BASIC SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION

[Vince4xmas]

Looking for a slideshow presentation covering the basic steps for

creating a christmas lightshow display. I have been asked to do a presentation for our local Rotary Club 

regarding this topic and looking for someone that would be willing to share their presentation that I could

review.

 

[~DOC~]

If you have power point you can go step by step making your own and adding video where it is needed. I do this day after day at work. I am not by no means an expert. But you be surprised how easy it is. I right reports in power point explaining the concern. If you make it I will review it and give you my view point. I see so many power points even with LOR and others that have not mastered this. I am pretty good at editing and pointing out things that will make it better. If not me send it to a friend and have them use your slides to work through LOR. If they come to a question then you need to fix it. Good luck

[LOR Staff]

Mike's Power Point Rules (everyone is different, these are how I do MY presentations.  I think it works great):

Only ONE of you (the slides or you) can be the star.  YOU should be the star, NOT the slides. 

An audience can only concentrate on one thing at a time.  Keep distractions like Video to a minimum.  You need  a video?  Fine.  Video can really drive a point home - it is very powerful.  Just don't expect anyone to hear or understand what you are saying while it is playing.  

The slides don't teach, YOU teach.  Slides emphasize, they don't 'communicate'.  Slides are there for topic headers and possibly major bullet points.  Simple Diagrams are good.  

Don't spoon minutia, IE hide bullet points.  Get the whole thing out there at one time.  Remember that when you change a slide no one is paying attention to you any more.  Get it out of the way all up front.  Give them a few seconds to digest the slide then get the eyes back on you.

Unless you REALLY need to....  Sometimes a topic is SO big that it's sub-topics could be slides on their own - but less slides is always better.  In this VERY limited case feed single bullets.  But not many.  Make use of the free space so the audience does not feel like they are being cheated or treated like children.

Please.  For the love all things good:  Just because you have transitions doesn't mean you should use them.  YOU make the sizzle, not the changing of a slide.

Use a heavy hand when editing slides and their quantity.  More slides is NEVER better.  Information PACKED onto slides is NEVER better.

Powerpoint has a place for presenter notes.  USE IT!  Type your entire script into them.  If you distribute your slides, PRINT them along with the slide itself.  The slide is the memory jog for the audience, your script is the detail.  The script is you.

Audiences fall asleep FAST.  Ensure your slides have an IRREGULAR cadence.  Need a 10 minute section to talk about something?  A couple of fast slides before and after keep them on their toes.  An occasional joke image/trivia/whatever on a slide keeps them invested.

Pick a font and STICK with it.  Don't pick Comic Sans - people WILL laugh at you [behind your back].  Pick 2 or 3 font sizes and MAKE THEM BIG.  If you find yourself reducing your font size because there is not enough room on the slide - you are doing it wrong.  Just because you have 800 fonts and 1000 sizes doesn't mean you have to use them ALL.

Pick a background/template and STICK with it.  

Pick a couple of slide designs and STICK with them.  I pretty much only ever use 2:  Title with Single Column (90%), Title with Dual column (10% good for comparisons).  Just because you have 800 of them doesn't mean you have to use them ALL.

Finally - Rehearse your script and time it.  By that I mean sit in a room and READ IT OUT LOUD!  You may feel silly [I know I do!], but do it.  Shoot to fill 70 to 80 percent of your total allotted time.  CUT CUT CUT if you need to.  You WILL get questions.  You will trip over yourself.  You will need to explain some things a second time.  Make Q&A time your filler at the end.  Don't fall victim to 'I have 60 minutes and I have to fill it all!'.  You look BAD if you run out of time.  You look GOOD if you finish and take questions.

[dibblejr]

Death by Powerpoint - happened all the time in my 26 years in military. 

22 minutes ago, DevMike said:

Mike's Power Point Rules (everyone is different, these are how I do MY presentations.  I think it works great):

Audiences fall asleep FAST.  Ensure your slides have an IRREGULAR cadence.  Need a 10 minute section to talk about something?  A couple of fast slides before and after keep them on their toes.  An occasional joke image/trivia/whatever on a slide keeps them invested.

.

Death by PP! Happened all of the time to me and from me while in my 26 years of military classes. Good ole eraser came in handy to wake them up.

JR

Edited February 13, 2019 by dibblejr