Each version of PowerPoint has different methods of doing this. If you are working with a very old version of PowerPoint, you may need additional assistance directly.

Step One: Change the page size of the Master slide to fit your screen height and width. PowerPoint should apply that change to all slides.

Step Two: Alter both slides you see in the Master Slide View to fit the new page width of your presentation, considering font size as well as text field height and width. Make sure you make your changes to BOTH the default slide, and the layout slide under Master Slide View. Once you close the Master Slide View, you should see that the slideshow has changed globally.

Step Three: Go through the slideshow and make adjustments to any slides which now look funny or are distributed oddly through the new shape. This is tedious, but very necessary.

QUICK TIP: If your projector is static (unmovable) and is throwing the projection too low, you can create a page layout that is taller and move the text area to the top or bottom of the page, leaving the rest blank.

Please call or email if you need additional help. There is no charge for resizing a slideshow so long as the width remains the same. If you are changing the ratio of width to height, it will affect the slideshow dramatically and the show will need to be reformatted. There is a charge for this based on an hourly rate, but this process typically takes only an hour or two.

Refer to the documentation included with your rental for the recommended methods. It is highly recommended you follow the cue number scheme, which corresponds to cue numbers listed in the NOTES for each slide (NOT the PowerPoint slide number!).

When looking at the slideshow in Presenter View, the slideshow runner will see the Notes field on the right hand side of the screen. That is the cue number which ties to the cue score. The cue score has numbers marked in red with a yellow background. These cue numbers correspond to the  Notes Field of the PowerPoint presentation, and not the PowerPoint slide number. No matter what insertions, deletions, or hiding you do, that text will always match the notes field. The PowerPoint slide number on the bottom left/center should never be used.

Supertitles are formatted for use on a standard screen dimension that is a ratio of 1 to 8, but slideshows can be altered for almost any screen size. How large the receptor screen should be depends on how far your projector will be from it and what kind of projection it provides. Most projectors have multiple ways to adjust the image size. It is recommended that if you are building a screen for these titles, get a sample slide in advance and project it in your venue. If you have a way to rear-project from a rail or some other source, that will eliminate any concerns with lighting issues. LED screens are also available and becoming more and more popular.

If you are using an LED screen, it is recommended you go to the Master Slide View and change the default font in both default and master slides to a slight yellow, because the default bright white on an LED screen can actually be tiring to the eyes. #FFFFCC has proven to be a good color to use. You can manually enter that as your slide color for your text under the “Custom” tab when you highlight the text and select the font color icon.

It depends on your performance space, the distance between your projector and the receiving surface, and how many lights it’s going to have to break through. As long as you’re not in an enormous municipal auditorium, most modern projectors are more than adequate. If you really want to get fancy, you could look into “rear projection” options as well.

The rental fee structure has variables which affect price for each rental. Generally speaking, full length operas in the public domain are $600 and one-act operas are generally $300. There are discounts offered for organizations with lower annual revenue and for educational institutions (not applicable to Art Songs or individual Aria/Scene Downloads).

Annual revenue must be verified using the organization’s Form 990 before a discount may be applied.

Some operas and oratorios will fall outside of that pricing structure. Smaller oratorios don’t have much text, so that fee is much less than a normal rental. If you request a custom title set for a work which is rarely performed, that is going to be higher than normal because it is unlikely I will be able to rent that set of titles again.

Yes, and conversion to whatever format you need is done at no cost. This includes sets which can be imported into TitleDriver and other software platforms

The titles can be sent whenever you wish, once the contract is signed and rental fee is paid. If not directed otherwise, the default shipping date is set up so that your titles arrive prior to the week your performance begins. For example, if your opening performance is March 31st, the titles would typically be sent to arrive by March 24th. Once your production is over, any rented titles cue scores must be returned within 30 days of final performance listed in your contract.

The rental fee does not include processing cuts. It is best for you to process cuts internally, as additional cuts might be made during the rehearsal process (or cuts may be opened back up) and since you have made the other cuts, there will then be no question on how to accomplish it. Having the cuts processed for you on our end does require a fee, which varies depending on the complexity of the cuts being requested.

The fee for video subtitle overlays is based on the project, which can vary tremendously. That work is charged at a $25.00 hourly rate. If you’re only adding 50 or so cues (say, for something like the Beethoven 9th) it’s obviously going to be a lot less than for something like Le nozze di Figaro. That means projects can range rather broadly between $25 and several hundreds of dollars. A good rule of thumb is to factor about 100 slides per hour. So, for a work with 1000 slides, that will take 10 hours and will therefore be $250. For a work with 50 slides, that’s only going to be $25.

Yes, there is a 20% discount applied to a single contract with multiple titles included in the same production season. The full rental fee must be paid up front in order to receive the 20% discount.  Il Tritico is considered a single full length opera rental and gets all three one-act operas for the typical price of a regular full length opera.

Yes. The slideshow is made in Microsoft PowerPoint. Any slide may be customized to meet your particular staging needs.

Supertitles are formatted for use on a standard screen dimension that is a ratio of 1 to 8, but can be altered for almost any screen size. How large the receptor screen is depends on how far your projector will be and what kind of projection it provides. Most projectors have multiple ways to adjust the image size. It is recommended that if you are building a screen for these titles, get a sample slide in advance and project it in your venue.

Yes, you may request a specific aria or scene in order to get an idea of the style in which I present titles.

There are several reasons why having supertitles for English and English-translated operas is beneficial. First, the style of most operatic singing makes it difficult to deliver the language in an easily understandable way. Second, many words in operettas and translated English operas are archaic or unusual.  The Rake’s Progress is an excellent example of an English opera that benefits in providing supertitles for its audience. Supertitles for English works is also an excellent opportunity to include consideration for hearing-impaired patrons and can result in a positive community outreach opportunity.

You should select someone who can read music well, and preferably, someone familiar with the opera or oratorio. Numbered slides and marked scores make this process easy, but for complex musical numbers, having someone familiar with the score is recommended.

Make sure the person you select to run your slideshow knows they cannot make markings in the score.

New titles are being made all the time, and I am happy to add new titles to meet your needs. Just let me know when your production is so that I may plan appropriate time to create them. Please be aware that if the work needing titles is  not in the public domain, it will be treated somewhat differently.  Additionally, works that are very rarely performed are going to cost more to make than works which I believe can be rented multiple times in the future.

Absolutely. The rental fee depends on the complexity and length of the program.

It depends on your performance space, the distance between your projector and the receiving surface, and how many lights it’s going to have to break through. As long as you’re not in an enormous municipal auditorium, most modern projectors are more than adequate. If you really want to get fancy, you could look into “rear projection” options as well.

I also encourage you to look into the LiveNote service, which can work in conjunction with a projection, or even eliminate the need for a projection entirely.

https://go.instantencore.com/livenote

The technology has improved enough that having a projector is a very affordable product for most companies. It is an excellent investment for you to make, and could potentially be donated if you ask the right people. Because different venues have different needs, I do not carry screens for rental. Screens may be made of basic non-reflective fabric (such as muslin) available at most fabric or art supply stores. A basic frame can be made from many light materials which are rigid when mounted, or perhaps flexible. You just want it to be completely taut when expanded. The absolute best possible material is movie screen material, if available in your area or by special order. Doing a search for “Projector Screen Fabric” on Google or Amazon will yield many results.