% set text colors
\setbeamercolor{frametitle}{fg=white}
\setbeamercolor{structure}{fg=white}
\setbeamercolor{normal text}{fg=white}
\setbeamercolor{alerted text}{fg=white}
\setbeamercolor{example text}{fg=white}

% set fonts
\setbeamerfont{title}{size=\huge}
\setbeamerfont{author}{size=\large}
\setbeamerfont{institute}{size=\small}
\setbeamerfont{date}{size=\footnotesize}
\setbeamerfont{frametitle}{size=\huge}

% set background gradient
\setbeamertemplate{background canvas}[vertical shading][top=black!85!gray,
                   bottom=black!60!gray,middle=black!85!gray,midpoint=0.35]

% set frame title posision.
\setbeamertemplate{frametitle}{\vspace{.8cm}$\,$\insertframetitle}

% set item markers
\setlist[itemize,1]{label={{\footnotesize$\blacktriangleright$}}}

