Slideshows Will Explain It All– Introducing Slideshow Secrets

So what is so special about slideshows?

It’s not so much what’s special about slideshows per se, rather it’s what they teach us that is important.

Slideshows taught me everything I know.

They taught me the importance of great photography (and accidently great candid photography.)

They taught me how to tell a picture story.

They taught me the importance of the big screen.

The taught me the importance of sound.

They taught me the importance of pacing.

They taught me you can do a lot with a little.

A Bit of Background

Slide shows– speaker presentation slides, slides synchronized to soundtracks, and even multiple slide projector “events” were a big deal in the ’70’s and ’80’s.

In fact, what I learned from slide shows helped me have the nerve to abandon them as a medium and move into video way back when, a bit before my time.

But those that made the move with me knew what I knew– that we were all fully equipped to tell audio and visual stories– no matter what the medium.

Through video, “electronic” presentations, Powerpoint, web video, DVD’s, iPods, and cell-phone mobile messaging, the rules have stayed pretty much the same. I won’t argue that you don’t create differently for a phone than you would a 70 foot panoramic screen.

But the basics are there, and we’re going back to basics.

What Slideshow Secrets is about is using the language of slides– which does include sound– to learn how to tell a story.

Slides are Everywhere… Again!

Since you found your way here, you know slides are back. Various slide show sites have popped up that allow you to create and / or share your slideshows. They may call them various things, but they are indeed slide shows. They take advantage of presentations, digital images, and a variety of special effects (depending on the site or program.)

And slide sequences timed to soundtracks are becoming a cost effective substitute for more expensive (and less polished) video presentations on the web.

And why not? A still image’s beauty can crush a half-assed video clip anyday. Put a sequence of beautiful images together and you might even have a story.

Our Promise

Please stick with us. We wil review software, on-line services, and creative efforts. We will offer you what we’ve learned about storytelling from slideshows, and tell you how to apply that to all kinds of media.

And we’ll share (hint– that’s a two way street) case histories, successes, and oh, yes– failures.

How else do you learn?

Let the show begin!