As the name implies, a multimedia presentation is a presentation that comprises text, sound, video, graphics, and animation delivered with the use of a computer or any other electronic device.
Such presentations are considered superior to presentations that use only a single media such as text-only projections or pure slideshows of images or graphics. There are also lots of ways you can tweak multimedia to take your presentation to the next level.
You might be intimidated, thinking that fancy effects are too complex to carry out. However, it can actually be relatively straightforward. You can woo your audience on your next speech by making your very own multimedia presentation with the steps you are about to see in this article.
Types of multimedia to include in your presentation
- Photos. Images have the advantage of being able to convey messages visually. If you are presenting a product, a high-resolution image will do more justice beyond just the descriptions.
- Videos. If you want your audience to witness a process or see how something works, a still image might not cut it. You need moving images or videos for them to fully appreciate the action.
- Infographics. You can employ the use of applications in order to create infographics, or you can simply look for free infographics online. Infographics condense a group of information into an easy-to-digest graphic image.
- Music. Sound is also a useful part of a multimedia presentation. It can deepen the effect that you want to evoke in an audience, and can also be a means to convey information by stimulating memory.
- Illustrations and art. If you have an artistic flair, you can make good use of it in a multimedia presentation. This creates an edge as it brings novelty and uniqueness to your presentation because it is made purely from scratch.
- GIFs. If you want to insert a bit of motion and humor into your presentation, another way to stimulate and excite your audience is through GIFs. GIFs are not just for entertainment purposes as they can also very quickly show how a certain process or product works without too much dialogue.
- Text. Finally, you cannot discount text from multimedia presentations. It is, after all, one of the most powerful and efficient ways to convey your message.
What are the advantages of multimedia presentations?
Most presentations today are done with the aid of multimedia and for a good reason. There are several substantial advantages to this type of presentation, the strongest ones being:
It enhances your content
Decades ago, projections were a means of presenting the information. An overhead projector is a simple mechanism of light projecting shadows of text onto a white background. It became popular among schools and businesses in the ’50s and remained a reliable tool for instruction well into the 90s.
However, with the advent of multimedia presentations, simple static texts and black-and-white images paved the way for video, sound, GIFs, animation, and other effects.
Makes your audience more attentive
It’s simple –multimedia presentations are a lot more entertaining. People are likely to pay more attention if they feel entertained than if they were not. That is why people who watch movies at the cinema are usually glued to the screen and not glossing over while being lost in thought.
Information is better absorbed and retained
A study, which is one among many, suggests that students who use multimedia learning materials absorb more information than those who do not. It also showed that people better retained the newly-obtained information through the multimedia learning material.
Easy to use and portable
One other vital point multimedia presentations have is that they are convenient for the presenter. You can save your entire presentation in a handy flash disk or upload it to your online storage. You won’t have to carry around bulky illustrations, and you can maneuver the entire presentation with just a few clicks.
How to make a multimedia presentation
The easiest way to make a multimedia presentation is with Microsoft Powerpoint. You will be able to find plenty of Powerpoint tutorials online. Powerpoint for Beginners is an excellent place to start. If you want something beyond fundamental, go for Advanced Powerpoint Training.
Here are the steps you need to follow to make a good multimedia presentation:
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Review your content
When you review your content, the things that you are about to present, you get a sense of why you are presenting in the first place. You consider the audience who will listen to you, and you get an idea of what will work best for that type of audience to grasp and retain the information your presentation is trying to convey.
Make your outline
To not get lost in thought and so that your content is concise and practical, you need to make an outline. Otherwise, you will just be rambling on and bore your audience. Outlining also helps you determine how many presentation slides you need and how many topics to cover so that you don’t miss any critical points.
Select a design and edit
Powerpoint applications come with pre-designed templates that you can choose from. You can opt for these templates for uniformity and save you time. Make sure that your design is appropriate for your content and your audience.
At this point, you can also start editing your presentation—the fonts, the headers, logos, color schemes, and slide numberings that you may want to make visible.
Input your content
When typing in your text, make sure that it is a good size—at least 24 pt. Try not to crowd a slide with too much text. A good rule of thumb is to keep it a maximum of seven words per line and a maximum of seven lines per slide.
If you are copying and pasting text, this is an excellent opportunity to correct any grammatical or spelling errors you may spot. Finally, make sure that the wordings you use are appropriate for your audience.
Add graphics, audio, and video as needed
Once all of your text is in, you can use them as a basis to determine which images, audio, and video are applicable. A good mix of text and multimedia content will balance how exciting and how informative your presentation is. Most importantly, make sure that the graphics, sounds, and videos you insert are relevant to the text. Otherwise, your presentation will not make sense.
Make use of transitions and animations
To add more visual appeal to the presentation and tie each slide seamlessly using transitions and animations. You can also use them to add emphasis and appeal to text or media that you deem essential.
Don’t overdo animations, though; it may be tempting as they are a lot of fun, but too much can distract the audience and take away from your presentation’s central message. Also, note that some effects, such as dropping down one letter at a time, can be frustrating to read.
Practice and revise if needed
Treat your multimedia presentation like a performance. You have to have impeccable timing to appropriately match your speech with your production. Going through it with a few runs will give you a good feel of your presentation and increase your confidence.
You will need good public speaking skills to match a good presentation. If something doesn’t feel right, this is an excellent opportunity to make changes based on what you are comfortable with.
If you want holistic multimedia presentation pointers, Public Speaking, And Presentations PowerPoint: Master Design is an ideal course for you.
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