How to turn a boring PPT deck into an engaging interactive video

Options for incorporating video into your Powerpoint presentations

Powerpoint is a bit like Marmite. You either love it or hate it. However, the same person can love Powerpoint one day and hate it the next - because it all depends on who has put the presentation together and how they present it.

An innovative way to make the most of Powerpoint is to use video to enhance the visual potential of the medium. There are a number of different ways that you can use video to make a presentation more engaging. Here are some of our favourite ideas.

Using video in your face-to-face Powerpoint presentations

If you use Powerpoint to deliver presentations at meetings or conferences, there are ways that you can use video to liven up your visual aid. Your other option is to completely waste the opportunity and use Powerpoint to display a list of bullet points (you know exactly what I am talking about here!).

1) Inserting videos into your presentation

This is one way to use video in your Powerpoint deck. Alongside text and pictures, video is another variation that will help to wake your audience up or keep them engaged. It is possible to insert YouTube videos into Powerpoint slides. See the video below which explains how.

Note: be aware you need Internet access when you are delivering your presentation in order for the videos to work. You can record them as a fallback using services like KeepVid.

2) Using video as your background

Using video as a background is a way to make your presentations more aesthetically interesting and pleasing. It can also make your presentation feel less static. It looks highly professional and will give the impression that you have taken the time to make your presentation entertaining to watch.

Video recorded presentations using Powerpoint

Most people use Powerpoint for a dreaded presentation, then nothing else. This is a wasted opportunity. Given the amount of time and effort you can often put in to creating presentations that are accurate, concise and engaging, it seems a shame not to channel that effort somewhere else.

By using video, it is possible to do something creative with an old presentation that will extend its life and usefulness beyond the boardroom.

1) Video spokesperson

Adding a video spokesperson to what is otherwise a very static presentation can bring it to life. See our example below:

This option is simple to create and doesn’t have to be expensive. The main stages of the process to create such a video are as follows

a) Choosing a presenter (could be you) and then having the presenter record the script in a green screen studio.

b) Using some editing software, create a video track of the presentation slides.

c) Add the presenter video that you recorded in the green screen studio to a second video track (in the project you have created using the editing software).

I have made this sound really simple, and depending on the skill pool in your team, you will be able to do all, some, or none of this yourself! The part you are least likely to be able to achieve yourself is the green screen element. This will therefore be an expense but if you are prepared with a script and a presenter, you can hire a producer and a studio for a reasonable fee.

We would advocate this option over voice over alone because we have measured the impact that web presenters have on user engagement. Nothing captures our attention more than another person. However, if this is beyond your current capacity, voice over is certainly a valuable option.

2) Voice over on presentations

Using free software, you can create a video using your Powerpoint slides and your own voice without leaving your desk. Screenflow and Camtasia are good examples of such software which are free to try. They are screencasting tools that allows the user to capture from a number of sources at once including your screen, a video camera, a microphone and computer audio. This means that you could record a slideshow presentation from your screen and then add audio voice over via your microphone. Once complete, you can publish your video to YouTube directly.

So, as you can see, there are some simple but effective ways to turn a boring old slide show into an engaging and enjoyable presentation. Next time you are labouring over your presentation slides, take some comfort from the knowledge that you can make it eternally useful to everyone by putting it on YouTube afterwards.