We're frequently asked whether we can transfer Microsoft PowerPoint® presentations to DVD or video tape, and whether .jpg or .gif images that have been captured on the computer via scanner can be put onto video tape.

The answer to both questions is YES! In fact, almost anything that you can create on the computer can be transferred to video.

Will it look good? Again, the answer is yes.

Special Instructions:

In order for us at VideOccasions to do a good job for you, we need your help, especially if your PowerPoint® presentation is sent to us from outside the Seattle area.

You must include a cover letter, in which you detail precisely what you want done. Folks often say "Well, you're the professionals. You should know what to do." We are professionals, but we're video professionals, not mind readers! You must send complete, legible, clear instructions if any changes are to be made. No letter, no changes! The whole point of working from PowerPoint® is that you get to arrange the presentation at home or office exactly the way you want it to look, with type fonts, images and transitions of your choosing. We're not going to change that in any way without instructions from you. So, unless we hear from you to the contrary, we will transfer your PowerPoint® presentation exactly as it appears on the CD you send us. If you want changes made -- the images made bigger, for example -- you must tell us. We won't make any change to your PowerPoint® presentation without your written request.

• Music for your presentation can be added by us once we've transferred the PowerPoint® to video. However, you've got to be clear in what you want. "Kind of after the fiddle stops, part way in," isn't good enough. "[John Denver Seems Like Heaven CD; Cut Five]: At the end of the first vocal verse there is music played by a solo violin. Please begin the music for Section Three of the PowerPoint® presentation as soon as the violin completes its solo" is better.

• Allow plenty of time! Here are some factors to consider:
  • "Overnight" shipping, via any carrier, usually means two-day delivery. From remote parts of the U.S. it can mean more.

  • VideOccasions needs at least three working days to complete your PowerPoint® to video transfer, sometimes more. Yours won't be the only job in the shop, and If there's a backlog of jobs, your project may have to wait several days until we can get to it.

    If your PowerPoint® requires editing, adding music, etc., additional time is involved.

    Burning from the computer to a DVD takes time, as does copying DVDs, printing the discs, etc.

  • "Overnight" shipping, via any carrier, usually means two-day delivery. From remote parts of the U.S. it can mean more, so getting the finished job back to you won't be instantaneous.

  Plan ahead. Allow ten days to two weeks total time from your home to our shop and back to you.

The problems involved with PowerPoint® to video transfer:

• For reasons known only to its developers, Microsoft has never provided a means to convert PowerPoint® directly to video. We're wedding two dissimilar media.

  Video is very precise: 30 frames per second of playing. PowerPoint® is somewhat imprecise: a picture displayed for 5 seconds, with a one second transition, may take 180 frames to display, or maybe 175 frames, or 183 or whatever!

• So, if you've created a slide show in PowerPoint®, and you have selected music that you've timed out for the presentation, you may be in for a surprise when attempting to transfer your presentation to video: the music may not fit -- either too long or too short.

• Also, because of the comparatively low resolution of video, small type and fonts with serifs can cause problems when creating a DVD or video tape from a PowerPoint® presentation.

How to get the best DVD from your PowerPoint® presentation:

• Use a black slide, 10 seconds in duration, to begin and end your presentation.

• When you save your PowerPoint® file to CD, use the "Pack and Go" feature on the PowerPoint® "File" menu. This will usually assure that all the transitions and special features you've used in your presentation will work properly on our computers.

• Be prepared to spend some time working with us to give you exactly what you want. It is unusual for a complex PowerPoint® presentation to transfer to video without making adjustments. If the presentation is just a group of pictures the transfer should go quickly. If music that is critically timed is involved, however, and if complex transitions are required, then it will probably take a bit longer.

• Music: If you plan on having VideOccasions add music to your presentation, and timing is crucial, don't put special transitions between each slide. Let us add the transitions on the video side of things, so we can line up the music with your slide show just the way you want it. It's a lot quicker and less expensive if it's done that way.

• Because of the comparatively low resolution of video, small type and fonts with serifs can cause problems when creating a DVD or video tape from a PowerPoint® presentation. It's best to use sans serif fonts and to keep the size as large as practical.

• All of that said, don't modify a PowerPoint® presentation you've created and used in a business meeting, conference, etc., before coming to VideOccasions, however. Bring in your work on a CD and see what it looks like when transferred to video. Then, if necessary, we can adjust it with you to produce the kind of high quality visual you expect.

Putting your image files-- .jpg or .png files -- to DVD or tape:

• If you have a large number of files that you would like to have transferred to DVD, the most economical way to do this is for you to arrange them in sequence as a PowerPoint® presentation. Size them and crop as desired. We can then download these to our computer, add transitions and music for you, and burn the finished work to a DVD.

• VERY IMPORTANT: When you scan photographs to your computer for inclusion on a DVD, be sure to name the first file 0001.jpg, the second 0002.jpg, etc. This will allow us to transfer files from your CD to our editing equipment in the correct order. If you name them 1.jpg, 2.jpg, etc., they will not transfer in the correct order.

Cost Our base charge for transferring PowerPoint® to DVD or tape is $25. However, should your presentation require special attention -- e.g., changing font sizes, adding transitions and music -- the charge is at the rate of $80 per hour, billed in 15 minute increments (i.e., $20.00/15 minutes of editing) after the first half hour.

Please call VideOccasions at 425-641-4811or email us to discuss your specific PowerPoint® to DVD needs.

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Last updated 10/05/07