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Powerpoint Artists
Hello,
I was wondering if anyone had any info on Powerpoint artists. I find I’m producing more live events and I’m in need of reliable Artists and operators.
Could anyone suggest a place to find Powerpoint artists and operators? What is the going day rate, etc.?
Thanks in advance.
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13 Replies
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Sorry, but to put the two words “Powerpoint” and “artist” together in the same sentence… I think I just threw up in my mouth a little:-)
My sour attitude comes from never having worked with powerpoint graphics made by a true artist, though.
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To help make my case…
https://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/video-how-not-to-use-powerpoint
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There are many proficient Powerpoint Artists and Operators out there.
The desk jockeys who think they can do their own presentations with little or no visual arts or video background are what give the rest a bad name.
I know several folks who moved on from being very creative assistant editors or graphic designers who now have entire businesses making very nice-looking .ppts for corporate events and business meetings.
I have sent your contact info to one of the “leaders of the band” I know.
debe
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[debe] “There are many proficient Powerpoint Artists and Operators out there.”
I bet there are.
I’ve sure never met one, though. They are undoubtedly working somewhere else.
When we inevitably get the “I need to…uh.. get my powerpoint presentation put on video” call, we have found an effective way to deal with that. Simply say, “Just a moment,” put the caller on hold, and wait until the little red blinking light on the phone goes dark (this step may take several minutes — be patient). Problem solved.
Seriously, I WISH that we would handle them that way, although we don’t. After tons of videos that had client-supplied Powerpoint images in them, I cannot think of even one instance where we were able to use a slide “as is,” in almost every case we had to rebuild it from scratch. Somtimes it was for technical reasons, such as a font too small for video use, or items running way out of title safe areas. But 9 times out of 10 it was simply because the design was sooooo baaaaaaaaaaaad.
Not to say that good PP artists don’t exist, I’ve just never met one (much like the elusive Yeti).
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Again, those folks aren’t Powerpoint artists. They are merely users or operators. There’s a HUGE difference, and it’s insulting to the real, talented presentation specialists to lump them in with the cube jockeys who don’t know what the heck a serif is.
I don’t consider my stepdaughter a Powerpoint artist because her final 8th grade project was a .ppt presentation for her class. It was nice, and it was better than some I’ve seen, too, but it wasn’t professional. I also don’t consider my stepson a video editor because he made a movie of our family vacation in iMovie, either.
They are users. Just like Joe Schmoe in Sales who made his presentation for the big meeting on his woefully underpowered PC and thought using every transition was a requirement to be thought of as having had made a “good” presentation.
The reason the good Powerpoint artists haven’t called you to put their presentations on tape is because they probably already have more than enough connections via the big event companies they work with that they don’t need to cold-call for services. Or they are smart enough to craft a presentation that can be opened in Keynote and exported as a QuickTime movie.
I’m sorry, but it’s just plain rude to make sweeping comments about an entire segment of the industry like that.
And no, I’m not a Powerpoint artist. I just know a dozen hard-working, talented and creative people who make it look easy….and good.
Respectfully,
debe
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De, I HAVE seen “real” Powerpoint artist’s work, and you are right about everything you said. The real deal ones I saw basically used PP as merely the playback mechanism; their slides were all composed in Photoshop using proper design principles of color, font, proportion, etc. and were breathtaking in their clean, sharp beauty. No canned clip art, everything custom made in PS or Illustrator or Corel paint.
I have also seen clients take a set of such slides and start glopping their own cra- um “contributions” over the top of them, the old “pearls before swine” syndrome. Repurposing a custom presentation on their own without understanding or respecting the design principles behind the originals. That’s the world too many of us get to see, instead of your aquaintences.
The upper-echelon True Artists you describe are not often seen in my neck of the woods; I’m sure it’s because they have more than enough work already and don’t need to advertise. We need more like them in the world.
Because each masterpiece they turn out is outnumbered by absolute dreck, 50 to 1.
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What I’d like to know, Mark, is what does the fact that you’ve seen some nasty Powerpoint presentations, and that a comic has decided to use the fact that there is a plethora of “unfullfilling” Powerpoint presentations out there in his admittedly really funny act have to do with the original poster’s query?
Your posts have not been helpful to the original poster, and as far as I can see, only serve as a vehicle for you to take cheap shots at Powerpoint operators because you think it’s humorous.
I do not for a second deny that there are unfathomably bad Powerpoint presentations out there. That’s not the point.
It’s not helpful to Jeff, and in my very humble opinion, is truly not in the spirit of community support that is so admired by many users of the COW.
Again, respectfully,
debe
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It’s all right Debe, everybody has a bad day once in a while. Why not post your list of PPT-making friends here, maybe some work will come their way.
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Jeff and one of my guys are already in contact.
It’s not my place to advertise for the guys (and two gals) I know.
I’ll pass on relevant info when I come across it and share when I can, just like I did here, but I am sure as-shootin’ not going to publicly post someone else’s contact information without their consent.
debe
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Just to throw my two cents in…
I really had no idea about PP artists until my last project.
Thinking all powerpoint presentations were one aweful cheesy slide after another.
But how wrong was I. Seeing what a proper designer can do with was really impressive. It was a beautifully laid out presentation, drawing on the themes of the event in an eye catching way and providing a great coherent look to all that happened on the event. And was not simply creating a jpg to have in the background. This artist built everyone’s presentation from the ground up.Now thinking back on it, it makes perfect sense there are people doing this and seeing it so well done, I have the feeling these designers are grinning smugly to themselves as most designers “don’t go there” and they have potentially ALOT of work.
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