A Great Way to Arouse Interest in Your Presentation

Hollywood Knows How to Connect Emotionally with an Audience

Just as speakers, sales professionals, and leaders have to.

A cast of colorful characters works in front of and behind the camera to make a movie, a movie that has the power to transport us into the future or show us life as it might once have been.

Hollywood can teach us how to add impact to our presentations.

Here is an example of how I open a presentation about movie techniques that help us become better speakers.

The lesson to learn is to speak in short phrases and build a rhythm.

In Hollywood you have…

Directors, producers, and cinematographers

Casting directors

Actors, stand-ins, and stuntmen

Composers, musicians, and musical directors

Set designers, art directors, carpenters, and construction coordinators

Sound mixers, lighting technicians, and camera operators

Production designers, costume designers, and script supervisors

Makeup artists, hairstylists, and prop masters

Teleplay writers, production assistants, and boom operators

Gaffers, key grips, best boy grips, dolly grips, and editors

Dozens of caters because an army marches on their stomach, and apparently so does Hollywood!

We have a cast of colorful characters who work in front of and behind a camera to make a movie…

that has the power to transport us into the future…or show us life as it may once have been.

Twenty years ago I attended at least 10 different screenwriting classes, not because I believe I have the talent or patience to write a screenplay, but because Hollywood knows how to tell a good story.

As part of my self-development, I wanted to learn how to adapt some movie principles to help me in my speaking and speech coaching career. Plus, they were great fun to attend. The other attendees, including several celebrities, were interesting. As a result, I enjoy movies even more than before.

Here are three ideas from three experts:

Michael Hauge, who is now a great friend and collaborator, says, “The purpose of a story is to elicit emotion.”

Robert McKee says, “Stories are the creative conversion of life itself.” Michael explains, “A story needs to be true, not 100% accurate.”

David Freeman says, “The opening of the movie is the “flavor scene.” I have opened presentations of Great Presentations: Hollywood Style using the content of the video above.

Yes, Hollywood does know how to arouse our interest, take us on an emotional rollercoaster, make us laugh, cry, gasp, cheer, feel terrified, and stand in the rain for more.

Leaders, speakers, sales professionals, all ambitious professionals, in fact, can learn a few lessons from Hollywood to teach, train, inspire, motivate, convince, and persuade.

Michael Hauge is the author of Storytelling Made Easy and coaches business professionals on their stories.

Robert McKee is the author of Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting.

David Freeman is now an Executive VP, Disney TV

Would you like me to help you add Hollywood to your presentations?

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