Guidance - Performing a reading

Before starting

Before offering to read a request we suggest that you look at the quick tour and read the guidance notes on safety.

You should carefully check the type of delivery that is required. Readings might be any of the following:

• A simple message to confirm that the reading has been carried out, possibly with a photograph or two;
• A series of photographs of the reading location which have been converted into a slide show with the audio added;
• A simple video of the event;
• A series of carefully editied video scenes with audio and sub-titles.

Check that you have the right equipment to be able to carry out the request and remember that there is a limit of 50 MB on the size of video files that can be uploaded into Cinnaminta.

Finding a request to read

Search the listings of requests to see what other people would like to have read out aloud.

The listings show titles, reasons / explanations / abstracts and locations for the requests. Click on the icon to see the full details of the request.

Arranging to read

You can offer to read / perform / record a request by clicking on the "Offer to read this request" text which is just below and to the right of the icon in the page with the details of the request.

If the requester accepts your offer you should consider contacting the requester again through Cinnaminta's message service to make sure that you fully understand the requirements before you set off to do the reading.

Basic equipment required

If you are going to record performances that can be uploaded to Cinnaminta then depending on the type of requests you offer to perform, you will need a digital camera, video camera or mobile phone with a built-in video camera.

Recording a reading

Apart from needing to understand how to operate your recording device, e.g. a digital video camera recorder or the camera in your mobile phone, you should consider the following:

1. You might feel a bit self conscious the first time you do a reading so before trying to record your first reading for submission you might like to try recording yourself reading a few verses that you know well to get used to reading with the video camera recording. This will help you to understand how your voice will sound on a recording.
2. Trying a few recordings will also help you to understand how the microphone works, how sensitive the camera is to shaking and how the picture varies when moving from light to dark or back-lit areas. It will also help you to find out how the zoom or any other functions really appear when the recording is played back in a quiet room.
3. If your camera has a forward facing microphone which does not pick up your voice very well you can hold the script slightly in front of the camera and off to one side (out of the picture) to reflect your voice back to the microphone.
4. When playing back trial recordings on a computer, reduce the media player window to about half a normal screen height / width to simulate what the requester will actually see when they log on to Cinnaminta.
5. Before starting a recording, listen out for background noise from cars and aeroplanes ? these can spoil a recording, so can the noise of accidentally crumpling the script. Also, wind can cause noises in the microphone and items such a hard edges on straps can bang on the camera cause distracting tapping noises.
6. Print out the text for the reading in black on white paper with a large bold font (e.g. 12 point or larger) so that it is easy to read, put it in a clear plastic bag if rain is likely (inkjet print is not water proof) and take at least two large bulldog clips with you so that you can fix it to something. Then you will have both hands free when you try to operate the camera or recording system. We have found that it is useful to show the top sheet of the printed request at the start of the recording.
7. Before going out check that you have the text and that the batteries in the recorder are charged up.
8. Enjoy the experience, share the experience.

Preparing your recordings to upload to Cinnaminta

The file formats which are accepted for uploads to Cinnaminta are: .3gp .asf .avi .mov .mp4 .mpeg .mpg .wmv .aac .mp3 .wav .wma .gif .jpeg .jpg .png

The maximum allowable video file size is 50 MB. Cinnaminta does not accept '.zip' files.

All videos will be converted to Flash Video (.flv files) as they are uploaded at up to 640x480 pixels. Image (photo) dimensions should be not be greater than 4,000 pixels in either dimension, All photos will be resized to a maximum of 800 x 800 pixels.

Simple video recordings can be uploaded into your computer direct from the camera and then be uploaded to Cinnaminta. Most videos on Cinnaminta are under 5 minutes long and less than 10Mb. If they exceed 50 MB then you will need to convert them to more compact formats using suitable software. You should be able to find suitable free conversion software by searching the internet for the terms: media, converter, .avi and .wmv or similar.

Slide shows and more complex multi-session performances will also require some editing. Modern picture and video editing software is powerful stuff and usually includes converters but can be complex to use. Effective use requires some planning and good computer discipline. If you are just starting to explore the opportunities we suggest that you get a friend to show you the basics or get some training through a local community centre.

You can export 'audio only' from video editors but .wav files can be large. They can be reduced in size by selecting an appropriate export format. For example, using the Windows Media option in Adobe Premiere Elements to export 'audio only'.wma files at 48 kbps significantly reduces the file size (and reduces the upload time) without obvious loss of quality.

Uploading recordings to Cinnaminta

You can use your phone, video or computer software to upload the recordings into your computer and then use the upload feature in Cinnaminta to upload the recording to the Cinnaminta systems.

The upload facility in Cinnaminta will not be visible to the reader (i.e. uploads are not possible) until the requester has changed the status of the request to "Delivery in progress" and confirmed the name of the reader. The reader's name is confirmed by the requester using the messaging system or using the Edit Request page.

The upload facility works in the following stages:

1. Upload files.
2. Review the uploaded files (you can delete any files that you did not mean to upload).
3. Add comments about the recording process which might help others.
4. Save the uploaded files.
5. Pick which archive they should be stored in (i.e. Public archive or Private archive).

If you are uploading your own files (self delivery) then you will find the upload feature in the Readings tab, not the Requests tab.

Acceptable Content

Please note that you must not submit abusive content to the Cinnaminta systems - please see the terms and conditions;.