How to Add Videos and Bullet Points to PowerPoint

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Adding videos and bullet points to your PowerPoint presentations can make them more engaging, memorable, and easy to follow. Here is a step-by-step guide to incorporating these elements effectively.

Step 1: Choose Relevant Videos

The first step is to select videos that support your presentation’s key messages. The content should be directly related to your topics and help explain or demonstrate concepts. Some things to keep in mind:

  • Videos should be high-quality and easy for the audience to see and hear. Avoid pixelated or distorted footage.
  • Keep videos concise, usually less than 3 minutes. You don’t want them to dominate your presentation.
  • Use videos sparingly. Too many can be distracting or come across as filler.
  • Ensure videos don’t infringe copyright laws before using them.

Sources like YouTube, Vimeo, Coverr, and Pexels provide plenty of professional, royalty-free videos to choose from.

Step 2: Insert the Videos into PowerPoint

PowerPoint makes adding videos simple. Here’s how:

  1. Open PowerPoint and navigate to the slide where you want the video.
  2. Select the Insert tab.
  3. Click the Video drop-down menu and choose either Video from File or Online Video.
  4. Select your video file from your computer or paste the online video URL.
  5. The video will now appear on your slide as an embedded object.

You can drag the edges to resize the video and arrange it however you like.

Step 3. Trim and Edit the Videos (Optional)

PowerPoint also lets you trim, fade in/out, add stylized frames, and more. Double click the video placeholder to open editing options:

  • Trim the start/end points.
  • Add fades or animated transitions.
  • Create a preview thumbnail image.
  • Adjust brightness and contrast.

Trimming ensures only the most relevant parts of a video are shown, while transitions create smoother scene changes.

Step 4: Add Bullet Points to Accompany Videos

Bullet points help orient your audience and draw attention to a video’s key takeaways. Place them:

  • Below the video to summarize the content.
  • Near the start to explain what’s coming up.

Follow these best practices when making bullets:

  • Use brief one line points instead of full sentences
  • Capitalize the first letter of each point
  • Use consistent punctuation at the end (periods, no punctuation, etc.)
  • Maintain parallel structure between points

Consistent formatting like fonts and indentation also improves scannability.

Step 5: Animate Bullet Points

Adding animations makes bullets more dynamic. They can appear sequentially or be triggered by clicking:

  1. Select the bullet text box.
  2. Go to Animations tab.
  3. Click the animation style you want.
  4. Configure the animation’s start, delay, duration, and trigger options.

Use subtle animations that enhance your bullets without becoming distracting. Fades, wipes, and slides work well.

Step 6: Practice and Present

The key to effectively using video and bullet points is seamless integration with your narrative flow. Rehearse your presentation with a colleague and get their feedback. Refine anything that disrupts the flow.

With concise, relevant videos and clearly formatted bullet point takeaways, your next PowerPoint presentation will be more engaging and memorable.

Conclusion

Following these steps will help you add videos and bullet points that captivate audiences rather than putting them to sleep. Videos should directly support your content without dominating it. Simple, consistent bullets improve information retention. And subtle animations can make on-screen text less static.

With practice, you’ll soon be creating sleek, modern presentations that win over boardrooms and classrooms alike.

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