presentation karaoke examples

Blog > A Guide to PowerPoint-Karaoke

A Guide to PowerPoint-Karaoke

08.15.19   •  #fun #ppt #game.

When hearing the Word Karaoke, most people immediately think of being on stage and singing to a background track. With PowerPoint, we associate work, school, meetings and workshops – rather professional matters. But mix the two things together and you get one of the funniest, most entertaining games ever – PowerPoint Karaoke.

What is PowerPoint Karaoke?

…may be the first question you ask. Well, PowerPoint-Karaoke (also known as Battle Decks) is a game with very simple rules: The presenter gets on stage and must convincingly present a deck of PowerPoint slides he has never seen before. The main purpose is to have as much fun as possible. We listed further instructions in the paragraph below.

Watch this very funny example of Kate McKinnon doing PowerPoint Karaoke:

• The presenter must not see the slides before presenting them. All slides have to be presented in order and it is not allowed to skip slides.
• When all the slides have been presented, the presentation is over. Alternatively, you can set a time limit.
• The rules for the slides are not defined very strictly. They can either be about a “regular” topic (e.g. on a country, an animal, a hobby), a complex topic (e.g. difficult concepts of science), or about nothing at all really (just a bunch of nonsense-slides open for creative interpretation).

Once all the presenters are done with their presentation, it is time to crown a champion. You can decide the winner based on the following points:

• Content and Credibility
• Posture and Gesture
• Entertainment/Fun
• (Optional) Withdraw points for not finishing in time

An easy way to evaluate the best presentation is to let the audience vote in a live poll via SlideLizard. Download it here: slidelizard.com/download

How can I play it?

Even if there is no pub or bar near you that offers public PowerPoint-Karaoke events, you can always get your friends and family and have a fun evening playing. You can either make presentations for each other, try out the ones we made down below or look for more on the internet. You can show the slides on a TV or a bigger computer screen. The at-home-or-with-friends-version is definitely a great option, because you do not have to get on a stage and you’re with people you know all the time – which makes it a lot less embarrassing and may get shy people to participate.

Making it even more entertaining

The game gets even better by making it interactive and integrating the audience. Polls are perfect for doing so! SlideLizard offers a great tool for creating them. Here's an example:

What does every Start-up need?

• A coala bear
• 2437 litres of rum
• A submarine

Now it's time to let the audience vote. In the end, the presenter has to explain the right answer.

Free PowerPoint-Karaoke slides

In order to get you started right away, we have prepared three creative presentations for your next game of PowerPoint karaoke! Each slide deck contains two additional suggestions for live polls which you can add with SlideLizard to make the game even more fun!

Topic 1: Dolphins (12 slides) Download

Topic 2: Startup (12 slides) Download

Topic 3: Diet (11 slides) Download

Related articles

About the author.

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

Get 1 Month for free!

Do you want to make your presentations more interactive.

With SlideLizard you can engage your audience with live polls, questions and feedback . Directly within your PowerPoint Presentation. Learn more

Top blog articles More posts

Best PowerPoint Alternatives in 2022

Christmas party & Corona: ideas for your company party in 2022

Get started with Live Polls, Q&A and slides

for your PowerPoint Presentations

The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

Vertical communication.

Vertical communication means that information is passed from one person to the next according to a linear system based on their titles. This type of communication is used when a company follows a hierarchical structure or for important, sensitive information.

Blended Learning

Blended Learning is a teaching / learning method that includes both in-person and online instruction. The technique has gained a lot of popularity, as it combines the benefits of teaching live and online, which makes it very successful, according to several studies.

Notes Page view

The Notes Page view in PowerPoint shows a smaller version of the slide with a small area for notes underneath. In the presentation every slide has it's own space for notes. During the presentation the notes do not appear on screen. They are just visible in the presentation mode.

Impromptu Speech

A speech that is given without any preparation, notes, or cards, is called an impromptu speech. It is often delivered at private events (e.g., weddings or birthdays) or for training presentation skills.

Be the first to know!

The latest SlideLizard news, articles, and resources, sent straight to your inbox.

- or follow us on -

We use cookies to personalize content and analyze traffic to our website. You can choose to accept only cookies that are necessary for the website to function or to also allow tracking cookies. For more information, please see our privacy policy .

Cookie Settings

Necessary cookies are required for the proper functioning of the website. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information about the number of visitors, etc.

July 28, 2024

PowerPoint Karaoke: Rules, tips, and free slide decks

Overview of PowerPoint Karaoke, rules, and free slide decks for PowerPoint Karaoke

Co-founder, CEO

Love PowerPoint presentations and improv comedy? PowerPoint Karaoke might be the perfect team activity or icebreaker for you!

This article goes in-depth to teach you about PowerPoint Karaoke and how to play. We also have free PowerPoint Karaoke presentations you can try by yourself or with friends.

What is PowerPoint Karaoke?

PowerPoint Karaoke is an improvisational game where players take turns making a presentation based on slides they have never seen before. It is named after the presentation software, PowerPoint, and karaoke, where players sing along to pre-recorded backing tracks.

In PowerPoint Karaoke, players need to quickly adapt to a series of slides with nonsensical information or images in order to make the “best” presentation. 

“Best” is obviously a subjective measure, so this can lead to funny and unpredictable presentations, and it is a great activity for team-building, theatresports, conferences, and other types of social gatherings.

What are the rules of PowerPoint Karaoke?

There are many different ways to play PowerPoint Karaoke, but they typically involve…

• Two or more teams or players who need to make presentations on different topics
• Two or more presentations (one per team) that the presenters have not seen before
• Audience engagement to judge the performance of each team

Here are some variations of how you can play.

Rules for Classic PowerPoint Karaoke

The classic PowerPoint Karaoke setup involves multiple teams each selecting a presenter, slide decks that auto-advance, and a judging system to determine the winning presenters or team.

• Players break into two (or more) teams
• Each team nominates a presenter and chooses a presentation for the other team to present. The presentations should be about 10 slides long
• Once the presentations are selected, the presentations begin
• Each presenter starts, and every 20 seconds, their slideshow automatically advances
• Once the presentations are over, the audience chooses the best presentation

Alternative Rules for PowerPoint Karaoke

• Taboo PowerPoint Karaoke - This variation of PowerPoint Karaoke adopts the rules from the popular board game Taboo, and it adds a challenge where presenters are not allowed to use any of the words from a list of “Taboo” words.
• PowerPoint Against Humanity - This variation of PowerPoint Karaoke is interactive and involves each player inserting slides into the presenters’ presentation to come up with a final presentation.
• PowerPecha - This variation involves presenting an actual presentation on a certain topic in “ Pecha Kucha ” style. Preferably it involves matching up someone with an in-depth presentation that is completely unrelated to their area of expertise.

Free slide decks for PowerPoint Karaoke

The best presentations for PowerPoint Karaoke typically have the following attributes:

• They start with a strong title slide to set the presenter down a certain path. Some of the best starting points are strong points of view on persuasive topics or incredibly detailed scientific findings
• The slides are filled with unrelated images, graphs, and diagrams that will make the audience laugh. (Team photos, memes, inspirational posters, and inside jokes are all great slides for PowerPoint Karaoke)
• Let the person know when they are on the last slide, so they can close their presentation
• They are similarly predictable and unpredictable between players

Here are 4 free slide decks for your next game of PowerPoint Karaoke.

• How Gen-Z should invest their money (by Taylor Swift)
• what i do at work
• Best Ways to Extend Your Life
• String theory for kindergarteners

Tips for PowerPoint Karaoke

• Use your body - Gestures, movement, and acting things out is a great way to get laughs and get into your presentation
• Just start talking - Say something, even if it’s gibberish. Don’t worry about the words you’re saying. Have fun, and just go with the vibes!
• Decide on your style - Pick a style for your presentation and try to keep it up through your PowerPoint Karaoke slot
• Relate to yourself and the audience - Find ways to bring the story, slides, and pictures back to yourself and your audience

Using AI for PowerPoint Karaoke

Need a bunch of slides for a PowerPoint Karaoke event? Unfortunately, our AI can’t present for you, but you can use Plus AI to quickly generate slides with different styles and content. 

It’s especially great for variants of PowerPoint Karaoke where you need everyone to quickly come up with a new slide or you need a quick overview tech on a new topic.

PowerPoint Karaoke is a great team activity, and as long as everyone embraces the embarrassment, it’s a fun way to bond over presentations and slide shows.

By the way, if you’re someone who likes making and presenting slides for fun, you should definitely check out Plus AI , an AI presentation maker for professional presentation makers.

Latest posts

Latest post.

Announcing Plus AI for PowerPoint

The Plus AI PowerPoint add-in brings Plus AI to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and offers new ways for teams and individuals to create PowerPoint presentations using AI

How to use ChatGPT to create a PowerPoint

Looking for ChatGPT for PowerPoint? Here's a step-by-step guide to using AI in PowerPoint and Google Slides

AI glossary: 130+ AI terms that you should know

Here are 130+ understandable definitions of the most important AI terms

More resources

The best screenshot tools in 2024

Comprehensive guide to choosing the best screenshot tool.

ClickUp vs. Notion: Which is the better productivity tool in 2024?

ClickUp and Notion often butt heads in the project management space. Which one should you choose? Here’s an honest comparison to help you decide.

How to print Google Slides with notes

Step-by-step guide on how to print Google Slides presentations with speaker notes

PowerPoint Karaoke: Rules, Tips, and Free Slide Decks

Master PowerPoint Karaoke with our comprehensive guide on rules, tips, and sources for free slide decks. Engage and entertain any audience!

What is PowerPoint Karaoke?

Key characteristics.

• Spontaneity : The presenter sees the slides for the first time during their presentation.
• Creativity : Participants must quickly devise a coherent and engaging talk based on random slides.
• Humor : The unexpected nature of the slides often leads to humorous and entertaining presentations.

Rules of PowerPoint Karaoke

Standard rules.

• Random Slides : Each participant is given a random set of slides.
• Time Limit : Presentations are usually limited to 3-5 minutes.
• No Previews : Participants cannot see the slides beforehand.
• Audience Engagement : Audience reaction can be part of the scoring criteria.

Optional Variations

• Themes : Set a specific theme for the evening, and slides must somehow connect to this theme.
• Team Play : Compete in teams for a collaborative presentation effort.
• Q&A Session : Include a short Q&A session after each presentation to increase engagement.

Tips for Mastering PowerPoint Karaoke

Quick thinking.

• Stay Calm : Take a deep breath and embrace the unknown.
• Adapt Quickly : Use cues from the slides to guide your narrative.

Presentation Skills

• Confidence : Speak clearly and maintain a confident posture.
• Humor : Use humor to engage the audience and handle unexpected slide content.

Audience Interaction

• Engage the Audience : Ask rhetorical questions or involve the audience in your presentation.
• Feedback : Use the audience's reactions to guide your delivery.

Free PowerPoint Karaoke Slide Decks

Online resources.

• MagicSlides.app : An innovative platform that offers a variety of PowerPoint Karaoke slides. MagicSlides.app not only provides ready-made slide decks but also features a custom slide generator tailored for karaoke-style presentations. This can be a game-changer for those looking to add a personalized touch to their PowerPoint Karaoke nights.
• Official PowerPoint Karaoke Websites : Some sites offer specially designed slides for karaoke presentations.
• Reddit and Community Forums : Search for shared decks in communities like Reddit.

Create Your Own Slides

• Random Slide Generators : Use online tools that generate random slides for karaoke sessions.
• DIY Funny Slides : Create your own slides using in-jokes, bizarre facts, or surreal images.

Templates and Ideas

• Template Websites : Look for PowerPoint templates that can be adapted for karaoke.
• Creative Themes : Consider making slides based on movie plots, historical events, or scientific facts for added fun.

Create PPT using AI

Just Enter Topic, Youtube URL, PDF, or Text to get a beautiful PPT in seconds. Use the bulb for AI suggestions.

character count: 0 / 6000 (we can fetch data from google)

upload pdf, docx, .png

less than 2 min

Mehjabi Khan

What Are Two Reasons a Firm Would Use a SWOT Analysis?

10 August 2024

SWOT Analysis: Definition, Examples & How To?

50+ Unique Topics for Presentation in College

7 August 2024

Can We Make Presentations on a Phone?

6 August 2024

How to introduce yourself in a presentation as a student

5 August 2024

Celebrating Sisterhood: Perfect Happy Sisters Day Quotes & Wishes with a Presentation Twist

Crafting a Presentation on Jeffrey Vandersay and Sri Lanka vs. India Cricket

The Physical Geographical Features of the Philippines: Crafting PPT Presentation

How to write abstract for a poster presentation

Stunning presentations in seconds with AI

Install MagicSlides app now and start creating beautiful presentations. It's free!

Get AI-Generated Presentations Ready in Seconds

Free AI PPT Tools

PowerPoint Karaoke: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the Art of Impromptu Presentations

Published by mychangemanagement on 04/22/2024 04/22/2024.

In today’s fast-paced world, the ability to think on your feet and communicate effectively is more valuable than ever. PowerPoint Karaoke, an engaging and entertaining activity, embodies this by challenging participants to deliver spontaneous presentations based on random, often humorous, slides they have never seen before. This guide explores why PowerPoint Karaoke is an excellent tool for enhancing public speaking, improvisation skills, and team-building, detailing preparation steps for both online and in-person formats.

Table of Contents

Why PowerPoint Karaoke is a Great Activity

PowerPoint Karaoke, also known as Battledecks, is not just about laughter and light-hearted fun. It serves as an innovative way to foster creativity, improve public speaking skills, enhance quick thinking, and promote team cohesion. Participants are put in a situation where they must weave a coherent and convincing presentation from unrelated slides, teaching them to handle unexpected situations with grace and humor. This makes PowerPoint Karaoke an excellent exercise for professionals seeking to sharpen their presentation skills, as well as a unique team-building activity that encourages openness and collaboration.

What to Prepare

For organizers:.

• Slide Decks : Create or collect a series of unrelated, random, and amusing slides. Each deck should contain around 5-10 slides.
• Technology : Ensure a stable setup. For in-person sessions, this includes a projector, microphone, and laptop. For online sessions, a reliable video conferencing platform (like MS Teams or Zoom) is required.
• Environment : Foster a supportive atmosphere that encourages participants to step out of their comfort zones without fear of judgment.

For Participants:

• Mindset : Come prepared to embrace uncertainty and have fun.
• Basic Rules Understanding : Know the time limit for each presentation (typically 5-10 minutes) and the importance of improvising through the entire slide deck.

Differentiating Between Online and In-Person Presentations

Online (via ms teams or zoom):.

• Technical Setup : Participants need a good internet connection and familiarity with the chosen platform’s functionalities, like screen sharing.
• Engagement Strategies : Utilize platform features like chat or reactions to keep the audience engaged.
• Practice Runs : Consider doing a technical rehearsal to ensure smooth transitions between presenters.

In-Person (Audience and Presenter in the Same Room):

• Physical Setup : Ensure the visibility of slides for both the presenter and the audience. Test audio equipment to avoid last-minute glitches.
• Audience Interaction : Take advantage of the physical presence to encourage more dynamic interactions, such as live feedback or applause.

PowerPoint Karaoke is more than just a game; it’s a transformative experience that sharpens a wide range of professional skills in a fun and supportive environment. Whether conducted online or in-person, it offers a unique opportunity to improve improvisation skills, public speaking, and team cohesion. As we navigate an ever-changing professional landscape, embracing such innovative and enjoyable learning methods can be a key to personal and professional growth .

Further Reading and Resources:

• “ Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations ” by Nancy Duarte – Provides insights into creating impactful presentations, a skill that can be humorously tested through PowerPoint Karaoke.
• “ Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds ” by Carmine Gallo – Although focused on TED talks, this book offers valuable tips for engaging public speaking that are relevant for impromptu presentations.
• “ Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up ” by Patricia Ryan Madson – A guide to the principles of improvisation that underpin the PowerPoint Karaoke experience.
• “ Confessions of a Public Speaker ” by Scott Berkun – Offers humorous and insightful stories from the trenches of public speaking, relevant for anyone looking to improve their presentation skills through activities like PowerPoint Karaoke.

By embracing the unpredictability and fun of PowerPoint Karaoke, individuals and teams can significantly enhance their communication abilities, adaptability, and camaraderie in both professional and personal contexts.

Related Posts

Experiencing change and resistance: a hands-on activity.

In the realm of change management, understanding and managing resistance is as crucial as the change itself. While theories can guide us, experiencing these dynamics firsthand can offer deeper insights. This blog post introduces a Read more…

Boosting Workplace Unity: Effective Team Building Exercises

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business world, workplace unity and productivity are essential for the success of any organization. A united team can achieve higher levels of productivity, better problem-solving skills, and a positive work Read more…

Unveiling the Team: Two Truths and a Lie as a Change Management Tool

Change management often hinges on the team’s ability to navigate through uncertainty and adapt to new realities together. A cohesive team that understands and trusts each other is better equipped to handle the challenges of Read more…

Powerpoint Karaoke

Powerpoint Karaoke is an improv game where volunteers take turns presenting slide decks that they've never seen before, in front of a live audience.

Save time and effort designing your workshops

Build communication skills and team bonding.

Instructions

Find some volunteers willing to present. Then get several slide decks, each with 8-10 random slides (you can build your own slide decks  or find examples online). Have each volunteer give a presentation, having never seen the slides before. When all have presented, a winner can be chosen by panel or popular vote.

Tips for running this activity online

• A simple activity to run online - so long as you have everyone on webcam and present in your video conferencing tool, this one is run in very much the same way as a live workshop!
• Pre-create one or more slide decks and present them to your group via screen share. It’s good to keep control of the slides yourself so you can move things along when needs be.

Comments ( 2 )   ( 5.0 avg / 1 ratings )

Lauren frost, stephan melchior.

This is a brilliant activity for presentation or speaking skills trainings. I suggest to keep the amount of text on the slide low, so participants don't have to spend time understanding the slide. Also works really well with images only for story-telling.

Some features unfortunately do not work as intended on Internet Explorer. Please, use another browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) for best performance. Thank you!

PowerPoint Karaoke: Have Fun and Improve Your Presentation Skills

October 3, 2014 / Blog, PowerPoint ideas, PowerPoint Tips, Presentation Powerpoint, powerpoint karaoke, presentation delivery, presentation skills

I’m sure you’ve tried karaoke to wind down with colleagues after a long day of work. But have you ever thought to give PowerPoint Karaoke a try?

In PowerPoint Karaoke, participants are challenged to take the stage and deliver a presentation based on slides they’ve never seen before. The rules are pretty simple. Instead of singing power ballads, participants will need to make sense of random slides, and connect it to an assigned theme. They will also be restricted by a time limit. The results are usually pretty crazy and absurd. To give you a clue, here are some slides from a PowerPoint Karaoke event held in Seattle last 2012:

As you can probably imagine, PowerPoint Karaoke can lead to some pretty hilarious situations. The best speakers are those who are willing to step out of their comfort zone, ready to have fun while practicing their improvisation skills. It’s the perfect game for anyone looking to deliver better and more engaging presentations.

Getting started:

If you’re ready to throw your own PowerPoint Karaoke party, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Build your PowerPoint decks beforehand. Be creative and go for slides that will challenge the participants. If you want, you can find presentations online and edit them for your use. Five to seven slides per deck will do.
• At the event, let the participants draw for their speaking order and assigned theme. This will give everyone an even playing field, and prevent people settling for topics they’re familiar with.
• You can decide whether you want speakers to control their own deck, or have the slides auto advance.
• Set a time limit that’s no more than 5 minutes.
• Decide on a winner by letting the audience vote. You can prepare forms, or just ask them to choose their favorites by show of hands.

PowerPoint Karaoke is a great activity to try with your colleagues. Gather a small group in a room and start having fun. Urge everyone to test their improvisation abilities and improve their presentation skills.

Featured Image: Simon Law via Flickr

Popular Posts

Common Challenges in Tailoring Presentations—and Solutions

Dos and Don’ts of Pre-Seed Pitch Deck Creation

How to Write a Teaser Pitch Deck that Captivates

Tips for a Persuasive How It Works Slide

What Not to Do When Presenting Funding History

Why Raising Funds Without a Pitch Deck Can Backfire

Make your own Powerpoint Karaoke slides

Want to build your own Powerpoint Karaoke slide decks? Here are some tips:

• Build the slides loosely around a topic . If all the slides are completely random, the presenter will have a difficult time turning them into a cohesive presentation. A title on the first slide can help with this.
• Tailor the slides to your audience . Look for what your audience members have in common, and include references to those kinds of things. Are there shared cultural references or inside jokes that you can include? Photos of local landmarks or well-known people in your group?
• Avoid complex slides, with dense graphics or lots of words . It’s difficult for the presenter to improvise smoothly if they can’t tell what the slide is about.
• Include a healthy dose of randomness . Watching how presenters react to unexpected slides is what makes the game fun. If all the slides are strictly on topic, it leaves little room for improvisation.
• Consider crowd-sourcing your slides . Before your event, you can invite your audience to submit topics or images for your slide decks. This can help tailor the slides to the audience and it’s fun for people to see their submissions presented.
• Avoid obscure references . If a presenter doesn’t recognize a person or reference on your slides, they may feel embarrassed. Similarly, the audience won’t see humor in references they don’t recognize.
• Keep your font sizes large . We want to be sure that the text on your slides can be easily read by everyone in the room. As a rule of thumb, try not to go smaller than 24pt.
• Keep your presentations short . Long presentations can get boring, so keep them short! It’s good to aim for about 10 slides per deck.
• Avoid Powerpoint animations & actions . The presenter will expect that each click will bring them to a new slide. To do otherwise would be disorienting.
• Make it clear when the presenter is on the last slide . They’ll lose their rhythm if they think there are more (or less) slides then there actually are. Adding slide numbers can help with this.
• Keep the slides appropriate . Funny slides are good, but don’t cross the line. Always consider whether your slides could offend or alienate someone. When in doubt, leave it out.
• Consider combining your decks . Consider combining your decks into one big slideshow (with spacer slides in-between each deck). This can make the game smoother since you won’t need to switch presentations after every round.

Making your own slides can be a lot of work. Our slides follow the principles above, and you can customize them to make the perfect deck.

Powerpoint Karaoke

How to play.

• Total of 10 slides
• Spend 15-30 seconds per slide
• Advance slides yourself
• credibility
• getting through the deck

Random number generator

Source of slides.

Scott Berkun

What i learned from powerpoint karaoke.

Everyone has fears about regular public speaking , but what if you have to present someone else’s slides? And see them for the first time as the audience does? And only have 5 minutes? And the slides auto-advance?

I believe in the theory of trying something insanely hard to make normal work feel easier. As a public speaking expert , I had to try this at least to see what I could learn for you readers.

So what is Powerpoint Karaoke ? Despite the name, there is no singing. Instead, a bunch of people are asked to present in front of a live audience but with (Powerpoint) slides they have never seen before.

In 2012 I participated in a Powerpoint-Karaoke  (also know as BattleDecks ) at the Makers co-working Space in Seattle (part of Seattle Creative Mornings ). It’s as crazy as it sounds. I participated precisely because it’s crazy. Other space monkeys willing to try were Adam Tratt , Hillel Cooperman , Jon Culver (the winner) and   Michelle Mazur .

The rules were simple:

• We get five minutes to speak
• The slide decks are made by the organizers
• The slides auto advance every 15 seconds
• There are no other rules
• Audience votes on the winner

Here’s what I learned in preparing:

• There was no effective way to prepare . Surprise! Good advice for presentations hinges on having good material and practicing it. Neither is possible in this format. This was both terrifying and liberating.
• I tried to prepare anyway . I found videos of others doing PowerPoint Karaoke . They were strange to watch since the presentations are unavoidably bad in any formal sense, but the live audiences have unusual responses. They expect it to be bad and have an unusual set of expectations for what they’re going to experience. Some of the best-received presenters disregarded the slides, which was effective but felt like cheating. Although there were no official rules, I decided if I did this I should buy into the spirit of it, at least the first time
• It’s a crash course in improvisation. A decade ago I took a course in improvisational theater . I reviewed the lessons, including a refresher on “ Yes, and… ” which is shorthand for the mindset of faithfully committing to whatever happens.Powerpoint Karaoke is at its heart an exercise in improvisational theater.

Here’s what I learned after I presented:

• You play for comedy.  There is no way to take the slides seriously since by design they are ridiculous. I didn’t realize the full extent of this, as obvious as it seems now, until later. At best you are making the audience laugh, at worst they watch in silence as you struggle on stage. It’s purely stunt presenting . No one is there to learn or be inspired, at least not directly.
• The audience wants spectacle . Mid-way through Hillel’s talk he abandoned his slides, and the format. In what was one of the most interesting experiences I’ve seen at an event like this he politely, but firmly, confronted the audience about why they were there. As awkward as it was he was entirely accurate – it is a weird kind of theater that wants to see speakers work against, and likely fail because of, the unfair challenges. There’s  an element of wanting to watch cars crash in this event. It’s all in good fun, but also schadenfreudian.
• The energy is weird.  Good speakers (and comedians) build a rhythm with the audience through their material. The pacing of jokes, how certain facts are revealed, all build to something. But here since the speakers don’t know the slides the energy is weird – sometimes very funny things happen, but often there are complete misfires. Sometimes the audience laughs but the speakers don’t know why. Sometimes the speakers think the audience should be laughing, but doesn’t know why they aren’t.
• Michelle Mazur  is brave .  There were only 4 speakers on the agenda, with an extra battle deck for a volunteer from the audience. Michelle volunteered after seeing the four of us perform. I thought for sure no one would be brave enough, but she proved me wrong.
• There is no way to be good at this . This is liberating. It was very hard for me to say who of the five speakers did the best job. They were all weird, funny, awkward, and interesting in different ways. It really is more like experimental theater than anything like a public speech.
• Make sure you trust the hosts .  Luz Bratcher  made the slides for this event and did a great job. If the person making the slides wants to screw all the speakers it’s easy to do, as if the slides are thoughtless speakers won’t have much to work with. You want the hosts to make it a challenge, but to give you well crafted slides that are funny all on their own and give the speakers plenty to work with (You can see the slides Luz made below).
• I would have preferred to use an actual deck from a random event . By this I mean, give me a slide deck from a brain surgery conference, or a law accounting event. Then even though I have to make things up, there is a sane structure in there somewhere, and the audience can enjoy the attempt to follow an actual expert’s intention. By having a designer make original slides, it’s far too random and (I think) less interesting in several ways.

 What I’d change about the format:

• Let speakers control the slides . If you kept the 5 minute limit, but let the speakers control when a slide advanced, they’d have slightly more power over delivery. That adjustment would dramatically improve their ability to make the slides work. It would still be very hard, but the auto-advance works against everyone’s interests in this case.
• Do it at night, after drinks . We did ours as part of Creative Mornings , which means IT’S THE MORNING. People are going to work right after. It’s not the right time for crazy and absurd. Crazy works better after work, or at night, or following a happy hour where everyone is midway through letting off steam after a long day. Mornings mean people are going to work afterwards, they’re charging up, not winding down.
• Use real presentation slides .  I’ve always wanted to get the slide deck from a medical conference, or a corporate retreat for a company  I’ve never heard of, and make up a presentation in real time for that. Real slide decks have a continuity built in to them that fabricated battledecks never do.

Here are the slides  Luz made for each speaker:

20 Responses to “What I learned from Powerpoint Karaoke”

Where are the slides?

They should show in the post – if they don’t go here:

http://www.slideshare.net/luzbratcher1/seattle-creative-mornings-battledecks-15176680

Maybe I’m crazy, but my first reaction was “wow, that sounds cool, I’d love to do it!” I think with my own material I’m more nervous, but with something you have no control over, it seems liberating. If you hear of anyone in NYC trying it, let me know!

Most of the ones I’ve heard of were part of other events: SXSW, Webstock, etc.

I have tried to convince my science colleagues that an earnest variant on this would be really fun to try for one symposium session at a conference. The idea would be that the four speakers in the two-hour session would trade their slide decks–real 30 minute scientific presentations that they would have given themselves in a regular symposium session–and have one of the others present it. This could only work with people doing closely related enough work that they would be familiar with what each other is doing. But it seems like it could be really fun, especially as an after-dinner after-plenty-of-cocktails event.

I ran a series (about 10) of Battledeck sessions at Vanguard for anyone who wanted to improve their confidence in front of a (very forgiving) audience, it was great (scary) fun.

Did you consider doing Ignite or Pecha Kucha instead?

Battledecks was interesting, but since people didn’t make their own material they don’t get to practice the critical experience of developing material and presenting it.

Yeah, that’s a definate disadvantage of Battledecks. As you say in your post it ends up being more about comedy and entertainment. If I was doing it again I might try an Ignite or Pecha Kucha format – although that obviously demands more of a time committment from participants.

I think it plays to the best aspects of improv, which I’ve taken a few classes on, too. In improv world, I’d nervously brainstorm jokes before going out on stage. Then I’d always get tripped up if I came on with a funny punch line I had to work in; the whole thing would flop.

Battledecks removes that completely, as there’s zero preparation, so nothing to psych yourself out over. And if your joke does bomb, you get a chance to start fresh with a brand new one in 5 seconds.

+1 on the evening/drinks; that would get fun and silly in a real hurry.

I enjoyed the spit out of it at any rate. Too bad there’s no video footage to show the world!

Brave, eh? Scott you flatter me. Reading this post made me recall how absolutely insane I must of been to volunteer to do this.

I’m a fairly good impromptu speaker, but this had to be the most challenging presentation I’ve ever attempted as a speaker. I agree that actual PowerPoint decks (and copious amounts of booze) would have made this experience better. There would have least been a narrative you could piece together.

I also think your performance completely depends on how you related to your theme of your deck. I could have rocked the sci-fi or cat deck. Mine was a bunch of really bad stock photos about interconnectivity – I had no clue what to say. It was awkward, fun, and it did make me want to try the Ignite format. I don’t think I’d be “brave” enough to volunteer again!

I was cranky about my deck at first, but in talking to Luz it changed my mind. Its really hard to make those decks. You have to guess what references and jokes someone will know and I don’t know how you do that. She worked really hard – and I’m not sure I could have done better.

The only way to know if my theory of using existing decks from other fields would work better would be to do Seattle Creative Mornings BattleDecks v2 :)

Those decks had to be awful to make. I did notice that there was a pattern so as the last speaker, I knew what was ahead. It helped me 5% when I was actually up there. You did not have that advantage going first!

I’d totally come out to BattleDecks 2.0! You’re going to speak, right? ;-)

A friend/former improv student of mine directed me to this blog post. I teach classes and do corporate trainings through Washington Improv Theater (www.washingtonimprovtheater.com). I found your experience really interesting, and was particularly intrigued by your statements that one should play for comedy, the audience wants a spectacle, and there’s no way to be good at this. I’ve done PowerPoint Karaoke before, and found that the following strategies worked:

*Know what you’re about. You can’t control what’s on the slides, but if you have a message you have a filter through which to see the world. It’s about being willing to explore unlikely or less obvious connections.

* The audience thinks they want comedy, but they want authenticity. I find that a one-line joke might make people laugh, but making it real for people helps them connect to your message and stay engaged. Anyway, in improv we say FTA – forget the audience. It’s really not about trying to get that guy in the second row to like you, it’s about communicating with passion and clarity. Playing for others can cause you to lose your integrity, and that’s no bueno.

*The spectacle is in your willingness to be fully committed to your message, and what you are willing to do to communicate it.

Just wanted to provide a different perspective on the activity. Thanks for writing about your experience :)

Just rethought my second point and I wanted to add that sometimes it’s less that the audience wants comedy, and more that we think that’s what we have to deliver.

I agree with your points. The challenge in this case was the slides. It was hard not to play to comedy, since it was hard not to play to the slides since they were always doing something and are larger than the speakers are (physically), and given the slides leaned heavily that way (did you look at them? they’re at the end of the post).

I had similar slides — tarantula-eyed transvestite on a toilet, for example. Just wanted to share a different perspective and let you know I found your points interesting.

When I’ve been in improv classes, comedy is often an easy default, because it’s far more difficult to be authentic – and act serious or sad, or [enter other emotion here]. It’s much more intimate to be authentic and serious in front of people. You need some good trust with your audience.

Imagine using a slide like a tarantuala-eyed transvestite on a toilet to give a presentation on ending school bullying, but that’s a tough topic. When people are nervous, they laugh. We’ll be more likely when surprised by that to make something silly out of it.

I’ve given two pecha kucha style presentations – the type that auto advance every 20 seconds. It’s definitely a different game. You have to craft your story is a much more specific way.

Also, in improv class, they tell us specifically NOT to come to class drunk. Come with your a-game on, so that you can operate from your highest self and live in the moment. It takes some getting used to. It’s not about lowering inhibitions as much as it is summoning up the courage.

After I’ve taken a number of these classes (not power point karoake specifically, but improv), I feel like I can handle just about anything anyone throws at me and work with it.

Tomorrow will tell, when I give my next pecha kucha and hopefully either a) don’t blow the timing, or b) recover quickly when I do!

I think the game is picking up steam. My old company would do powerpoint karaoke at our annual meetings, and we had a pretty good time. The slides were hit-or-miss (as in not following suggestions like those at http://www.powerpointkaraoke.com/make-slides ), but a confident person could usually make it work.

[…] at the same time as mine – but that does not matter. I decided to look this up and found a good description (with tips) and this SXSW 2008 recording (they call it “BattleDecks” but it’s the same […]

[…] Microsoft employee and author Scott Berkun published a nice post called “What I learned from PowerPoint Karaoke”. His advice: there is no way to be good at this Scott also posted a checklist about how to […]

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

• Latest Phones

Home › Tech Guides › How to Create a Karaoke Using Powerpoint (with Sample)

How to Create a Karaoke Using Powerpoint (with Sample)

Powerpoint karaoke – your final project.

The most probable reason why you’re here is that your professor required you to create a Karaoke using PowerPoint. This is the usual final project when you are learning PowerPoint. I’m not sure if it’s the correct project but you need it so here’s how to do it!

I have to warn you though that creating karaoke using PowerPoint is a tedious process. You need the patience to succeed in creating a Karaoke PowerPoint that will boost your grade.

Steps in Creating a Karaoke Using PowerPoint

1. Choose and download a song from websites that offer instrumental versions. If your professor allows your music to have vocals, you can download an mp3 from other websites.

3. Click on Insert > Audio > Audio from File .

This will open a window where you choose your audio file or the music that you want. In order to ensure that your music will be played even when you transfer your karaoke powerpoint to another computer, put your mp3 and powerpoint file together in a single folder.

Add a picture in the background to suit your song. You can also use pictures of beautiful beaches and other places.

Don’t forget to change the Start Option of the effect into After Previous . Do this for all the words in the slide.

9. If the lyrics are out of sync with the music. Click on Animations > Animation Pane and adjust the position of the orange rectangles after each effect. Keep testing until you get the correct positions of the effects. Change the Advance Slide option of each slide into After and leave it as 00:00:00.

The video was created by saving the Powerpoint file directly into WMV. It contains some errors like the color of the lyrics.

Tip: Choose songs that are not too long like Twinkle Twinkle.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments section below.

Daniel Gubalane - I am a tech enthusiast who likes to review gadgets and organize smartphone specs sheets to create a helpful website for smartphone buyers. • Facebook • Instagram

Add a comment:

Related posts:.

Latest Smartphones

PINOY TECHNO GUIDE Videos

Explore by brand, latest reviews.

Recent Posts

• OPPO Launches Reno12 F 5G making AI Features More Accessible
• Photographer Uses HONOR 200 Series for Wedding Prenup Shoot: Is it at par with professional cameras?
• HONOR 200 Pro Sold Out Due to Extreme Demand, to Restock Soon!
• Lenovo’s Back-to-School Promo: Unmatched Devices with Premium Freebies
• HONOR 200 Pro: Sample Portraits from The Portrait Master
• HONOR 200 Series Officially Launched in PH; Now Available for Pre-orders!
• Top 5 Features of the vivo Y28 with Dynamic Light and 6000mAh Battery

About Pinoy Techno Guide

Pinoy Techno Guide is one of the top tech blogs in the Philippines. It has a large database of smartphone specs, pricelists, tech news, gadget reviews, tech guides, and more. It was founded in April 2012 with the mission to provide a useful website for smartphone buyers, tech enthusiasts, and even non-techies. Read more →

Follow PTG!

Main navigation.

• Latest Tablets
• Price Lists
• Smartphone Compare Tool
• Smartphone Database
• Privacy Policy

© 2012 – 2024 Pinoy Techno Guide. Powered by Digital Ocean .