iPad slideshows, sooo easy they “Take 5” minutes!

Photo Slideshow Director  is my fun tool of the day! It is an iPad app that allows you to import photos from existing albums from Picasa, Flickr, or Facebook. You can bling them out, add music from your iTunes and then export to You Tube, Facebook, or your device photo album in minutes.  I made this quick slideshow of  some pages produced at the Pioneer Press in about 5 minutes. There are licensing and copyright issues with using music from iTunes that is copyrighted, my use is for illustrative purposes and the music is clearly labeled on YouTube. So I use the rule of playing it for personal use and not to sell a product. So since I get nothing from sharing cool stuff I run across, We should be good! If you do want to produce slide shows for commercial use and are in need of music you can afford the rights to, try friendlymusic.com. As for Photo Slideshow Director, the transitions are smooth and up-to-date with creative backgrounds. This is a great tool to jazz up a presentation or portfolio.

Keep your first-born when renting equipment!

In this era of tight budgets creative directors are challenged with how to get projects photographed on a budget. There is always stock art but that doesn’t work if you need your own products or people photographed. Local freelancers are a great way to get agency quality photography without paying for the agency overhead and someone’s Christmas bonus. There are downsides to hiring a freelancer. The first of course is hiring a good one for your needs. I can help with that, as I have an extensive list of contacts all across the country. That’s a perk of having been an AP photographer. The second is the astronomical cost of photo and studio equipment for photographers, who are great but don’t have all the gear they need for your job.

“Well, I’m here to tell you, there’s something else”…. A  place that will help recreate the light of the sun. No not the after world, but I do love that Prince Song! Lensprotogo.  Gone are the days of having to give up your first-born and a huge deposit to rent gear! You only pay for your rental and the rates are extremely reasonable. I rented a new d7000 for 6 days for 137.00 dollars. It arrived on time in a pelican case for protection and even included a Tootsie roll pop! The only issue I had was they sent one lollipop and I have two little girls. Apart from the sibling wars. I couldn’t ask for any better customer service or pricing.

Pimp your Prezi!

So, you want to give a presentation that stands out? One that keeps the attention of the students you are lecturing to? Or one that just says you’re cool to the innovative young execs your pitching? Then you need to bring out the big guns and “Pimp out your Prezi!” Prezi.com Is a unique site that helps you make zooming presentations and it hosts them there on the site. So your Prezi’s are wherever you have access to the internet. If you are a mobile collaborator, i.e. MBA student working on a team project or a telecommuter, this is priceless. Each group member can edit your presentation collectively from different locations. One of my favorite Prezi projects is seen here . This Coca-Cola Company Prezi uses the iconic image of the Classic Coca-Cola bottle and turns it into a vehicle to organize and keeps the central focus of the presentation all while creating a unique experience. This Prezi makes the viewer say “Whoa, now this is an experience, not just another PowerPoint!” Don’t forget to check out the YouTube video at the end of the presentation. Nice way to use a simply shot video to build a feeling of community with your audience.

While I love Prezis , there is a potential downside, if not done carefully, you can make your audience dizzy. So watch the amount and speed of transitions. This means the navigation distance between your boxes. Zig-zagging across the workspace is bad! If you use a clockwise direction, you are less likely to cause motion sickness!

P.S. I’d love it if you came back and posted links to your Prezis in the comments!

Got Data?

Need more data instead of cowbell? Then do I have a site for you! City-data.com is phenomenal when you need demographics in an instant. Don’t know Excel, no problem. Does SPSS give you a headache? City-data.com has got you covered. For any type of preliminary proposal, you may be putting together, or even more in-depth. Take it from me there were many a night during my MBA course work that I needed reputable stats, STAT! While a fuller richer more thorough survey may need to be done on a target audience later, you can quickly get a very good look at any city in the nation. Heck, they even give you the average precipitation!  Check out my city here and keep scrolling down.The graphs are accurate and are large enough when downloaded to easily bedazzle in PhotoShop or InDesign. They can also be copied right into your PowerPoint or Prezi. Prezis are a whole other post!  So the next time you find out your presenting target market analysis in 30 minutes no sweat, you’ve got data!