“POWERPOINT GOES TO BROADWAY: Adding Media to Templates”

Dear PowerPointers,

I hope you are constantly thinking of ways to improve the effectiveness of your PowerPoints, just as I am. It’s a battle because it’s so time intensive, but the rewards to your students or audience are worth it. They receive the benefits in their engagement, attention, learning, and memory of your message.

CHOOSING A TEMPLATE
My latest PowerPoint illustration is derived from one of my keynotes on the Net Generation. The issue is using a basic template throughout your presentation. There are thousands of FREE templates available, so none of this involves a nickel out of your pocket.

The artistic configuration of your template can be a boon and bane to your presentation. It provides an attractive image for text, bullet points, visuals, graphics, and media, but it can also restrict the placement of that content in the available space. Only you can weigh the pluses and minuses. You don’t want the template to pull the focus of your audience away from the key content. It should not distract.

WHAT'S THE POINT?
With that notion in mind, once you have drafted the text, how can you add transitions, animations, music, and videos to increase the impact of your message?

My RULE OF THUMB: Keep asking yourself, “What’s the point of this slide? How does it contribute to my message?”

Every element should have a purpose and contribute something UNIQUE to the effect of the slide. If you don’t know the point of the slide, how’s your audience supposed to know? What should they remember from what you say about each slide? Does the material on the slide support your point?

ADDING MEDIA
This PowerPoint (converted to video) contains only a few opening slides from a presentation. Consider how the music, especially lyrics, animation, and video clip are used to make several points about the Net Generation:

Click this link: "POWERPOINT GOES TO BROADWAY"

You can do this with your PowerPoint software and free templates. There are no tricks involved. This entire process can be done by YOU cost-free. Consider your templates without any animation or media; just dead words. Media can create the difference between an unforgettable and forgettable PowerPoint. 

Let me know your reaction and thoughts.

COPYRIGHT © 2011 Ronald A. Berk, LLC