Absolute Beginners Guide to Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003

In this chapter

• Find out what multimedia is and why you should use it

• Learn how to add sound and video objects to a presentation

• Explore how to create your own digital media

• Learn how to use PowerPoint as a media manager

Media are simply formats in which information is communicated, and each medium takes advantage of one of our five senses. PowerPoint doesn't do touch, taste, or smell unless your presentation really stinks! but it does use a variety of visual and auditory approaches. Visual examples include text, pictures, animations, and video. Auditory examples include your voice, sound effects, music, and video sound tracks. Multimedia means that you're adding sound or visual elements to an otherwise normal slide presentation.

This chapter explores some of the powerful ways you can integrate multimedia elements into presentations.