Shooting video for your Presentation Power Point

Most of the time, your PowerPoint presentations have a live presenter but there are other times when you’re creating a PowerPoint for the web and you want to give it a more personal touch. Adding a small video to your presentation can do just that. But as with many things, that is easier said than done. You can hire a videographer, or you can do it yourself. After going through this exercise myself, I would highly recommend the latter. For about $180.00 you can get a basic studio lighting kit. You probably already own a video camera; everyone does these days. Next it’s time to “design” your set. For me it was a matter of setting up the camera on a tripod, and then moving it around to find the most interesting space/angle in my office. I have this pumpkin colored wall with four dark blue CD storage cabinets mounted on it in a grid-like arrangement. It happens to be right next to my workstation and in looking through the camera lens, I could see how to frame this inviting looking corner consisting of one end of my desk, my computer, chair, and just enough wall to add interest and color. The next step was to hide all those ugly electric cords. The ones I didn’t need to power my computer, I just unplugged. Anything else was taped behind my monitor so it was out of sight. Then, it was time to get all the extra junk off my desk. You know, the stuff that makes you look unorganized, i.e carry-out containers, FedEx packing materials, or bobble-heads. Just kidding on that last one.
Next, I did a few dry runs of talking on camera. Yes, it is extremely awkward at first, but the advantage of doing it yourself is that you can run through as many takes as you want, and after awhile it will become so rote, that you’ll start to look more and more relaxed. If you need any help or tips, as always, feel free to contact me and I will guide you through the process of creating a great video for your Power Point design presentation.