20x20 - Have you Ever Done a Pecha Kucha?

Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha is a presentation format - you show 20 slides, for 20 seconds each, and tailor your voice-over to match that pattern exactly.  (It's fair to say that part of the charm of the format is the possibility of infinitesimal adjustments having to be made by the speaker!)

Sometimes our students or staff use the format.  (Sometimes librarian-musicologists do, too - click here )  Maybe visiting the Pecha Kucha website might be a good idea, to see how it looks when it all goes according to plan?!

On Twitter, the Pecha Kucha team can be found at @PechaKucha

Pecha Kucha? Gotcha!

A Pecha Kucha presentation sounds intriguing or intimidating, depending how tech-savvy you are.

There is nothing to it!  (The http://www.pechakucha.org/ website explains that it's just a way of presenting 20 slides for 20 seconds each.  It also tells you about scheduled pecha kucha events - but you can adopt the principle without signing up to the pecha kucha website.)

My first timed pecha kucha

Obviously, what you want is a visible timer to keep you right, and automated slide advances.  (You also want to make sure your slides are simple, clear, and can be covered verbally in just under 20 seconds!)

So, here's how to get a visible timer into your presentation.  (I did mine the easy way, but I've since played around with templates and worked out the proper way to do it!)


EASY.  If you're not comfortable with templates, you can do it this way:-

1.  Make your presentation
2. Here's a link for a countdown timer gif -open the link then select and copy the red timer
3. Insert a countdown gif on each slide (use Control + v) - make sure it's the same position every time, so it doesn't "jump" visually when you advance slides in your presentation.

PROPER WAY.  Create a template with your timer on it.

1. Here's a link for a countdown timer gif -open the link then select and copy the red timer
2. In PowerPoint, click New.
3. Click on View
4. Click on Master layout
5. Add your timer to top or bottom right hand corner (Control + V)
6. Save as Powerpoint template, with a recogniseable name
7. Use this template whenever you need to use a timer - it should appear on every slide, if you've saved the master.

Whichever way you chose, you now want to get your presentation advancing automatically:-

1. Go to Transitions
2. Look at the Advance Slide tab
3. Adjust to the number of seconds you want.  (To fit in with the 20-second timer, clearly you need a 20 second advance!) 

Save the presentation!  Take care - if you've made a template, you now want to save the finished presentation as a PowerPoint, but not as a template, ie pptx not potx format.

I've uploaded my presentation on http://salctg.blogspot.com - but I'm sharing a version without the whizzy timed presentation, in case the embedded version couldn't handle it.