Introduction
Section 1: Slides
Section 2: Overhead Transparencies:
Section 3: Computer Generated slides
Summary:

Introduction

Purpose: This is a list of instructions and advice on how to use some of the most commonly used visual aids. These VAs will help you create dynamite presentations by reinforcing everything you say with attractive, easy to follow images.

Types of Visual Aids: The most commonly used visual aids are 35mm slides, overhead transparencies, and computer-generated slides. All of these VAs are easy to make, & with a few exceptions any variations of these can be made at BCU.

Accessibility and Ease of Use:

Slides are probably one of the most common and easily accessible mediums for projecting large images in lecture halls and seminar rooms. Many rooms come equipment with slide projectors and long extension cords for the remotes. You can also check out slide projectors for limited use at BCU. You will also need a slide carousel so that you can put all of your slides in the order that you'll view them. [Remember: slides need to be put in upside down and backwards.] There is no charge for checking out this equipment at BCU. We do ask that you return the slide projectors and when done and try not to have the carousels checked out for more than a week at a time.

Slides are nice and easy to use, but creating them can be expensive.

What can slides be made from:

Slides can be created from any object, event, or image. You simply have to point a camera at it, with the proper film, and take a picture. At BCU we have trained photographers who can set up proper lighting to take quality slides from objects that are brought in, portraits of people, or even take pictures of other photos. BCU can make 'copy slides' from illustrations/photos, books, magazines, other color or Black & White prints, radiographs, posters, gels, three dimensional objects of varying size, people, and more. BCU is also equipped to make duplicates of other slides. Just keep in mind that slides have very specific proportions and sometimes you will have excessive margins around things if we try to fit the entire picture in the frame. Its usually a good idea to frame your pictures with post-it notes so that BCU knows what you do and don’t want cropped from a image. Slides can also be made from computer files. (See section three for more details.)

How to make slides:

If you want to use BCU services, just bring down your originals, tell us what you want, leave the materials with us, and we'll do the rest. There is a two-day turn around time. If you bring in work before 10:00am it will be out the next working day at 4:30pm. However, if your in a crunch, we can do a one day RUSH (10am to 4:30pm), but it is double the cost. BCU office hours are Monday through Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm. BCU can also develop and mount slide film that you have taken. The turn around time is currently one day; prices vary with the number of exposures.

Important: Remember, BCU charges for its services. However, as veterinary students you will qualify for the discounted CVM prices of $1.50ea for copy slides and $1.50ea for duplicates. Current CVM prices for processing slide film is $4.00 for 24 exposures and $5.00 for 36.

{Note: There is a difference between kodachrome slide film and ektachrome. Kodachrome is an old format that is rarely used but the term is more or less slang for slide film. Make sure you know what your using because no one in the state can develop kodachrome anymore and it will take 10 days to ship it off and get it back.}

Burn-Ins, Huh?:

Burn-ins are a special type of slide. With a burn-in you can take a B&W image, line drawing, or text (note that images with gray tones won’t work) and burn it as another color onto another slide. For example, if you bring in a printout of text, BCU can make a slide with yellow text on a blue background, or white text on top of a picture of campus, etc. BCU has a catalogue of colors you can choose from. Just remember only one color can be burned onto a background. So you can have white text on a blue background, but you can’t have white & yellow text on the same background.

The process has a few extra steps to it. If you want a picture as a background we'll have to duplicate it and make a negative of the text. The CVM cost of the burn-in itself, including the negative, is currently $3.00.

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Accessibility and Ease of Use:

Transparencies are another common easily accessible visual aid. You can either write down your notes as you talk using a Visa-Via pen or have them pre-made. Most rooms are equipped with overhead projectors, but since they are not very portable – they are not available for checkout. You may also find the overhead inconvenient because they are loud and the bright light makes it difficult for some people to read. However, it offers a cheap and immediate solution to visual aid needs.

How to Make Overheads: There are three ways of making an overhead.

1.) You can hand write your text and pictures using an overhead pen. This may look unprofessional, but gives immediate, cheap results. Pens and blank transparencies are sold at the Student BookStore.

2.) You can photocopy text and images onto a special type of heat resilient transparency. First cut-and-paste your desired images and text onto a white sheet of paper. [Note: Not all copiers are capable of high-resolution copies of photographs.] If you need to make a color photocopy you can go to Kinko's and use their color copier and buy the proper heat resistant transparencies.

3.) The third way to make transparencies is to print onto the transparency directly from a computer. This process can be used for presentations you've put together on the computer using programs like Word and Power Point. For $1.00ea BCU can print a B&W transparency for you, or for $3.50ea BCU can print off a color one.

Note: There are several different types of transparencies out there. They're not all made to withstand the high temperatures of copiers or laser printers. Be careful, with the wrong material you can not only melt your overhead, but you can also ruin the machine you used to make them.

The powers of computer technology can help you put together some of the nicest looking presentations. However, they almost always involve a high level of effort or money on your part. If you can gain access to a computer with the right software, you will have to take the time to learn the software and create your images. Once you've finished you'll have to decide how you want to present them. Currently there are two options.

1)  Making 35mm slides:

There are many advantages to converting your files directly to 35mm slides. You may have access to slide projectors in just about in every room on campus, you won’t have to worry about learning how to use complicated computer projection systems, or have the risk of them failing on you at the last. However, the creation of slides is not cheap. Currently, CVM prices for slides from computer files are $2.00 ea.

Before you create your slides, make sure you are creating them in a format that BCU can read. Currently, BCU can image slides from any file that was saved as a .tiff, .pict, .GIF, .bmp, or .EPS format. BCU can also image directly from Power Point, Harvard Graphics, Photoshop, PageMaker, and Freehand. BCU can image both from Macintosh and Windows platforms. **Make sure you have set up your presentation format to 35mm slides with 0 margins.**

All you have to do is save these files to a 3.5" floppy diskette or a 100MB Zip disk and bring them down to BCU. Tell us what the file name is and we can make your slides within two days. Files can also be transferred to BCU through an ftp site, email, or moving files across the CVM local networks. If your file is too large for a disk contact us and we'll walk you through these other steps. Remember-ALWAYS have a backup saved on your own computer. BCU can’t guarantee that the files won’t get corrupted.

2)  Using a Multi-Media Projector (also known as the ‘Proxima’):

This, though, it is one of the more difficult means, is the cheapest - because for the most part - its completely free - well, other than the time you put into it.

If you can create a presentation in a computer program like Power Point, it is possible to project your presentation onto a screen without having to actually make 35mm slides. In order to do this you’ll have to reserve several pieces of equipment ahead of time.

If you are giving your presentation in Bustad 145 you will find that there is already a projector and a computer in this room. The computer is hooked up to the Internet and the local CVM network. There are several instructional handouts on how to use this system at BCU.

Room 1410/1408 in the New Veterinary Teaching Hospital will soon have a computer and Proxima unit permanently installed in it as well.

However, if you need to project your presentation in a room that does not already have a permanent setup you will need to reserve a laptop and a Proxima projector from either BCU or the Veterinary Library in Wegner Hall.

Once you have reserved everything all you have to do is pick up the equipment, set it up and give your presentation. There is no charge for using CVM equipment, but you’ll want to make sure you know how to use it. If you’ve never used it be sure to get some help or some instructions on it before you actually give your presentation.

So between 35mm slides, overhead transparencies, and multi-media projects you should be able to find some option that suites your needs, talents, and pocket book.

Luckily with the continually advancements in technology these are only the beginning…..

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