This is probably a question that i really have to have an answer for, as a film maker in making. What would capture the attention of the audience? What would make them stay interested throughout the movie? A movie is similar to a powerpoint presentation in a way. A movie is a presentation of a film maker’s effort.
So, what keeps me engaged in a movie? Suspense? A fantastic character? A great plot? Good visual elements? The information that i (as well as the character or protagonist) want to get? Awesome script? A favourite actress? Or maybe its a combination.
However, a movie is different from a powerpoint presentation (or any others) in the sense that a presentation has to be clear so that the audience will understand. A movie might be artistic and abstract, as the main point is not for the audience to understand everything in one screening, but to present a story in a different way ( to introduce another perspective in looking at things; for example the film Memento ). But in a presentation, everything has to be super duper clear.
But won’t this be boring? How would i engage my audience while giving a presentation? What is it that they want? I think the main factor is to keep everything short. Really short; but clear, with sufficient examples and elaboration. If i were to tell them a long long story, they would definitely fall asleep or get distracted. A bit of humour might help, which is what my lecturers often do in a bid to make lectures more bearable, which works to a certain extent. Visually, i hate to see a lot of words on a slide. It gives me the impression that there is a lot to absorb, and that turns me off especially if its about a subject that i have absolutely no interest in. I wonder if a little background music would help to bring up a certain atmosphere, or if it might be too distractive.
Oh i just thought of something. A podcast might be interesting!
