You Have Got To Have More Than PowerPoint Skills
This is a continuation to the last post (…starting with PowerPoint and converting it to something else). Because all of the projects begin with PowerPoint, clients are counting on TLC Creative Services to develop a professional and dynamic presentation – that’s where the years of graphic design and PowerPoint expertise come in. But that is not enough. Now to develop the “something else” a design firm needs to have expertise in things like:
– CD mastering, for duplication.
– Autorun User Interface program development, for interactive CDROMs where a custom application gives users the option to view, install or edit presentations.
– DVD menu development, for interactive DVD menu’s and special options such as looping movies and custom playback hierarchies.
– Professional DVD mastering, so they actually work on consumer players.
– Web development, for converting presentations to webcasts.
– Web hosting, for presentations converted to webcasts.
And this is just a sampling of things that go on behind the scenes. As I mentioned last time, “I really enjoy the projects that are continuously flowing in. One reason is the variety; different clients, different visual needs, different requests.”
– Troy @ TLC
(Now) PowerPoint is Just the Beginning
I really enjoy the projects that are continuously flowing in. One reason is the variety; different clients, different visual needs, different requests. But as I look back over just the past 6 months or so, the big difference has been the variety of output needs. All of the projects revolve around PowerPoint, but PowerPoint is just the stage for creating the final product. I have some thoughts on that, but I will save those for later.
As information to think on, here are five of the projects that I have had within the past few months that all start with PowerPoint, but end up as something else:
1. Convert a PowerPoint presentation and provided video clips into a technical training DVD. Playback on consumer DVD, distributed around the world to train employees of a major Cruise line about the new safety doors and gangways being installed. The PowerPoint slides provided the technical content. Video clips demonstrated each step of the process.
2. Sync PowerPoint presentation with live video taping of presenter and convert to an online webcast.
3. Convert a PowerPoint presentation into a kiosk mode display for a tradeshow booth.
4. Convert a themed countdown timer presentation to a movie format for playback from a beta tape.
5. Create a themed announcement presentation (company logo, press event time, company slogan, press event time, etc.) into a looping DVD. Only the DVD was left running in between events.
Of course over the same months we have had plenty of the traditional speaker support presentations, templates, custom animation and clean-up projects too. But the world is changing and from my perspective the way PowerPoint is being used is evolving too!
Troy @ TLC
NXPowerlite 2.2 Released
Today, NXPowerlite has released version 2.2 of their excellent PowerPoint presentation compression software. Some of the new offerings include:
– Speed and interface enhancements
– If attaching a presentation to an email message with Outlook it can be compressed without opening anything additional
– Now supported in 6 languages (Spanish and Japanese added)
Read all the info here.
– Troy @ TLC
Another look at “My Office”
A few weeks back I showed a fun interactive graphic of “my office.” Well I received a few emails asking what the stage looked like that all of the computers were used for. So, the page has been updated with a bit larger images and a photo of the staging – hope it all makes more sense now! See it here.
Troy @ TLC
Pre-Show Checklist
For a recent PowerPoint training session my co-instructor and I put together this list of 20 items to verify before a speaking engagement. This is from the technical standpoint, because nothing is worse than getting up to speak and having a technical issue (except of course not practicing your material).
Download the “PreShow Checklist” here.
Troy @ TLC
What the Font?
Matching a font from an image is just no fun. But it needs to be done for many projects and here is an online tool that might be of help.
Go to What the Font? and follow the online directions. I used SnagIt to quickly create a few .jpgs of written text in various fonts, which I uploaded to What the Font? and ran them through the system.
While many, such as the one above, did not come up with a match – many did. While not the perfect solution to a troublesome chore, it is worth a shot!
Troy @ TLC
Which Projector Should I Buy?
This is a common question I get a lot. And because PowerPoint and Projectors are almost synonymous, I thought it might be good to give my standard answer here. I recently posted the below to the ‘What projector should I buy’ question in the PowerPoint Newsgroup.
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With your budget ($4,000.00) and general description I am going to make a few guesses:
– Small audience viewing (25-100 people)
– Front projection (projector in front of screen, out by audience)
– Connecting computer direct to projector (ie. no switcher, scaler, etc.)
With those assumptions, at your budget there are not many systems that outshine the other. In other words, you will do good with just about any reputable companies projector. But here are a few key items to make sure are on the projector and to consider:
1. Bulb life (what is the life of the bulb – in hours)
2. Bulb replacement cost (this can be $75 to $700 – check before purchasing so you know what to expect)
3. It should be at least 1024×768, but better would be 1280×1024
4. Size; consider your travel and placement needs (things do not have to be large any more)
5. Noise; listen to the units operating noise level (because it will be out by the audience, check if the fans are to loud)
6. Quiet Mode; this is good if projector is used in a small setting, as it limits the output power, but also runs near silent.
7. Contrast; this is a tricky number and hard to use in side-by-side comparisons (different companies measure differently), but in general more is better
8. Lumens; at your budget go for 2,000+, the closer to 5k the better
9. Lens Shift is better than keystoning (this is the ability for the projector to move the image up or down without needing to adjust the front legs, which creates a distorted projection)
10. Warranty, carrying case, etc.
In addtion, do a google search for the unit(s) you are considering and read some reviews, as well as look for anything in ‘groups.’
Troy @ TLC