My simple ambition when creating PresentationTools A/S was to minimise the button-clicks needed for AV-technicians to control the show. Therefore, we made the “Next Presentation” command for APS, and the “Start” command for CueTimer. They both able you to sort your timers and presentations in an ordered list, and then you just need to push one NEXT button to advance to the next segment.
For a long time, I thought that this was the wet dream of all show-operators: During the hectic transitions when presenters and artists go on and off the stage, you don’t want to think too much, and be given options. The big fat “NEXT” button in the middle of the table is too irresistible not to be used.
What I found out, however, was that some of our users don’t want to be bound by a pre-determined order of events. Instead, they asked for a setup where all the presentations are available with buttons, and where the presentation-timings could easily be set on the fly.
How to use Stream Deck as a remote control for presentations and countdowns
To accommodate the need for a more dynamic workflow, we have developed our Companion modules with commands that gives you access to all your presentations and timers from a single Stream Deck page:
CueTimer
The ”set duration” command lets you set the main timer to specific durations. Combine this with the +- I minute buttons, and the standard buttons for starting and stopping timers, and you have a 12-button Stream Deck page from where you can control all your presentation-timers. The video below show you how it works:
APS
The slot-commands lets you select specific presentations to be opened from Companion buttons. From this you can create a Stream Deck page where all your presentations are easily available. Colors on the buttons shows if the presentation is ready or already presented in fullscreen
Why AV-technicians choose a dynamic workflow
The workflows shown in the videos are popular among our customers. They want to have everything available from one interface. However, you could argue that it would be simpler to put all the presentations and timers in an ordered list, and just have a ”NEXT” button to push as the event progresses. But then why isn’t this type of sequential workflow taking over completely?
To answer this question, I think you need to understand the mentality of live event technicians: An ordered schedule works great as long as you receive the list from the event-organizer in time for you to prepare it, and you have the space and tools to monitor and control the list as the event progresses. In 95% of the events, this will work great, and you can save a lot of time and hassle working this way.
But AV-technicians will know that you also need to prepare for the 5% occasions where the planning doesn’t go as expected. What if you don’t receive the event-rundown before the first speaker, or the laptop that is normally used for the schedule must be used for a last-minute Zoom caller? Then you need a simpler workflow, and with 12-button Stream Deck pages with all the control you need for the timers and presentations, you have a solution that you know will always work.
Our brain tends to focus more of the 5% that could do wrong, than the 95% that goes right. An experienced AV-technician knows that what you will be judged for is not your best work, but how good you are at avoiding screwups. By not relying on the list, you are set to go no matter how bad the event is planned. And then you might as well use the simple solution for all events, because what you don’t want is to use too many workflows. Stick with your plan. So although we have great options for creating a well-planned event-schedule that can be controlled with a single button, it seems to me that a lot of our users prefer to have all the options available at all times.
No matter what your preferred workflow for presentations and timers, we should have got you covered with APS and CueTimer. Our goal is to develop tools that makes your event run smoother.
