Starting With Bad PowerPoint

Fred Johnson C&W 2009, UC Davis Session a3 6/19/09, 9:30 - 10:45 AM Starting with Bad PowerPoint

1. Slideware creates poor slide-audience relationships.

2. Slideware creates good slide-audience relationships, if we defy the templates it provides.

3. Slideware can be used as a viable new media tool, if we understand it in terms of other visual storytelling tools like ﬁlm and comics.

4. Maybe slideware should play a key role in your new media course.

by Peter Norvig

“Four score and seven years ago...”

“...our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...”

“...our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...” Image Swiped @ SethGodin.com

by Daniel Radosh

EPIC FAIL

Slide Therapy 101 Seth Godin Edward Tufte

Slide Therapy 102 Garr Reynolds Nancy Duarte

Image Swiped @ SethGodin.com

Ppt Made Me?

Relationship?

Sto Me p ani ngl Clip ess art! Relationship?

Bullet Points • Are not exactly the height of powerful visual communication, are they? • Can you really listen to me AND write down my bullet points? Research says NO. • We can process a visual stream of info and a verbal one, but not two verbal ones at the same time. (See John Sweller.) • Plus, what is the relationship between an audience and a slide full of bullet points? • What are audience members supposed to do with bullet point info? • They’re supposed to write it down? Memorize it? • This is what we want our students and audiences doing? Probably not...

Bullet Points • Are not exactly the height of powerful visual communication, are they? • Can you really listen to me AND write down my bullet points? Research says NO. • We can process a visual stream of info and a verbal one, but not two verbal ones at the same time. (See John Sweller.) • Plus, what is the relationship between an audience and a Relationship? slide full of bullet points? • What are audience members supposed to do with bullet point info? • They’re supposed to write it down? Memorize it? • This is what we want our students and audiences doing? Probably not...

Audience = Relationship?

Bullet Points • Are not exactly the height of powerful visual communication, are they? • Can you really listen to me AND write down my bullet points? Research says NO. • We can process a visual stream of info and a verbal one, but not two verbal ones at the same time. (See John Sweller.) • Plus, what is the relationship between an audience and a Speaker? slide full of bullet points? • What are audience members supposed to do with bullet point info? • They’re supposed to write it down? Memorize it? • This is what we want our students and audiences doing? Probably not...

Bullet Points • Are not exactly the height of powerful visual communication, are they? • Can you really listen to me AND write down my bullet points? Research says NO. • We can process a visual stream of info and a verbal one, but not two verbal ones at the same time. (See John Sweller.) • Plus, what is the relationship between an audience and a Speaker? slide full of bullet points? • What are audience members supposed to do with bullet point info? • They’re supposed to write it down? Memorize it? • This is what we want our students and audiences doing? Probably not... Image Swiped @ GreenPrompt.com

Images from EdwardTufte.com

“Talking about pollution in Houston? Instead of giving me four bullet points of EPA data, why not show me a photo of a bunch of dead birds, some smog and even a diseased lung? Amazingly, it’s more fun than doing it the old way. But it’s effective communication.” -Seth Godin

Sto Pol p luti on! “Talking about pollution in Houston? Instead of giving me four bullet points of EPA data, why not show me a photo of a bunch of dead birds, some smog and even a diseased lung? Amazingly, it’s more fun than doing it the old way. But it’s effective communication.” -Seth Godin

by ndanger @Flickr “Talking about pollution in Houston? Instead of giving me four bullet points of EPA data, why not show me a photo of a bunch of dead birds, some smog and even a diseased lung? Amazingly, it’s more fun than doing it the old way. But it’s effective communication.” -Seth Godin

(from Garr Reynolds)

Pollution in Houston Impact on Wildlife

by ndanger @Flickr Pollution in Houston Impact on Wildlife

from Garr Reynolds

+ Use Handouts

Next Step?

Sequence Roland Barthes

Roland Barthes Floating Chain of Signiﬁers + Anchorage & Relay

A Floating Chain of Signifieds signifier/[to infinity] Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified signifier/[to infinity]

by Georgie Sharp @Flickr

by Georgie Sharp @Flickr signifier/[to infinity] Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified signifier/[to infinity]

A Floating Chain of Signifieds signifier/[to infinity] Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified Signifier/signified “...text is meant to fix the Signifier/signified floating chain of signifieds in Signifier/signified such a way to counter the signifier/[to infinity] terror of uncertain signs.”

by Georgie Sharp @Flickr The Invisible Author

Anchorage Words and Context

Relay by Brian Dunlay @Flickr

Relay via Design

by Nosromoo @Flickr

clouds by by taivasalla @Flickr

Evaporation Condensation Precipitation [The Water Cycle]

Sequence Kuleshov and Film

Clip from Fletcher Markle’s A Talk with Hithcock Hitchcock on the Power of Shot-Reverse Shot

The Kuleshov Effect anticipation/revision

mise en scene

Anchorage Relay Kuleshov Effect Active Audience Through Active Sequencing

Note: Re-sequencing Images

Sequence McCloud and Comics

Scott McCloud Sequential Art Closure

“Sequential Art” “Closure” all comics images from McCloud’s Understanding Comics

by ndanger @Flickr

Streetcar Named Desire Drury Theatre, 2005

Relationship + Concept + Sequence

Application Sequence and Visual Composition

1. Moment to Moment

Moment to Moment 1

Moment to Moment 2

Carolyn Porco Text Speaking of the Cassini Probe to Saturn

Landing on Titan

3. Subject to Subject within one scene or idea

Subject to Subject (Within One Idea)

From Wikimedia Commons Realism is Experimental

From Wikimedia Commons <<--Not this way. dbaltzer.com Realism is Experimental

From Wikimedia Commons This way.--> [ ] <<--Not this way. dbaltzer.com Realism is Experimental

5. Aspect to Aspect outside time, in one place, idea, or mood

Aspect to Aspect

Evaporation

Evaporation Condensation

Evaporation Condensation Precipitation

Evaporation Condensation Precipitation [The Water Cycle]

Evaporation

Evaporation by skycaptaintwo @Flickr

Evaporation by skycaptaintwo @Flickr by Sir_Iwan @Flickr

Evaporation by skycaptaintwo @Flickr by Sir_Iwan @Flickr by Slightlynorth @Flickr

Evaporation by skycaptaintwo @Flickr by Sir_Iwan @Flickr by Slightlynorth @Flickr by law_keven @Flickr

4. Scene to Scene across space and/or time

Scene to Scene Across Space and Time

1945

MODERN 1945

MODERN 1945 PoMo

I’m probably out of time...

...which is why I’ve put a bunch of classroom suggestions on the back of the handout, for your consideration.

Summary: 1. It’s bad. 2. It’s good. 3. It’s new media. 4. It’s got great potential for teaching. Relationship + Concept + Sequence Roland Barthes: Anchorage and Relay Film: The Kuleshov Effect Comics: Sequential Art, Closure, Transitions

END

Starting With Bad PowerPoint

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