Read Converting PowerPoint to video isn't really that scary and use the tips provided in "Step 1: Prepare your presentation," to make sure that you get what you expect when you view your presentation on a TV screen. The following detailed instructions may help you complete the procedures outlined in the Presentations magazine article (above).

Increase size of lines, fonts and pictures

To increase the line size of a drawing object, select the object, click the Line Style button on the Drawing toolbar, and then click the line width you want.

Move information away from presentation edges

Use the Rectangle tool on the Drawing toolbar to insert the rectangle on your master slide. Double-click the rectangle and then click the Size tab in the Format AutoShape dialog box to enter the exact dimensions. Then scale the rectangle so that it nearly fills the slide frame. Make sure text and graphics in your presentation are positioned within the rectangle.

Tone down color scheme

Test your color scheme with a color bar

1. Use the Rectangle tool on the Drawing toolbar to create a rectangle on a test slide.
2. Select the rectangle and click Duplicate on the Edit menu.
3. Repeat step 2 until you have created one rectangle for each of your main presentation colors.
4. Select one of the rectangles, click the Fill Color tool on the Drawing toolbar, and click one of your main presentation colors.
5. Repeat step 4 until each of the rectangles is filled with one of your main presentation colors.

Record this slide to videotape as a test (methods for recording outlined later in this article). Play back the test recording and note any problem colors.

Tone down your color scheme

1. On the Format menu, click Slide Color Scheme, and then click the Custom tab.
2. Click the color you want to tone down, and then click Change Color.
3. In the Fill Color dialog box, click the Custom tab. Reduce the Sat value by 10 to 15 percent.

For more information about changing colors in a presentation, chart, or Clip Gallery picture, type change color saturation in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in the PowerPoint® Help window, and then click Search.

Make sure sound, video and animation play automatically

Format sound, video and animation to play automatically

1. Display the slide that contains the object.
2. On the Slide Show menu, click Custom Animation, and then click the Order and Timing tab.
3. Select the object in the Animation order list.
   If the object you want to play automatically does not appear in the Animation order list (video and sound may not be set to play using the animation order), select the check box next to the object in the Check to animate slide objects box.
4. Click Automatically, and then enter the number of seconds you want to have elapse between the previous animation and the current one.

Simplify transitions

Add transitions to a slide show

1. In Slide or Slide Sorter view, select the slide or slides you want to add a transition to.
2. On the Slide Show menu, click Slide Transition.
3. In the Effect box , select the transition you want, such as Fade Through Black, and then select any other options you want.
4. To apply the transition to the selected slide, click Apply.
   To apply the transition to all the slides, click Apply to All.
5. To view the transitions, click Animation Preview on the Slide Show menu.

Set up playback timing

1. Select the slide with the bulleted list.
2. On the Slide Show menu, click Slide Transition.
3. Under Advance, select the Automatically after option, and enter 0 in the box.
4. Click Apply.
5. Use the Rectangle button (Drawing toolbar) to insert a box at the bottom of your slide.
6. With the box selected, click the arrow next to Line Color on the Drawing toolbar, and then click No Line.
7. With the box selected, click the arrow next to Fill Color on the Drawing toolbar, and then click No Fill.
8. On the Slide Show menu, click Custom Animation.
9. Select the rectangle object in the list of slide objects.
10. Click the Order & Timing tab. Under Start Animation, select the Automatically option, and then enter the amount of time it will take for someone to comfortably read the bulleted list.

Now that your presentation is ready for television, you can either Use a Scan Converter to Videotape Your Presentation or Use Digital Video Editing to Videotape Your Presentation.

More information

Converting PowerPoint to video isn't really that scary, Jim Endicott. Presentations magazine, September 1999.

The learnDynamicMedia Web site.