The Art of projection and complete magic lantern ... - Yesterday Image

to6anxiety to a lecturer if they commence a lengthy introduction, as theyfrequently do as soon as the curtain or title slide is thrown on the screen,the gas is going and the slide exposed to the risk of being broken with theheat. If the chairman must have his say, let it be before the lights arelowered. If the lecture is the usual printed one, it should have been well rehearsedin private, and each slide gone over, to become familiar with thesubject described ;every lecturer knows the difference when talking of aplace he is familiar with. When describing any particular feature in theview, it should be pointed out by the lecturer either with a pointer, or ifthe screen is very large, by the aid of a fishing rod, as this is portable fortravelling. Do not tell the audience what they are to expect in thesucceeding picture, for instance— when an effect is introduced, we haveheard it said : "The next picture will be by moonlight, and after that thewindows will light up." It spoils the whole charm of the change, ifattention must be drawn, let it be after the change has taken place, donot stop the reading and turn and watch the screen, practised lecturersnever do this, it causes an unpleasant gap in the lecture.The most effective lectures are those spoken and not read. Thosewho feel it necessary to read their MS. should practice reading it aloudseveral times before it is to be publicly delivered, that they may befamiliar with the subject.When writing and arranging the materialfor a lecture, let the wordingbe simple and the sentences short and concise. A sentence consisting ofseverallines without a stop becomes wearisome, make the lecture to theslides, and not what is generally done, the slides to the lecture.Avoid statistics and lugubrious wording, a terse and racey description,with a well told anecdote here and there willbe found most appreciatedby the listeners, as they want to be amused as well as instructed,plenty of pictures with a compact description is all that is needed.Lecturers sometimes will talk on one picture for 15 minutes, going intotechnical details that are most wearisome to the majority of theiraudience.A slide should not remain on longer than two minutes, and many noteven so long as this. In lectures of a popular and entertaining character,it is desirable to introduce a little music, and if the lecturer is a musician,the introduction of a few songs of an appropriate character, after thestyle of Corney Grain, and Grossmith, are a pleasant change; sentimentalsongs, as a rule, are quite out of place in a lantern exhibition unlessthey are exceedingly appropriate. If a musician is to be employed