Running a Dual Line Ceremony
Running a Dual Display Ceremony in Director
In a dual display setup, two graduates and their names are shown on-screen simultaneously, one from each side of the stage. This process differs slightly from a single line ceremony. If a procedure is not specifically mentioned here, follow the standard protocols detailed in the single line ceremony guide.
Equipment Setup
QR Scanners
- Utilize two QR scanners: one positioned on Stage Left and the other on Stage Right.
- Both scanners should be connected to the same Ceremony Display Laptop via a USB extender.
- Follow best practices, such as avoiding interference with other cables and timing the display and/or name announcement for when the graduate is on the stage.
- Follow the Scanner Programming Guide to ensure both scanners are programmed correctly.
Ceremony Execution
Manual Advance vs Automatic Advance
When you select Begin Ceremony Display from the main menu, you will be presented with Dual Queue Options.
If the Manual Advance option is used (Auto Advance is unchecked), two external keyboards are necessary due to limited space for accommodating two operators on a single laptop.
If the Auto Advance option is selected, a single keyboard will suffice. Graduate slides and/or audio will play immediately upon scanning. It is Tassel's recommendation that you turn Auto Advance ON.
- Slide start delay (in seconds): This gives you the option to add a delay after scanning before the name is announced and the name appears on the banner. This can be useful to give graduates a couple seconds to cross the stage before their name announcement begins. However, Tassel recommends keeping this setting at 0, unless you are an advanced user. Keep in mind adding a delay to name announcements will increase the duration of your ceremony. For more information on this feature, read our Slide Start/Announcement Delay training article.
- Auto Advance Type: When Auto Advance is selected, you can decide how the names will automatically advance:
- Alternate Queues - Will alternate names between stage left and stage right.
- Order Scanned - Will play the names in the order they were scanned regardless of the stage side.
- Dual Scroll - Will play both names at the same time.
Advancing Names
You will need four assistants – two to scan the cards and two to advance the names. The card scanning personnel will stand in the scanning areas on either side of the stage. The name advancers will be seated at the ceremony laptop. If your ceremony is using “Auto-Advance”, no name advancing personnel is needed.
When you start the software, there are two display queues, “Left Side of Screen” and “Right Side of Screen”. The name advancers will use different keys to advance graduate names (see image below).
"Blanking" the Display Screen
Simultaneous Blanking: Press the <spacebar> to blank both sides of the display graphic.
Single Side Blanking: To blank only one side (e.g., if one side of the stage is complete while the other continues), you can scan a blank card after the last graduate on that side.
Left Side Controls
- Z to advance to the next name in the queue.
- A to move back to the previous name in the queue.
- F1 to blank the left side of the screen only.
Right Side Controls
- ⬇️Down Arrow to advance to the next name in queue.
- ⬆️Up Arrow to move back to the previous name in queue.
- F12 to blank the right side of the screen only.
Important Note on Audio Playback in Dual Scroll Mode
Please be aware that when utilizing Dual Scroll mode, where two graduate names and slides are displayed simultaneously, pre-recorded name announcements will not be played. This design choice is intentional, as playing two audio tracks concurrently can lead to a confusing and suboptimal experience for attendees. To maintain the ceremony's clarity and professionalism, audio playback is disabled in this mode.
If announcing each graduate's name is a priority for your ceremony, we recommend selecting Alternate Queues. This mode display and announce one graduate at a time, ensuring each name is heard clearly