Photo by: Boggy via Canva
In training, we know our role is not just to “stand and deliver,” right? We must incorporate a balance of presentation, application, and feedback. Sometimes, however, we are asked to simply give a presentation. One of the biggest challenges we face when putting together a presentation is answering this question: what am I trying to accomplish with this presentation?
During my time in film school, we were often tasked with giving presentations about movies. You might think to yourself, “how many ways can someone give a presentation about film?” This is where defining the purpose of the presentation becomes an integral part of the process.
Often, we were able to pick our own film subject in any genre. Pinpointing the purpose would come next: do I want to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain my audience? Once identified, I could then build my presentation accordingly. Put another way, I had to define what I wanted the audience to think, feel, or do at the end of the presentation. Let’s take a closer look.
An informative presentation gives the audience information about the topic; this could be information that is interesting or useful. An informative presentation about a film might focus on a comprehensive breakdown of how it was made. I could present the structure of production from script to screen. Through this framework, the audience would come to understand the filmmaking process that led to the finished product.
A persuasive presentation is an effort to change or influence the opinions, beliefs, or behaviors of the audience. If I were to give a persuasive presentation about my favorite movie, I could provide my own opinion along with other academics, while backing up these opinions with visual examples. Often this method will be the most impassioned and successful—if the presenter genuinely stands behind their argument.
An inspirational presentation is an appeal to the feelings, emotions, values, and thoughts of your audience. In this case, I might put together a presentation to encourage a group of people to watch more foreign films. I could use personal experience or anecdotes of amazing stories I would have missed if I’d let the hurdle of subtitles stop me.
An entertaining presentation is light-hearted, casual, and fun. The emphasis is on catching and holding the attention of the audience. Humor, stories, or subtle irony could be the focus. For this type of presentation, I could provide examples of some of my favorite film-going experiences!
Once I determined the purpose of my presentation, I was able to create it. To inform, I would use the strongest pieces of information. To persuade, I would use my most convincing arguments. To inspire, I would use my most inspirational stories or anecdotes. To entertain, I would use humor or engaging stories to involve the audience. And, of course, I would still need a killer opening, closing, and delivery—but I’d have an excellent jumping-off point!
What kinds of presentations have you been asked to deliver and what have you used to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain your audience?
