Aspect ratio is the width of a screen compared to it’s height.

There are aspect ratios that are popular for movies that are shown in cinemas but it is unlikely that these will find their way into events unless it’s a movie preview.

The shape of TV screens and projection screens have changed over the past decade. Almost all of us in our homes now have the more modern wide screen (16:9) TV. These have replaced the old style full screen (4:3) shape TV.

Wide Screen 16:9 Aspect Ratio

Old Style 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Surprisingly in the events world there are still numerous 4:3 screens installed in venues as well as 4:3 projectors. In venues that have equipment permanently installed they may have upgraded to the newer technology in their large venues and moved the older equipment to the smaller breakaway rooms. Your presenters will be faced with projectors that are not suited to the content they created.

Why is this important? It looks unprofessional to have the image not fill the entire screen. The image size will have been selected based on the size of the audience and room dimensions. If the content does not fill the screen it means that not all participants will see the image correctly.

Your AV supplier will ask you what aspect ratio is required. As the event organisor you should advise presenters which aspect ratio screens and projectors will be available for them at the venue. It is simple enough for them to create their presentation in the correct aspect ratio if they know ahead of time. Changing the presentation once it is created is possible but does often introduce errors that have to me manually corrected.

If videos form part of the presentation these are not easily changed unless it’s done by the studio that created them and if they are large files it could take hours to render.

Last year we staged a corporate event for our client. Although we had been promised the content for days prior to the event on the morning of the event we did not yet have the video. I offered to collect it from the studio only to be told that it was being created in a different city. Doors were opening at 5 am and by 12 pm we still hadn’t received the video.

I was told it would be sent electronically. I called the studio and asked what was the size of the file. With the available up and download speed the video would have arrived the following morning. I asked for the video to be rendered at a lower resolution and waited for several hours while it downloaded on my computer. I tested it, drove it across the city and walked into the venue with guests already seated.

Decide if some of the last minute changes to videos are really necessary. A small change can result in hours of waiting for the image to render and you run the risk of it not being ready in time.

I find so often that event organisers are reluctant to specify the aspect ratio requirements to the client. The dry run, hours before the event starts is not the time to discover that the presentations are incorrectly formatted.

– Article written by Julian Cohen

The post AV Talk – understanding screen aspect ratios appeared first on Avstage | Enhance our client's vision.

“AV STAGE and FRIED GLASS EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY recently collaborated once again on a fantastic corporate event in the Kruger Park. International software company Sophos, embarked on an incentive trip to SA through travel company Mercury 80. After spending a few nights in Cape Town, 220 guests flew into Skukuza, and spend a few days unwinding at the various luxurious lodges in the area including Mala Mala, and Londolozi.

On the last evening of their trip, they were ushered into vehicles and told they were going on their final game drive. They were driven to an area, just outside Shaws gate where Haywards Tented Safaris had set up a luxury 5 star tent, along a river bank, with all tech supplied by AV Stage and all entertainment supplied and managed by FRIED GLASS.

To add to the element of surprise, the evening was in two parts. Drinks on arrival, along with drummers, Sangoma readings and traditional african face painting. Part two was heralded with the sound of a Kudu horn. The back of the tent dropped to reveal a boma area with seating for all guests, who all enjoyed a range of traditional african style entertainment and cuisine.

A magical experience in the heart of the African bush, was a perfectly fitting end to Sophos’s incentive trip. It all worked seamlessly and the guests went home with wonderful memories and will certainly be great ambassadors for SA Tourism.” Alan Glass – Fried Glass Events

Julian Cohen, owner of Avstage adds “When overseas visitors come here on conference they usually spend days stuck in a hotel or conference room, totally unaware that they are in Africa.

I’m always excited when we get the opportunity to show people the bush, and when we get to set up outdoor events. Of course, there are all the usual technical considerations – for example we need to provide power for all of our equipment. The generator must be silent, otherwise what’s the point of being in the bush? Its dark in the bush at night so we need to light pathways, kitchens, stage, tables and provide light for the entertainment.

Often the guests are unaware that there is entertainment provided. We need to hide our tracks away so they aren’t spotted in the bush or anywhere close the the “venue”. Our planning must be perfect. There is nowhere close to find a replacement bulb or faulty cable and our crew are used to setting up in an air-conditioned conference room. In the bush they need to be aware of protection from the sun, make provision for rain and keep an eye out for animals too!

A site inspection is critical. Setting up a stage in a dried up river bed is a challenge as it tends to sink.  We need to be aware of sound levels. In the bush the sound travels for kilometers and can affect guests in adjacent lodges. Timing is even more important in the bush. Travelling in large trucks, even relatively short distances, can take much longer due to unpaved roads and obstacles like overhanging branches.

We have many years experience setting up shows in the bush. The extra effort makes it a really worthwhile African experience for overseas or local guests.”

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An invaluable contribution is made by skillful lighting to the ultimate success of any occasion. Lighting is often required to change over the course of an event, providing a functional work friendly environment during the day, and then transforming the same space in to a party venue at night with a band, dancing and all the lights that go with an entertainment element.

The work done a wile ago by Avstage, for the ENRC year end event, is a good example of lighting can be a key player of the design, style and overall effect of a function.

The venue, already styled, features brocade walls in silver and large mirrored pillars. Avstage expertly interpreted the event vision of the event managers and stylists.

A white tunnel at the entrance was transformed using purple lighting. The interior was washed with magenta, creating the exact “late night moody atmosphere” that was articulated by the event team. Light was intentionally reflected off the many glass and mirrored surfaces, allowing use of fewer fixtures and substantially reducing costs.

“We demand reliability and flexibility from our suppliers. Avstage deliver consistent excellence from all their levels of staff, respond effectively to any changes in lighting and entertainment, and have never let us down. In fact, Avstage have always OVER provided on the specifications of any event” Glenis Gillespie, Conceptspark.

Leading by example, founder, owner and director Julian Cohen, is the master mind behind Avstage’s excellence in lighting, sound and projection technology that has made his company a leader in the highly competitive and specialized industry. His attention to details is legendary and his philosophy is siple: “I do not believe in limitations or boundaries and I do not accept that there are any problems too hard or too complicated to solve…we get the job done and we do it best.”

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