Following certain guidelines can improve the quality of your presentation and
personal delivery whether you are in an interactive classroom or a television studio.
Recently, colleagues in the Communications Center of Clemson University shared
the following hints for making ITV presentations.
Using Graphic Materials (Power point, Adobe Acrobat)
- Think in terms of bullet-like presentations, i.e., Keep It Simple.
- Medium to dark blue background
- Off-white fonts, pale yellow topic headings
- 36 point font is desirable with a 28 point minimum
- 5 words per line, 5 lines per page
- Allow an inch safe area at the edge of the page. Use horizontal (landscape)
- format for the overhead (document) camera.
Other Materials
- Posters -- fix to the wall if necessary or placed on top a podium facade.
- Props -- real objects make communication more concrete and the presentation
warmer.
- Don't wear pinstripes, hounds tooth checks, white shirts, heavy jewelry or
scarves.
- Don't rock/swivel in your chair or fidget with your tie/shirt -- this will affect
the audio.
- Don't use materials with white, glossy, acetate or metallic surfaces.
- Don't use a (shiny) pen or (dirty) finger to point with.
- Don't look at the phone when responding to a question -- look at your
CAMERA.
- Don't hold your microphone when talking -- clip it back on.
- Don't overreact or, more specifically, over-explain when technical problems
occur.
- Don't assume you're off the air or disconnected from a video conference until
told so.
- Don't pretend you're a TV anchorman -- BE YOURSELF.
*Reprinted and used by permission from Al Littlejohn, Assistant Director of
Communications, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.
http://www.utextension.utk.edu/it/itv/tips/