Preparing For Multimedia Presentations
You have been asked to give a multimedia presentation and obviously you want to do your best with the project. The question is how do you know if you are on track with your ideas and the various aspects that go into this kind of a presentation? Unless you have a friend or co worker willing to do it for you, you will have to grade yourself along the way to be sure you have it right. Think about what a speech professor would look for and make sure the presentation is one that would earn you an A. Break the overall project down into 3 distinct sections and pay attention to each one to make the presentation flow appropriately. Let's start with the content of your presentation. This is usually the first step most people take in the creation of a presentation. You can choose to start by brainstorming your ideas on paper before undertaking the task of writing the speech portion of your presentation. While you write, focus on some of these very important points. Be sure to express to your audience your understanding and research of the given speech topic. Nothing is more irritating to an audience than a speaker who seems to be unsure about their own point. Adding supporting details helps the audience to see how the topic pertains to them and gives them a basis to support the main theme. Your audience will never see the written version of your talk. Make sure your vocabulary is appropriate for both your subject and the group of people who will hear it.
The next aspect of your multimedia presentation to focus on is the technical portion of the speech. PowerPoint and other presentation software are incredibly useful in creating the right supporting visual aids. Graphs, charts, and even video examples can be compiled to breathe life into your presentation. Most experts recommend using a dark background and light colored lettering for easy visibility. You may want to be cautious about how many bells and whistles you add to your presentation. Too much use of audio sound effects or flashing visuals will leave your audience distracted and unable to focus on what you are trying to say. The last part of preparing a multimedia presentation consists of putting the two above mentioned elements together. You, your speech, and your technical aids have to flow together as one. Practice with the presentation aids to know when to use body language and have the order of the slides concrete in your mind before presenting them to a group of people. When you take the time to rehearse and use all of the tricks of the trade, you are sure to get an A not only from yourself, but also from your audience. Effective multimedia presentations skills are a highly marketable skill set and you will be rewarded for your diligence. |