Recently, I dove into the world of cinema to enhance my PowerPoint storytelling. The coolest takeaway? A concept called "mise-en-scène".
Put simply, mise-en-scène refers to the art of designing a scene in order to move the story forward.
Consider this scene from The Social Network for instance. Even in the absence of dialogue, we instantly get a glimpse into Mark Zuckerberg's character - a defiant trailblazer unafraid to challenge the status quo.
Now, imagine this: You're the director, and every PowerPoint slide is a scene from your blockbuster movie. The design, layout, and visuals are your mise-en-scène, skillfully orchestrated to guide your audience's attention and comprehension.
Looking to tell a compelling story with your presentation? Here's your director's toolkit:
🌟1. Make Your Title Pop: Like an opening shot, a bold, descriptive title grabs attention and sets the tone. It's your main message.
🎨2. Play with Colors: Like in a movie scene, colors on your slide can evoke emotions and highlight points. Use color strategically to help highlight what's most important.
✨3. Emphasize Smartly: Use bold and italics like movie close-ups to draw attention to key points. Don't overdo it, though, or you'll confuse your audience.
📊4. Use Relevant Visuals: Charts, icons, and other graphics can reinforce your message as cinematic visuals do in a film. Ensure they're high-quality and support your story (nothing worse than a random picture!).
🔀5. Guide with Shapes: Use arrows, lines, or shapes to direct your audience's eyes towards key points on your slide, just like a director guides viewers' eyes with scene props.
💬6. Keep Text to a Minimum: Too much dialogue in a movie or text on a slide can lose engagement. Keep text concise, and let your visuals do the talking.
📌7. Maintain Clear Layouts: Like well-planned camera movements, consistent slide layouts and easy-to-follow slides help guide your audience through your story.
By mastering these techniques, your presentations will become more than just information on a slide. They will transform into engaging, memorable experiences that resonate with your audience.
In other words, they will become more like a story. 🚀🎉
