The Ken Burns Effect

In my last post I made mention of a great technique a client recently requested, the Ken Burns effect.  According to Wikipedia, this effect became extremely popular and mainstream when the feature was added to the 2003 version of iMovie.  Although, its name has been borrowed from the extremely talented documentary filmmaker who developed this technique.  Basically, the origianl effect uses a video camera to zoom and pan across still images, creating movement as if it were an actual video, it’s pretty amazing.  Especially for old photographs, or paintings in my case.

A special thanks to Ken Burns for creating this effect and Presentation Helper who has developed a great tutorial for how you can apply it to your next presentation.  You can now start turning those image heavy slides into shows that not only provides an even better view of your content but also helps engage your viewer, drawing them into the experience.

Challenge: Microsoft Software on a Mac

While there are always new and great advances coming out in the way of making software compatible across all operating systems. There are a few different things I’ve run across just recently that are a bit frustrating and making me consider writing a letter to the management of Microsoft.

Since I was young I’ve been working on Macs.  Being a designer has only enhanced this obsession of mine.  I feel that Macs provide a better palette to work from and I’m just more comfortable with my Mac.  And, please let me be clear that I have nothing against those who prefer Microsoft. I do however get frustrated when Microsoft makes it difficult to use their supposedly compatible software.

In the past week alone I’ve come across two situations where I’ve been limited because of their “combatible” software:

• Motion Paths: In the Microsoft version of PPT, both 2003 and 2007, exists this great functionality.  And while, it doesn’t get used very often, there are some great applications. For instance, applying a Ken Burns effect.  The ability to zoom and pan within a presentation, creates an amazing way to intrigue your audience, especially when displaying photos or artwork.  The problem arises in that in the Mac versions, 2004 and 2008, of PPT this function is non-existant. And, it’s unclear as to why.  This function should be contained in the “custom animation” section as it is in the Microsoft version, but it’s not. However, if you have access to a Microsoft machine with PPT you can add this, then transfer to your Mac and it will still play, you just won’t be able to modify it.
• Visio: Never before this week have I had a need for Visio. And, you may not even be aware of it.  Visio is a software branded under the Microsoft Office Suite (although it has never been included in Office) that allows you to create vector diagrams. A very useful tool for companies with in-depth processes to explain.  Unfortunately, Visio is not available for Mac.

In these two instances, and a few others mentioned in previous post, I think Microsoft could do a much better job of making their software more “cross-platform.”  The issues above and others mentioned in previous posts and all across the web, could use some attention. Until then, good luck with porting between these two operating systems.  If you have any ideas of ways to combat these challenges, please post below. Or, if you’ve run into other areas where you think improvement could be used, include that too!

Humorous & Helpful

When I started this blog, I set out to provide you with great ideas and helpful tips for improving your presentations, both in design and content.  Unfortunately, my message has yet to reach everyone who needs to hear these ideas. As a result, we are each falling victim to terrible presentations on an almost daily basis.  Highlighting the most common offenses we come across, here are a couple of hysterical video clips on all those tactics we should all avoid in presentation development:

More Ideas on How to Tell a Great Story

As one of the only, if not the only, person in the marketing industry with his own action figure, Seth Godin knows what it takes to tell a good story. As a follow-up to my earlier post on the book Made to Stick, I thought I’d tell you a bit about Godin’s perspective on the issue.

In his book, All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World, Godin explains that the most successful marketers don’t talk about features or even benefits, but they stick to stories. Stories relating to a specific audience and how the product/service fits into that audience’s worldview. People want to be able to wrap themselves around the stories they’re being asked to believe.

Some of the questions Godin proposes to help you create your story are below:

• What worldview are you addressing? Unless you can reach those with a specific outlook, all will be lost.
• What frame are you using? How do you position your story so others can be aware, listen and relate to it?
• How will you live your story? Don’t make promises you can’t uphold, remember that you’re long-term success is built on this premise.
• What hard decisions do you need to make to keep your story real, pure and authentic?
• What are the shortcuts your clients will use to help spread your idea to others? Do you have a way to help them with this?
• How can you radically change your product/service so the story is natural and easy to tell?
• How can you use your permission asset? Do you have permission to follow-up with your clients? Can you get feedback from them to help you grow within their worldview?

Ready to Show Off?

Remember that last presentation you worked on? You know, the one that you spent hours and hours rearranging and getting just perfect? Well, now is your chance to reap the benefits of all that hard work. SlideShare is once again hosting it’s “World’s Best Presentation Contest” for all of you who’d like to put your presentation up against some of the best for a chance to win great prizes. Learn more about it by visiting the contest page.

Another Great Idea From Seth Godin

I was just reading Seth Godin’s blog, which is always packed full of great insights and ideas. He had an idea on a recent post that I wanted to share with you. As you know I’m always on the lookout for great places to find images and photos to use in presentations. Seth recommends searching Flickr, the photo sharing site by Yahoo!. Through their advanced search feature, you can choose to look only at images licensed under the Creative Commons License. With thousands of images being uploaded daily, your options are unlimited. Take a few minutes and browse your favorite category. You’ll be surprised at how many “perfect fit” photos you’ll find

The Importance of Passion

Randy Pausch is a 47-year old father of three small children and a professor at Carnegie-Mellon University. He is most widely know for his contributions in developing computer programming skills in children. His project Alice has helped hundreds of children learn how to program in the 3-D environment.

Carnegie-Mellon has a program where they often ask professors to give what is called a “last lecture.” This talk is usually a culmination of everything that matters most to the professor. Basically, what would you tell people if this was the last opportunity you had? Randy had agreed to give one of these “last lectures” and just weeks later was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, given only three to six months to live.

Randy used the opportunity of this “last lecture” to leave his kids with an ever lasting look at what means most to him. Not only did he succeed in a big way, but he bottled up more passion in this 90 minute lecture than I’ve ever seen. He does an amazing job of involving the audience, making them feel as though they’ve known him forever. I highly recommend you check out his lecture. Also, I’m happy to report that eight months later Randy is still beating this disease. For more info on randy or to keep up to date on his progress, visit his site.

Long Overdue

A few weeks back I wrote a post on all the good things I’d been hearing about the book Made to Stick. I’d made a promise to give you all an update when I’d completed the book. And, since writing that, I have been traveling and working like crazy. So, as the title says, I’m very overdue for this review, my apologies.

Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath

On a scale of one to five, I give this book a solid four. The Heath brothers did a great job of getting to the meat of what they were trying to communicate. As I’d written before, they have developed an acronym for their strategy: SUCCESs. Meaning Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credentialed, Emotional Stories.  They gave many examples and provided explanations to help achieve each of these goals.  I think the most compelling aspect of the book was that they stuck (no pun intended) to exactly what they were advising. The book was intriguing, concise, easy to follow and most importantly, easy to implement.

They got me thinking quite a bit about how presentations are generally developed.  This is what I ussually see from clients:

Step 1: Make an outline of all the data

Step 2: Organize the data so it’s easy to follow

Step 3: Create presentation based on outline

Step 4: Fill in presentation with graphs and charts to help “sell the story

After reading this book and reviewing hundreds of presentations, this is how I think we should develop them:

Step 1: Determine our three most important points you want to make

Step 2: Order those points from most to least important

Step 3: Create a story or a tangible explanation around each point

Step 4: Develop the visual presentation to enhance the stories/tangible explanations

Step 5: Give people the option of an appendix for all the nitty gritty details

I realize this new format doesn’t lend itself to each type of presentation.  However, the concepts do.  Providing your audience with information that’s easy to swallow and easy to retell can always help your cause.

Perfecting Your Technique

Presentation delivery can be a very daunting topic, but it doesn’t have to be.  Here are a few tips to easily improve your technique, making it easier than ever to engage your audience and reach the goal you’ve set for your presentation:

• Speak to the audience directly:  You often hear that it is a good idea to pick a place in the room and talk to that place.  Generally that place is just over the audience’s head or in the center of the room.  The problem with this idea is that you never have eye contact. Eye contact is what tells each listener that you are actually talking to them.  Try to look at a new person for every thought.  This works great for large and small groups.  In addition, it lets you gauge how involved the audience is and self-correct if they’re slipping away.
• Be Genuine:  Let your personal enthusiasm and excitement show through.  Your audience is much more likely to stay attentive and involved if they see you are.  So, get excited about your topic, and if you can’t you shouldn’t be giving this presentation.
• Use your space:  If you are in front a large group of people, use that space to your advantage. Practice your had gestures and movement. This will help you seem larger and help you to control the room.  Don’t be afraid to walk around.  If you audience is small, still use that motion, just practice it on a smaller scale.   Remember motion create emotion.
• Be Quick:  By paring down your content you will be able to move through your slides much more quickly.   This helps you keep your audience’s attention for the entire presentation as well as stay focused.  Your audience’s time is valuable, they will appreciate when you treat it as such.
• Leave the light on:  Dark rooms are usually reserved for sleep and that’s the last thing you want your audience doing.  Keeping the lights on will not only help keep your audience alert, but you’ll also be able to see their faces better and gauge their attention levels.
• Practice:  Give your presentation in front of a mirror. Watch your motions, facial expressions and general presence. Seeing yourself will help you to easily correct minor things that can otherwise be a distraction to your audience.

With these tips in mind, you’ll find yourself giving the most effective presentations you’ve ever given.

Off the Ground

I’ll be adding new posts here frequently with recommendations and suggestions for making your presentations better than ever. Please stay tuned as I get it started.