You can use moving images to control the attention of your audience in a targeted way. There are different formats for this. With interesting GIFs, you create an additional entertainment element with which you can emphasize your key messages in a relaxed form. GIFs have several advantages over video formats and are easy to insert into your PowerPoint presentation.
Moving images usually interest our brain more than a photo or a graphic. Surely you’ve seen PowerPoint presentations where videos or animations were embedded on individual slides. A real eye-catcher when done right. Another very interesting format to bring moving images into the presentation are GIFs.
What is a GIF?
GIF is an abbreviation that stands for Graphics Interchange Format. It is a special graphics format with the .gif file extension. The GIF file format is especially suitable for animations. Since GIF files can represent a maximum of 256 colors, their file size is sometimes smaller than JPEG files. You can use it to play small clips of a few seconds. They can repeat after their end or run through once and stop at the last frame. However, the format is unsuitable for longer sequences.
What are the advantages of GIFs for PowerPoint presentations and how are they used?
Compared to video clips, GIFs usually have a much smaller file size and do not require as much storage space in your presentation. Inserting and playing them is quite easy. First of all, movements in a presentation are always eye-catching. Used correctly, you can really impress your audience with them. This includes animated logos or pictograms, for example. But for use as pure gimmick and showmanship, the format would really be wasted. You can use a GIF whenever you want to direct your audience’s attention in a certain direction.
How are GIFs used in PowerPoint presentations?
As already mentioned, by using GIFs in PowerPoint you can generate more attention among your viewers and direct this attention specifically. Which messages should be perceived and stored particularly intensively by your viewers? You can use a GIF at these points. For example, you can emphasize a trend in a diagram by designing the entire diagram as a moving GIF, thus making the trend more visible. It’s also possible to show an all-around view of objects, make a motion sequence visible, or vividly depict changes in colors and surfaces. You can also combine different images with a GIF to create a kind of slideshow.
CREATE AND INSERT GIFs in PowerPoint
The easiest and fastest way to create a GIF is to search for ready-made templates on Internet. The best sources for interesting GIFs are the two big GIF search engines Giphy and Tenor. However, the often funny little movies, such as from Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, will rarely fit the exact theme of your presentation. However, a funny livening up at the appropriate point in your presentation can be quite effective.
You can also create your own GIFs. You can create simple GIFs yourself with relative ease using newer versions of PowerPoint, such as PowerPoint 365.
First, click on “insert” in the tab. Then select “3D models.” From the context menu, then select the “from online sources” command. Now a series of 3D models will be loaded, categorized by topic. For example, you will find the topics “all animated models” “animated animals”, “animated for education” and many more. Now, for example, select the category “animated animals”. Maybe you want to start with a bee. Select the image of the bee and then click the “insert” button. The bee will now move on your slide. The bee model consists of different scenes. You can now select individual sequences in the menu bar under “Scenes” and define their sequence.
After that, click on the “File” field. Then click on “export” and “create animated GIF”. Now you can still specify the size of the GIF and the duration of the scenes via the resolution. Now click “create GIF” and your PowerPoint GIF is ready.
Conclusion:
With GIFs in PowerPoint, you can create more transparency and attention for your presentation. Simple GIFs can be made by yourself with newer versions of PowerPoint. If you want to work professionally with this file format, you should call in the expertise of a presentation agency. With professional support, you can create real eye-catchers for your next presentation in a short time.