Chapter 14: Delivering Presentations

Media Clips and Images

Images, as well as film, television, Internet video clips, interviews, and podcasts, can add another dimension to and stimulate interest in your speech by providing vivid illustrations or clarifications of topics that are difficult to capture with words alone. A speaker informing an audience about reconstructive surgery for cleft palate, for example, might show a photograph of a child born with the condition as well as postsurgical photos, rather than just trying to describe the condition and outcome. When choosing media clips and images, keep a few points in mind:

Make sure that your speaking site is equipped with the equipment you will need to make your selection viewable to your audience.
Keep your video clips short (say, one to two minutes maximum, depending on the length of the speech).
Don’t overwhelm your audience with ten illustrations or photographs when two or three would suffice.
Make sure photographs are properly edited and cropped. Your goal is to draw your audience’s attention to a specific aspect of the photograph and not overwhelm them with background information.