The PowerPoint® Blog

I work with PowerPoint on a daily basis and I am very honored to be a Microsoft PowerPoint MVP. We have a talented team of presentation designers at TLC Creative Services and ThePowerPointBlog is our area to highlight PowerPoint tips, tricks, examples and tutorials. Enjoy! Troy Chollar

Make a Movie Play Automatically in PPT 2010

Because the default action requires the mouse to be seen during the presentation – something not allowed in any large stage production, I change the play animation on every movie. Here is my process:

1. Insert the video: INSERT tab >> VIDEO

2. Locate movie on computer

3. Select movie >> ANIMATIONS tab >> click PLAY to change from PAUSE

4. Change ON CLICK to WITH PREVIOUS

5. Open the Animation Pane and verify the movie play animation is the first in list

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:17:47-07:00July 29th, 2010|Tutorial|

Movie Playback Default in PPT 2010

PPT 2010 has a different default when inserting videos than previous versions. Basically it no longer asks how you would like the movie to play and simply inserts the movie with a preset play action. Unfortunately for me, the default action is not the one I ever need…

The default action sets up the video to play when clicked on with the mouse. In the animation pane, this is what you see – a trigger animation.

To be fair, I see this animation setting used by many presenters, so it is a vailid option as a default action. What makes it difficult is that there is no option to change the default behavior – we are all forced to go with what the Microsoft analysis deemed the best default action.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:18:30-07:00July 27th, 2010|Tutorial|

Rethinking PowerPoint – The DVD

Ron Galloway, who also produced the documentary “Why Wal-Mart Works” has released his latest documentarty “Rethinking PowerPoint: Conversations About Slide Design & Presenting” to DVD this month.

I don’t think it will be available at the local Blockbuster video or Red Box, but it can be ordered here. The website also has sound bytes from some of the people interviewed in the documentary. I will hold my opinion until I have opportunity to view it all, which I am sure will have some interesting points about presentation design.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:18:51-07:00July 25th, 2010|Resource/Misc|

The Script Binder Is Very Important

Here is my workspace (or part of it). Question: what is the most important item here?

For large, multi-screen (multi-computer) shows that have lots of cues (slide animations/advances, video rolls, etc.) the script binder reigns supreme. It has the exact script the presnter has on teleprompt. I have added my cue marks and notes throughout. During the show I literally read along as the presenter presents and I do nothing unless it is noted in this binder (no improvisation, everything is rehearsed and set to occur at specific words).

How important? At the end of the day I shutdown computers, lock them away, but the script binder goes with me and never leaves my control (seriously).

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:19:08-07:00July 23rd, 2010|Personal, Resource/Misc|

ThePowerPointBlog Cards

As a company we do virtually nothing in the way of advertising, and that is fine with me. But I did create some promo cards, actually 2-sided business cards a while back that I occassionally hand out or have available at different speaking or training programs I am doing. Just something fun, visually cool and small.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:20:08-07:00July 19th, 2010|Personal, Portfolio|

Sprint 4G Connection

I am working in Chicago this week and Chicago is the first Sprint 4G city I have been in since getting my new phone (HTC EVO). My typical 1-2MB connection jumped to over 5MB!

Definitely not as quick as my office (50MB connection), but faster than the hotel connection.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:20:28-07:00July 17th, 2010|Personal|

Activision Template

For me, diversity of clients is what keeps a designer continually engaged in the design process (and also from being ‘bored’). Here is a template developed for a company (Activision) in the video game industry. Developed for PPT 2007 with 3 different backgrounds, customized text (you can see the reflection effect on the title slide text), custom bullet art elements, etc.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:20:50-07:00July 15th, 2010|Templates/Assets|

A stack-O-Computers For The Show

Here was my morning activity for a recent show. Bring out the multiple show computers (all running PPT 2010), connect, test output and work. Powerful laptops are big, but I wouldn’t try carrying a stack of desktop computers!

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:21:43-07:00July 11th, 2010|Personal|
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