoon, then look across the calm waters of Trinity Inlet and you will discover coastal ranges and mangrove habitats that have not changed since the site was branded by Captain James Cook in 1770. The beautiful Esplanade Lagoon is the perfect place to spend a sultry day basking in the sun and wading in the lagoon’s cool and inviting shallows.
There are many shady spots to take refuge from the sun in the heat of the day, as well as cooking facilities. The boardwalk has unique displays of Cairns’s local history and has many exercise facilities for those keen on getting a bit of exercise.
Cairns is very well suited to travel by foot, or transport by cycle. Well used paths and dedicated walking tracks abound. A visit to the Cairns Botanical Gardens is not to be missed. It claims 38 hectares of natural Aussie gardens which are maintained to lush standards, and many species found here cannot be seen elsewhere.
Located among the fauna is a cafe and restaurant, which is open daily for breakfast and lunch. Access to the gardens is free.
This article is brought to you by seo cairns. If you’re looking for Cairns seo or a Cairns internet marketing specialist, visit seocairns.seovoodoo.com.au.
www.bigtech.co.uk
Posted by Carl on Jan 18, 2010 in
Good Going
Every time you have to look at your blood sugar quite truthfully your life depends upon the exactness and ease of being able to do so. You want to be sure that you’ve got a qualified glucose meter to help you do this. With all of the models out there it could be difficult to buy the right choice for you.
Should you be seeking an effective and basic glucose meter then you may want to look into the One touch Ultra Mini Blood Glucose Meter. This meter does not have all sorts of functions and features which will complicate the outcome. Rather, with the One Touch Ultra Mini you will just get the number that you are looking for.
This One Touch glucose meter is very small which makes it simple to take along from destination to place. Moreover every One Touch Ultra Mini Blood Glucose Meter is included with an education manual dedicated to supplying an individual with all of the information they need to cope with their diabetic issues. It will contain info on meal choices, meal portions, and decoding the information on food labels. Additionally, it offers you some information on how to make some of your favorite foods extra healthy with out losing the flavors that you simply like.
The One Touch Ultra Mini Blood Glucose Meter is run on batteries, and these are included with the meter to get you started. Additionally, should you purchase the starter kit you can expect to get the coordinating lancing device, ultra soft lancets, control solution, mini carrying case, owners booklet, and a log book. All of these accessories will help you to effortlessly capture your blood sugar levels to confirm that you are preserving correct levels throughout the day.
These days the technology of blood glucose meters is so developed that they are very very accurate. The majority of errors come from human error. The One Touch Ultra Mini Glucose Meter has been designed to decrease this operator error level. It is quite simply easy to use which makes it more accurate for every user.
Most likely the most fun element of the One Touch Ultra Mini Blood Glucose meter is that you can get it in several colors. While this does not alter its functionality it can quite simply be fun. Checking your blood sugar levels are often tedious, so why not have some fun by getting a glucose meter in a fun color like lime green or violet?
The One Touch Ultra Mini Blood Glucose Meter is a perfect choice for a secondary blood glucose monitor. Its simpleness to use and its convenience allow it to be just right to take with you on the go. Additionally, the accuracy that the One Touch Ultra Mini offers is something that diabetics everywhere might welcome.
Posted by Carl on Jan 18, 2010 in
Good Going
Teleprompting 101: Preparing For Your First Teleprompter Presentation
Using a teleprompter is straightforward and the end result both professional and accurate, making their use popular for video presentations, award ceremonies, live conferences, product launches and increasingly as live note holders for public speakers.
However new users are often apprehensive. Newcomers may experience discomfort, nervousness or even drowsiness. Some new presenters can even come across as appearing dishonest.
This article is a summary of what to expect on a video production and the best ways to get professional results by using a teleprompter during your next presentation.
Word Smithing
Your presentation starts at the script. All your information and content is in the script. Designing your script to be spoken out loud is the key to a successful presentation. You can supply it to the auto cue operator in any word processing format, Mac or PC, preferably emailed to the production company ahead of time.
Use shorter sentences whenever possible and always try to use the contracted form of words, to better mimic the way people speak and give your delivery a more natural flow. Your auto cue script should only contain the text to be read. No bullet points, indents, tables, charts, borders, scene directions . . . just your monologue. If you need graphical aids, use screen graphics that can be displayed to your audience.
The auto cue operator will review the script and do some basic preparation so the lines read clearly on the auto cue screen. Keep in mind that if a lot of retouching is needed before the shoot day, a fee may be applied to cover editing time. So don’t send the auto cue operator a fully laid out storyboard . . . just send the speech!
Dress for Success
Once your script is done, it’s time to take a look at some of the more basic ingredients of your presentation.
A script is normally written with a particular audience in mind, so dress accordingly. Theatrical elements not withstanding, presenters would do well to wear comfortable clothing, reflecting the mood and overall tone of the message they are trying to get across.
Avoid striking reds wherever possible and steer clear of bright white clothes. These don’t copy well to video and are usually less than flattering for your skin tones. Pinstripes, hounds-tooth and any other patterns with very fine lines can also be distracting.
Makeup is used for both cosmetic and technical reasons . . . hiding blemishes is one thing but lights used in both video and stage environments are bright, harsh and hot, so makeup is often used to take out the shiny spots on the T of the face caused by the heat (and sometimes by nerves).
All that counts in video and stage production is the final result. In these strange environments, the final product is more important than the actual production stages, so don’t feel overly self conscious if the production company makes alterations to your wardrobe or insist you have makeup applied.
Your producer should have given you more specific information about what to wear and how to look your best, depending on the project.
Location
Regardless of whether the shoot is held in a studio, in an office or on the street, the same number 1 rule applies . . . safety first. Look out for cables on the floor, light stands, heavy rigging and awkwardly placed props. Stage lights are bright and for a good reason. They get very hot, so best not to touch!
When you arrive at, the Director will get you up to speed with how the set up is going and introduce you to the crew. For a shoot involving the use of a teleprompter, the crew will typically be made up of at least four people. The teleprompter operator, the sound operator, the camera operator and the Director. The bulk of the technical work will be done before you get there and after the shoot is over.
First port of call will be wardrobe and makeup. If you have any alterations or additions to the script though, make sure the teleprompter operator is aware of these as soon as possible.
The key feature of the teleprompter is to take a screen of text from a computer and project a smooth scrolling page of text onto a screen. Editing functions are limited, so allow the operator plenty of time to make any required edits. For single, this is quite easy to do. If new pages need to be added though, it takes time to either type these out or copy from a file.
When all the text is in place and you’re ready to go, grab a glass of water (not too cold) and get ready for the Director’s “3-2-1 . . . ACTION!”
Rolling, ACTION!
People will usually begin to fuss as you make your way to the camera . . . best to let them get on with it. You probably won’t hear that much from your auto cue operator unless he makes some alterations during your pre-read.
As you look into the monitor, it soon becomes apparent why bullet points and formatting are a bad idea. They would take up far too much space on the screen.
The Director is in charge of directing your presentation during the rehearsals and the final shoot. If time allows however, the teleprompter operator will often provide a general overview of the cue.
Here are the 5 main points to be aware of during your presentation:
1. Try the Script
You should always be given a pre-read of the script on the actual teleprompter during the rehearsal. Occasionally you’ll find words that normally run together being split to span over two pages to assist the delivery. Sometimes the opposite makes more sense. Written text normally spans 8-15 words on each line. In this medium however, the usual span is 3-5 words per line.
It’s an altogether different reading pace and you need to get used to it. It’s the teleprompter operator’s job to assist with the readability options.
2. Keep to Your Own Speed
The teleprompter operator will react to your delivery, constantly refining the scroll speed to match your reading speed. If you speed up, the auto cue speeds up. Slow down, the auto cue slows down.
3. Hold Eye Contact
This is something that needs practice, and/or a lot of takes to perfect. Until the Director tell you anything different, before the take starts, during the take and after it ends, just keep looking directly at the camera. That is of course unless you’ve mastered the process.
Eye movements are more crucial, the closer the shot is. Eye movements away from your audience make you look either uneasy or slightly dishonest. The only time you can really look away from the screen is when the Director says ‘cut’.
Most people won’t even know they are looking away from the camera. Turn away during an edit point in the script and the take will have to be re-done.
It’s ok to blink though!
4. Keep still
People very rarely stand totally still, often rocking from side to side of shuffling their feet. This is a perfectly natural movement but isn’t really the best thing to do during a shoot. It makes you look uncomfortable or distracted . . . which, if you’re rocking, then you are. It’s a bit like the eye contact and body movement discussed earlier on. Animated gestures in a production are fine as part of our communication is based on movement. Awkward looking swaying or shuffling aren’t.
As you get to start of the take, spend a few moments warming up. Stretches, bends, jumps. Anything to shake out your fatigue. The aim is to be both mentally and physically prepared. If the warm up still won’t keep you still, ask for a pedestal to rest one foot on or even make your presentation sitting down.
5. Value the Message
This may sound a little cheesy, but don’t just read your message . . . value the script! Remember, the script is a message that’s important. On some occasions you may not like what you’re saying, but you have to believe in the script. Use gestures, insert stresses too your presentation, don’t be monotonous . . . practice in front of a mirror!
All the information you will need is in the script and it’s crafted to get a clear massage across. Make the audience understand how important that message really is.
The Finished Product
So you’ve finished your recording and it’s time to see the finished product. The first thing you’ll confront when watching the tape is vanity. Don’t worry . . . it happens to everybody.
You might think you sound strange. You might think you look weird. The reason for this reaction is simple . . . you are used to seeing a reflected image of yourself rather than how everyone really sees you. Seeing your left side where your right side normally appears and vice versa is strange.
Some camera angles can also distort your appearance. You might fool yourself into thinking you look unwell or have put on weight. Giving polished presentations involves self criticism. Not negativity, but constructive criticism. Go over your performance and try to rectify any distracting or awkward habits.
Don’t split hairs here. Your concern is to make a sincere, polished presentation. You usually find that around the eyes. Are you mesmerized by the scrolling text, or speaking lifelessly? Are you a rocker? Are you maintaining eye line?
It’s all about getting an appreciation of your own performance. More importantly, do you look like you believe what you are saying? Business leaders from all industries realize the importance of an effective, personal and likeable communication style, yet public speaking is a major stepping stone for many of us.
This article has been all about the use of a teleprompter and an overview of how to best prepare for video production and presentations. It will need some homework on your part but when you meet the crew on the big day, the emphasis will be on making the best delivery and getting your message across as professionally as possible.
When you are ready to bring your presentations in-house, using professional teleprompter software can make a huge difference to the success of your production.
You can get a good idea of how this affordable teleprompter can help you by watching the great demo available on YouTube.
PromptDog also has a Mac version demo at teleprompter software Mac OSX.