Draft of Script and Powerpoint for Screencast, English homework help
Draft of Script and Powerpoint for Screencast, English homework help
ASSIGNMENT: DRAFT OF SCRIPT AND POWERPOINT FOR SCREENCAST
For the final part of the project, you will construct a screencast. Technical writers are increasingly being asked to use various media to convey information. At this point, you have used a traditional written format (the memo) and a graphics-driven format (the handout). Now, you will use the same information to create a video on your topic.
Making the Script
I recommend beginning by writing yourself a short script that you can follow when you narrate the presentation. It should not simply be notes, but it should talk your audience through the slides they view using complete sentences. When you record your screencast, your delivery must be smooth, or your video will be difficult to watch. See sites such as the following for script-writing tips: http://blog.infiniteskills.com/2014/07/screencast-videos-part-3-planning-scripting/ (Links to an external site.). You can use the information you covered in your researched memo to create the script. The main things you should edit are the following:
- Use a separate paragraph for each slide. These paragraphs may be really short (even one sentence, but the paragraph marks will help you tell when to switch slides while you are recording your screencast).
- Make oral transitions where you think you will change slides. This will help your viewer understand the relationships among topics. You can find commonly used transitions at this link: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-transitions/ (Links to an external site.)
- Make oral citations. When you cite information in a speech, parenthetical references will not be helpful. Therefore, you need to use oral citations so that your reader knows where you got your information. See the following link for more information: https://www.usm.edu/gulfcoast/sites/usm.edu.gulfcoast/files/groups/learning-commons/pdf/citing_sources_in_speeches_web.pdf (Links to an external site.)
(Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)Making the Powerpoint
Next, design the Powerpoint to reflect the same organization as your script. This should be a relatively short presentation (no longer that 12 slides or so) that simply covers the information you have included in your handout with the addition of a fact, statistic, or example here or there. Be sure to use the same design concepts discussed above. Follow these rules when setting up the Powerpoint:
- Minimize the amount of text on your slides. Use a sentence or less per slide when possible.
- Minimize your use of bulleted lists if you must use them at all.
- Use large, easy-to-see visuals on each slide—don’t crowd your slides with more that one or two visuals.
- Use a theme or recurrent color scheme for your Powerpoint, as well as consistent fonts.
Once you have created your script and your Powerpoint, post your drafts to the forum called “Post Drafts of Your Script and Your Powerpoint.” Once you have received feedback on these, you can then record your screencast for the final project.
Making the Screencast
When you are ready to record your presentation, you will need to use a screencasting program to record yourself reading your script as you click through the presentation. Screencasting just means that your screencasting program will record what happens on your screen as it records your voice. For this project, you will read from your script as you go through your Powerpoint presentation, in essence making a movie of the presentation. Many free screencasting programs can be found online. These include Jing, screen-cast-o-matic, and screenr. See the course video for more details on how to screencast.
The screencast must include the following:
- At least all of the information included in your handout, including citations to the sources of any information included on each slide.
- Multiple graphics, which can include your informative graphics from your handout, but must also include at least two more graphics of some kind. These graphics can include clip art, photographs, drawing objects from Microsoft Word, or other informative graphics that are fair use. Make sure that each slide is visually interesting.
- A screencast of the Powerpoint that includes an audio track with your voice reading the narrative script.
Once you have recorded your screencast, be sure to either save the link or the video so that you can post it as part of your final draft.
