Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
I think that you may be on to something.
Too many people just sit and write something out and (1) don't think about the fact that we speak differently than we write and (2) that they end up sounding like they are reading a script.
Recently I have spoken with two different friends who are working on creating informational sound recordings (one a podcast and the other a CD) for their clients. One wrote out a script, read it through his recording and the end result was, by his own admission, extremely dry.
I recommended to him and the other that they consider taking a more conversational approach. As a former journalist I found that an interview type format also helps to keep things more lively.
I think that in the future I may recommend they consider what you have said. Do you have any suggestions on resources for this?
Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
I've been searching around for ideas and have come across various tips for writing & practicing stand-up that might apply here.
- Select only the most promising segments
- Be concise; don't waste words
- Don't spend too long on any one topic
- Create segues
- Work in ways for themes to resurface in new contexts
- Rehearse out loud, over and over again
- Try to appear natural and spontaneous
- Memorize it
Heather's idea of shifting the presentation into a conversational mode gives me a leg up. It's collaborative, which is an asset already. If I'm incapable of being/sounding funny, perhaps a partner could help me find the humor.
In addition, I can see how two voices would add interest and break up an otherwise dry delivery (Click and Clack, the car guys on public radio come to mind -- who knew car maintenance could be so hilarious?). I'd love to hear more ideas, cautions, solutions...
I can add a few things I used to do when when I was a practicing stand-up comic.
1. Fill the space - establish presence, confidence, and competence
2. Grab the audience within the first 30 seconds (not literally) - get their attention
3. Create variabilty in phrasing
4. Create topical outline
5. Have cue cards
6. Know your audience
Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
Sylvia,
Yes, I think you're on the right track with this list. I have frequently told people who are editing their writing to read the material out loud so that they can hear how it sounds.
I think one suggestion that is very important is to remember why you are doing it the podcast, webcast, etc. If you care about the topic then you should be trying to make others care about it. Be passionate, but not melodramatic.
Heather
Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
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Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
Here are four exellent examples of presentations using technology, I think they are excellent because of the content, not because they are funny. But the first one, a presentation by Curtis Bonk on a e-learning conference in Iceland is very funny. I think he is very skilled in making e-learning presentation by like a stand-up comedy without sacrifying the content.
E- learning (Curtis J. Bonk á UT2005) Reflecting the Future e-Content Development Evolution in Higher Education (Zaid Ali Alsagoff) What E-learning 2.0 means to you (slides and mp3 audio) Stephen Downes Villanova conference 2005 - efnafræði og enskaSalvor
Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
"Your current web browser cannot display this presentation. Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher must be installed..."
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Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
Yes I agree. 
Being locked in or locked out from Microsoft environment is not funny at all. That´s why we need to go over to open source. This presentation is in Microsoft Producer, a add-on program to Powerpoint and I do not know why because it is just a one hour videorecording. But if it is of any held, here is direct link to the Bonk video:
http://fitjuflaumur.rhi.hi.is/ut2004bonk_files/0MM0.wmv
you will need to download the video, it is not streaming if you go directly to the media file.
Salvor
I've heard Curtis speak a few times, but the most recent presentation at the eLearn conference in Vancouver really was top both entertaining and informative -- probably similar to the performance you saw in Iceland. Did he use the bell? That bell just cracked me up.
(Sorry Sandra, just had to use that emoticon 
Oops! I did it again!)A couple more elements come to mind as I think back on his presentation:
- Use of props help to hold the attention of the audience
- I'm not sure how to best describe his presentation slides -- a little unpolished? maybe campy? In any case, not boring, and not corporate-like. So maybe "lighten up" is some good advice for preparing webcasts. Be human.
Please don't apologize for using emoticons - that's just my hang-up. I actually have no problem whatsoever with other people using them. I wonder, in fact, if my own problem is just that I've never managed to learn how to insert the little graphics properly.
No bells that I can remember Sylvia. I was dressed at Mickey Mouse and got the hostess of the conference to be mini mouse and we did the 10 minnie myths of e-learning. Then I changed out of that and had a Dr. Evil costume on underneath and got someone to be mini me and we did the 10 mini-myths of e-learning. Changed out of that and was merlin the magician predicting the future of e-learning. See videostreamed talks at: http://mypage.iu.edu/~cjbonk/streamed.html
This particular talk is at:
10. | March 5, 2004 15 Mini Myths of E-Learning and Predictions of the Future, in Iceland |
The top talks are more boring than the bottom ones.
Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
Yes I agree.
Being locked in or locked out from Microsoft environment is not funny at all. That´s why we need to go over to open source. This presentation is in Microsoft Producer, a add-on program to Powerpoint and I do not know why because it is just a one hour videorecording. But if it is of any held, here is direct link to the Bonk video:
http://fitjuflaumur.rhi.hi.is/ut2004bonk_files/0MM0.wmv
you will need to download the video, it is not streaming if you go directly to the media file.
Salvor
Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
Thanks for the kind remarks. Each talk is a challenge in trying to be informative and entertaining. Some of my more scholarly colleagues do not like the fact that I am entertaining. I am constantly thinking of what I might do differently next. I changed departments as a result, in fact. Ok, I must go prepare another talk.
My videostreams are here http://mypage.iu.edu/~cjbonk/streamed.html including the one you mentioned.
You can download many of my talks at: http://www.trainingshare.com/workshop.php including the "Oops I did not mean to share that" talk that Sylvia refers to.
My homepage is here with many free book chapters and journal articles http://mypage.iu.edu/~cjbonk/
Thanks again.
Re: Preparing effective webcasts and stand-up comedy -- shared talents?
I forgot to mention to everyone here that I gathered up our Key Elements of Stand-Up Comedy/ Webcasts into a wiki. Feel free to edit and add!