Videos are a great way to engage your audience in a more dynamic or emotive way, they create variety and break up the monotony of conventional slide presentations.
Insert videos into PowerPoint
- Click on the slide you want to insert a video on, then go to Menu and click Insert.
- In the top right corner, click on Video, you now have the option to choose where your video is located by selecting: this device, stock videos or online videos.
- Find the video you want to add and click Insert. That’s it! You’re done
Embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint
The process for embedding a video from YouTube varies depending on your operating system and version of PowerPoint. For PowerPoint 365, simply click Insert Video, then choose Online Video. Insert the web address for any video from YouTube, Vimeo, or Stream. For this to work, you’ll need internet during your presentation.
Playback Options
You can choose when the video starts by adjusting the settings in the Playback toolbar. For example, if you want your video to play in full screen as soon as you click on the slide, make sure you select Play Full Screen and Start Automatically.
To loop your video, tick the Loop until Stopped box. The video will play repeatedly until you move to another slide or pause it.
Preview your presentation to check your video plays exactly how you want it to.
Video Formatting
Video Format tab gives you options to change the video style.
On the right-hand side of the ribbon, you will also find the Crop button that allows you to crop videos. You could crop to zoom in on a specific area of the video, or you could remove things you don’t want for example tramlines from a widescreen video that has been saved in 4:3 aspect ratio.
PowerPoint also allows you to trim videos to remove unwanted clips. With a video selected, go to the Playback tab on the ribbon and the Editing tools on the left. The Trim Video option lets you start and stop at any point in the video.
Make your Videos Stand Out
- Be clear with your script. This video replaces bullet points, so use clear and concise language. A simple message makes it easier for your audience to follow along.
- Pick colours that pop. A good-looking video goes a long way to keeping your audience’s attention.
- Keep it short. Generally, a video between 30-60 seconds is ideal for a presentation. If a video runs longer than a minute, break it up across multiple slides so it can be digested in bite-sized chunks.
