Multimedia Presentations: DIY or PRO?

Multimedia presentations are an excellent tool for spreading the word about your company or organization, but the question becomes whether it's better to hire a professional or to do it yourself.

Creating multimedia presentations requires a box of hats that not all Do-It-Yourselfers possess or are willing to work for.

Wordsmith
You'll need the ability to write scripts that are enjoyable to read or listen to. You'll also need a good grasp of spelling and grammar, and the humility to check for mistakes.

Artist
Some skill or training in graphic design is a plus. A huge portion of the multimedia presentation will be creating backgrounds, buttons, and images and putting them into an easy-to-navigate interface. The art is also one of the first things your audience will see.

Techie
You'll need programming skills and proficiency in your design software to add buttons, animations, audio, and effects to your multimedia presentation.

Actor
Remember that script you wrote? If there was any narration, someone will need to read it. This is one hat you might want to pass off to a professional for a more polished feel to your multimedia presentation.

You'll also need various resources to create your multimedia presentation.

Time
A quality multimedia presentation takes time to get right, and time is your most precious and rare resource. You may also need to budget time to learn unfamiliar software.

$$$
Chances are you won't have the equipment you need to build a quality multimedia presentation. You'll need a budget to buy software, a digital camera, and a scanner. While you can create your own, you may also need to supplement your library of music, sound effects, video clips, and still images. There are many royalty-free libraries of media available for reasonable prices.

CD Duplication Equipment
Unless you wanted to keep the only copy on your personal computer and cart it around to everyone you wanted to share your multimedia presentation with, you'll need to make copies. CD duplication is the easiest way to go.

When having a superior quality multimedia presentation matters above everything else, you'll need to be honest with yourself. If you don't feel capable of putting together a top notch multimedia presentation, find a professional you can easily work with. The best pros will help you polish your own design, content, and ideas into a first-class multimedia presentation.