Create videos by using PowerPoint
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Related article: Use Audio Clips to make a powerful impact to your PowerPoint Presentations, Use Animations to energize your PowerPoint presentations
rYou can use a combination of video clips, animations, and transitions to create a video. The video can be used for presentation, training, education, campaigning, and advertising purposes. There are several advantages of creating videos with PowerPoint:
- The video can be recorded as separate video clips instead of one long video. It is easier to record such video clips and put less pressure on the hosts. The video editing is usually easier for video clips than one long video.
- The video clips are supplemented with text, graphics, and charts so it is potentially more easily to convey ideas and main points to your targeted audience.
- A combination of themes, text, pictures, charts, and videos is more likely to keep your audience in interest and attention to the message you want to convey.
- Most videos are recorded in either Window Media Video (WMV) or MP4 format. Most computers, TV, and DVD or Blu-Ray players are readily to play them. Software to play such video formats such as Window Media or Apple QuickTime Player is available to be downloaded for free. The audience does not have to worry about having the latest versions of PowerPoint to view your presentations.
- The output video cannot be altered easily by the users, thus allowing the creator to maintain the data integrity. On the contrary, PowerPoint documents might be changed accidentally by the users.
- The PowerPoint video can be easily changed to adapt to conveying different messages or to be updated to reflect newest available information. The PowerPoint videos are more readily to reflect such changes than conventional videos.
However, there are of course disadvantages to do so. The creator of the video must know very well about the PowerPoint. It takes time to be able to master all the components such as themes, charts, animations, and art works. It requires extra time to put together everything for PowerPoint videos than conventional videos. Finally, it’s an art to make wonderful videos with well-presented ideas and messages. However, a well-designed PowerPoint video is unmatched with conventional video and the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
Step 1: Create a new PowerPoint file or insert a new slide in the existing PowerPoint file (Home → New Slide).
Step 2: Click the Insert Media Clip and locate the file in your directory (or click the “Insert” tab on the ribbon and select “Video”)
Step 3: Double click the inserted video and you will see the “Video Tools” menu appear. Click the “Playback” tab and choose “Automatically” under the Start drop down menu.
Step 4: Move your mouse under the video timing scale to the end of the video and see how long the video lasts.
Step 5: Click the slide (to change the focus from the video to the entire slide. Then click the “Transitions” tab on the ribbon. Move to the “Advance Slide” on the far right of the ribbon. Unmark the “On Mouse Click” box and mark the “After:” box and put in the time. The length of the time should be at least the time of playing the video plus any transition and animation time that required to playing the slide.
Repeat from Step 1 to Step 5 as necessary for each video clips that you insert. When you are ready to export a PowerPoint video, please click “File” on the ribbon, choose “Save & Send” command, then “Create a Video” and pick the format resolution, and finally click the “Create Video” button to export a PowerPoint video.
Notes
- If you take your video clips by using your cellular phone, it is likely that the video clips are created in MP4 format. You need to download an Apple QuickTime Player so that MP4 videos can be played on a PowerPoint file. Your audience needs to have a QuickTime Player installed in his/her computer before he/she can view your PowerPoint slides.
- If you want to export your PowerPoint file to a video, your MP4 video clips will post another problem. You will find that the videos will not produce any sound after exporting. Therefore, a better way of doing it is to first convert your video clips from MP4 format to WMV format by using a third part video converter before importing into PowerPoint slides or exporting to a PowerPoint video.
- If you have more than 3 video clips embedded in one of your PowerPoint files, you may encounter another problem when you try to export a PowerPoint video. The exporting process may die in the middle of it. My suggestion is that you break your PowerPoint file into separate files that contains at most 3 video clips in each one of them. After you export several PowerPoint video files (in WMA format), use a third part video editor to join them together.
To create a PowerPoint video, please follow the below steps:
The video on the left was created by my son for the awareness of garbage recycling. The topic is about recycling parts from automobiles. He did the research and data collection. He further designed the PowerPoint presentation almost all by himself. I provided some technical guidance on animations and video conversions. This video is a good example of creating a PowerPoint videos. The below step-by-step illustrations are primarily based on this video Enjoy watching!
