This next exercise will have you working with Audacity, a sound manipulation software, and the advanced features of PowerPoint. These programs work very well together, though you can have issues anytime you are using the advanced features of a program or mixing two program formats.

Audacity

Audacity is available as a free download from https://www.audacityteam.org/. Make sure you download the LAME MP3 encoder as well, or you will not be able to work with MP3 files.

Wow

PowerPoint for the most part has become passé. However, if you think outside the title-and-three-to-five-bullets format, it still has some good potential for videos and presentations. Technological adaptability is not just about learning new software. It is also figuring out new productive ways of using the old standard software. Thinking outside the box is always a vital skill in our quickly changing world.

Force vs. Creativity

Trying to force a software to do what it is not meant to do is different than using a software in a new creative way. Using the software creatively still works with the software’s strengths, while forcing reveals its weaknesses. We will talk about this idea more later in the book.

Creative Thinking

We tend to associate creativity with visual design, which is a limited view. In technical writing, we are often called upon to be creative in how we convey information. Engineering, programming, science—all can be enhanced when someone gets creative in their approach. When dealing with adaptability, creativity can help as well. This next exercise will challenge you to be creative in many ways.

You are going to illustrate a poem with a voice-over. You will need to choose a poem and create your own audio files. If you are creating a digital portfolio, consider what you would like your clients or potential employer to see. You may want to choose a subject that shows knowledge of your field. If you are a graphic artist or designer, you will want the visuals to reflect your skills. And, of course, you want the project to reflect your technical abilities.

Creative Programs in Tandem

PowerPoint

1. Create a new, blank PowerPoint file.
2. Create a new color scheme for the presentation using your choice of colors. Name the color scheme using your last name.
3. Create a new font scheme for the presentation using your choice of fonts. Name the font scheme using your last name. Change the fonts of the presentation using the slide master.
4. Change the background of all slides to a gradient using at least two colors in your scheme. Use the slide master so that all slides will be the same. When you create any new slide, no matter the format, it should automatically have this background. (make colors dark or light, not dark to light, for contrast)
5. Change the text color on all slides using the slide master. The text should be very readable on the gradient.
6. Add the text of a poem to your PowerPoint, breaking up the poem by stanzas. DO NOT bullet the stanzas. DO NOT use the traditional title format with 3-5 bullets. Get creative.
7. Add shapes, clip art and/or images to the slides to add interest.

Audacity

Audacity can be downloaded free from www.audacityteam.org. This program is great for voice recording and sound manipulation.

1. Record yourself reading the poem.
2. Take out any mistakes or problems in the recording. Add or delete any pauses or change the timing as desired.
3. Break the audio into stanzas. Save each stanza as a separate file.
4. Have at least one stanza speed up or slow down.
5. Add a little music or some sound effects to the poem. You can record your own using Audacity or find some on the web.
6. Fade in or fade out at least one sound.
7. Create a title audio clip using special effects (echo and reverb work nicely).
8. Export each stanza to MP3. You must have the LAME dll installed to export to MP3.

PowerPoint Again

1. Attach each audio stanza to the corresponding slide. Set the audio to start automatically during the slide show.
2. Animate each slide using a different animation technique. You can animate the text and/or the visual elements. Try to fit the animation to the rhythm of the poem. Given the nature of poetry, do not worry about overusing animation.
3. Record the slide show so that when playing it from the beginning, it plays automatically without clicking by the watcher.
4. Save the file.
5. Save the file as a video.
6. Turn the file in, if applicable.