VIDEO AND AUDIO AIDS

Video and Audio aids are videotapes, cassettes, CD’s, overhead projectors, slide shows, and more that you use during a speech to illustrate and emphasize a point. For example, you could play a videotape of parts of a rugby match to illustrate parts of the game. You could use an overhead projector to point to and draw parts of a hair-drying machine.

Tips for Visual, Video and Audio Aids

·        USE NOTEWORTHY AIDS
Use colors, charts, and pictures for visual aids. Use vivid, action filled videotapes for video aids. Use clear, distinct music and speaking for audio aids.

·        KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE
Stick to graphics, pictures and bulleted lists of short items. Long definitions, lots of written text, complicated tables or charts reduce clarity and lack visual impact. Keep video and audio aids to no more than 30 seconds maximum. Long sections of video or music divert our attention from your speech to the video or audio aid.

·        USE THICK, HARD PAPER FOR PAPER VISUAL AIDS
Otherwise, it curls up and falls down during your speech.

·        USE LIGHT PAPER AND DARK, THICK PENS FOR WRITING
Otherwise, we will not be able to see your points.

·        KEEP VISUAL AIDS BIG, BIG, BIG!
If your visual aid isn’t really big--people will not see it. Plus--write big! TIP: Write 3 times bigger than you think you should.

·        USE AIDS THAT LOOK PROFESSIONAL
Avoid sloppy art, stick figures, sloppy writing, choppy videos, hard to hear tapes, misspellings, etc. unless you are doing it for a specific effect.

·        BE CAREFUL IF YOU WANT TO PASS OUT VISUAL AIDS
Use handouts only if you are going to have the audience do something with the handout (like fill something out, do an exercise or game, or if you plan to point to things on the handout). OTHERWISE--If its small--then move close to the class and show us. If its detailed information--hand it out at the end of the question and answer period.

When you use the Aid in your speech:

·        AVOID PLACING VISUAL AIDS ON THE CHALKBOARD
They will fall down. Hold on to visual aids or bring in a visual aid holder.

·        USE THE AID
Don’t just show it and talk about something related to the aid. Actually talk about the aid as you show it or immediately after showing it.

·        Point to THE AID
As you speak about issues, statistics, etc. on the aid--point to them.

·        MOVE SMALLER VISUAL AIDS CLOSER TO THE CLASS
Move around the class to show smaller pictures, etc.

·        Hold up VIDEO AIDS straight
Avoid bending it over, turning it slightly, etc. Hold it so we can see it.

·        HOLD IT UP LONG ENOUGH
Hold it in place long enough so that people can see it and understand it.

PUT THE AID AWAY WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH IT
Why? Because it distracts your audience from your other points.