Video is arguably the most effective way to communicate a message in meetings, conferences or strictly for marketing purposes. Unfortunately, technical difficulties often arise when dealing with them, which is why we have put together this quick guide to set you up for a worry-free video presentation!
1. Have a Backup Ready to Go
If your laptop crashes or runs out of battery, you’re going to be in a tough spot, which is why you’ll want to have another option. Having another device on hand is a must. See if a colleague (or the venue) has one that you can use if needed. In order for a backup device to be effective, you must also have a copy of your video ready to go. We recommend having the file on a flash drive as well as having the file available online via DropBox, Google Drive, YouTube or any other preferred medium. It’s always better to have and not need than to need and not have.
2. File Sizes: Less is More
Keeping a small file size for your video allows you to do so much more. If you need a backup version ready at a moment’s notice, a large file may take far too long to transfer from a flash drive onto a computer, and it will take even longer to download from the internet. Try to aim for less than 100mb/min.
3. Don’t Rely on Wi-Fi
It may come as a surprise, but not all venues have accessible Wi-Fi. Even if they do, the signal could be weak—and for a video presentation, this is not something you want to risk. It’s a nice bonus to have reliable Wi-Fi, and it may be your last resort if you’re downloading a backup from the internet, but it’s always better to have the file on your device ready to be played without issue at a time of your choosing.
4. Sound Check
There is a big difference between your laptop speakers and the speakers that will be used to fill a venue. No matter what venue space you’re using, be sure to test your video beforehand to hear it the way the audience will. You may find that the music is too loud and masks the voices that communicate your message. After you’ve put in so much effort to create the perfect video, you don’t want your audience straining to pick up the message.
5. Know Your Screen Space
While it’s crucial to make your essential titles and images stand out, you’ll want to make sure they aren’t so large that they get cut off at the edges of the screen. Projectors and/or other monitors can slightly distort the frame which may lead to some content being cropped out. No drastic adjustments are typically needed as long as you leave about 7-10% of frame space around the edges. It will be best to test out your display in advance, if possible, so as to maximize the space you have while keeping it crop-safe.
If you have any questions or you would like to share some other helpful video presentation tips, feel free to email us at contact@channelaudiogroup.com. We’d love to hear from you!
