When director Ken Burns set out to make his groundbreaking documentary The Civil War he had lots of visual resources he could draw upon: letters, photographs, engravings, and newspapers, to name a few. But still images make for really boring television, so he came up with a way to create videos from … [Read more...] about The Ken Burns Effect in PowerPoint
Where can I find music?
Adding music to PowerPoint presentations can be a great idea. Just as soundtracks help to set the mood in films, music can help to set the right tone (heh) for your PowerPoint presentations. Music, like pictures, has a universal language all its own, enabling an audience to react to what you're … [Read more...] about Where can I find music?
How to set default fonts in PowerPoint and why it’s important
A colleague of mine told me that one of his clients wanted to know how to set a default typeface for all new PowerPoint documents. This client recognized the need for a consistent look for the PowerPoint decks his company produces. Bravo! Fortunately, if you already have a corporate PowerPoint … [Read more...] about How to set default fonts in PowerPoint and why it’s important
Why PowerPoint colors are important
Color is a huge part of design and communication, but it's often ignored by people banging out PowerPoint presentations at the last minute. This can be a big mistake for several reasons. Colors are part of your brand. A company's brand is much more than just a logo; colors play a large part in … [Read more...] about Why PowerPoint colors are important
Why does PowerPoint suck?
It's easy to hate PowerPoint because it's so awful, right? I mean, how many ugly presentations should you have to sit through in your life? Don't people know that PowerPoint saps your will and makes you into a drooling zombie? It's just terrible and it should be outlawed. PowerPoint sucks! I … [Read more...] about Why does PowerPoint suck?
How to customize PowerPoint themes: The down-and-dirty method
You've just been told that you're responsible for your company's next big presentation. Due tomorrow. And you have no corporate PowerPoint template or theme. Uh-oh! How are you going to get in front of your prospects without a well-designed presentation? By using one of the built-in PowerPoint … [Read more...] about How to customize PowerPoint themes: The down-and-dirty method
How be a better presenter by manipulating data
There are ways to show data to make them more compelling and there are ways to use data to put an audience to sleep. Unfortunately, since it's much easier to present data as a bullet-pointed outline or a table, many presenters opt for the latter. In PowerPoint as in life, the easy route is often not … [Read more...] about How be a better presenter by manipulating data
Where can I get free photos for PowerPoint?
Boring PowerPoint’s for chumps, and by now we all know that photographs can really elevate a presentation. What they can also elevate are your expenses, because royalty-free photographs can run into some money depending on how many you include. Some people think that images they find online are … [Read more...] about Where can I get free photos for PowerPoint?