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...”

“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

by Daniel Radosh

EPIC FAIL

Seth Godin Edward Tufte

Slide Therapy 101

Garr Reynolds Nancy Duarte

Slide Therapy 102

Image Swiped @ SethGodin.com

Ppt Made Me?

Relationship?

Relationship?

Relationship?

StopMeaninglessClipart!

• 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

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

Relationship?

Relationship?

Audience =

• 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

Speaker?

• 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

Speaker?

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

StopPollution!

“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

“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

(from Garr Reynolds)

(from Garr

Reynolds)

Pollution in Houston

Impact on Wildlife

Pollution in Houston

Impact on Wildlife

by ndanger @Flickr

Pollution in Houston

Impact on Wildlife

by ndanger @Flickr

from Garr Reynolds

+ Use Handouts

Next Step?

Next Step?

Next Step?

SequenceRoland Barthes

Roland Barthes

Anchorage

& Relay

Floating Chain

of Signifiers

+

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

“...text is meant to fix the

floating chain of signifieds in

such a way to counter the

terror of uncertain signs.”

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]

The Invisible Author

by Georgie Sharp @Flickr

The Invisible Author

by Georgie Sharp @Flickr

AnchorageWords and Context

Relay

by Brian Dunlay @Flickr

Relay via Design

by Nosromoo @Flickr

clouds by by taivasalla @Flickr

Evaporation

Condensation

Precipitation

[The Water Cycle]

SequenceKuleshov and Film

Hitchcock on the Power of

Shot-Reverse Shot

Clip from Fletcher Markle’s A Talk with Hithcock

anticipation/revision

The Kuleshov Effect

mis

e en

sce

ne

mis

e en

sce

ne

mis

e en

sce

ne

mis

e en

sce

ne

mis

e en

sce

ne

mis

e en

sce

ne

mis

e en

sce

ne

mis

e en

sce

ne

Anchorage

Relay

Kuleshov Effect

Active Audience Through

Active Sequencing

Note: Re-sequencing Images

SequenceMcCloud and Comics

Scott McCloud

Closure

Sequential Art

“Sequential Art”

“Closure”

all comics images from McCloud’s Understanding Comics

“Sequential Art”

“Closure”

all comics images from McCloud’s Understanding Comics

by ndanger @Flickr

Drury Theatre, 2005

Streetcar Named Desire

Relationship

+ Concept

+ Sequence

ApplicationSequence and Visual Composition

1. Moment to Moment

Moment to Moment 1

Moment to Moment 2

Text

Carolyn

Porco

Speaking of the

Cassini Probe

to Saturn

Landing

on Titan

Landing

on Titan

Landing

on Titan

Landing

on Titan

Landing

on Titan

3. Subject to Subject

within one

scene or idea

Subject to Subject

(Within One Idea)

Realism is Experimental

From Wikimedia Commons

Realism is Experimental

From Wikimedia Commons

<<--Not this way.

dbaltzer.com

Realism is Experimental

From Wikimedia Commons

<<--Not this way.

This way.--> [ ]

dbaltzer.com

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 Sir_Iwan @Flickrby skycaptaintwo @Flickr

Evaporation

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

Evaporation

by Sir_Iwan @Flickr by Slightlynorth @Flickr by law_keven @Flickrby skycaptaintwo @Flickr

4. Scene to Scene

across space

and/or time

Scene toScene

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.

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

Summary:

END