Pecha Kucha : Only 6 Minutes to make your point!
Huh?
It's called "Pecha Kucha" (pronounced peh-chak-cha) . I discovered this globally-accepted presentation phenomenon in a terrific book entitled "PresentationZen - Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery" by Garr Reynolds.
In the past I've railed on the "Death by Powerpoint" that has unfortunately become the norm in almost all Powerpoint presentations from the classroom to the boardroom to the courtroom.
Pecha Kucha is a simple and challenging practice that I believe will hone your presentation skills and make for a better presentation (and presenter).
In the August 2007 issue of WIRED Magazine this "process" was simplified in an article entitled "Get to the Powerpoint in 20 Slides Then Sit the Hell Down". The concept is almost too simple (which is probably why you've never heard of it):
"pecha-kucha (Japanese for "chatter"), applies a simple set of rules to presentations: exactly 20 slides displayed for 20 seconds each. That's it. Say what you need to say in six minutes and 40 seconds of exquisitely matched words and images and then sit the hell down. The result, in the hands of masters of the form, combines business meeting and poetry slam to transform corporate cliché into surprisingly compelling beat-the-clock performance art. "
So what's this got to do with the courtroom? - Isn't it obvious? Read On!
Honing your message for your jury is probably the biggest challenge any attorney faces today.
If you feel you're pretty proficient in the use of Powerpoint in the court - you know - you're the "go to guy" (or gal) to put the "slides" together - then this can be an ultimate challenge to your talents.
Me, I can't tell a simple story - seriously. (Don't look so surprised!)
Anyone who works with me or around me will vouch for that statement. My stories or explanations go into deep detail; I'm a lot like listening to a Charles Dickens novel - you know, rich in minutae (or manure... depending on the audience).
I'll never be accused as being at a loss for words, but, I've been bested many a time by an attorney who makes me look like a glib simpleton by comparison - I've been awestruck by the speed at which they've been able to get the eyes of jurors to "glaze over" within seconds of launching into their presentation. That takes practice. It must. Somewhere there has to be an unwritten law that dictates that some attorneys (unintentionally) inflict "Brain Freeze" on a jury in the course of an argument.
Powerpoint in the wrong hands is a lethal weapon - it can bore your brains out of your audience and confuse or lose your message. I've seen it - you've seen it. Heck, it's pretty hard NOT to see it.
Try your presentation out on "Fresh Eyes".
Why not work, creatively - either with others or within your organization - to eliminate this menace? Why continue to use the same tired formula when a fresher, simpler approach may be within reach?
Here's an idea:
The creative forces behind the Pecha Kucha concept spawned Pecha Kucha Night in cities around the world.
Their web site,PechuKucha.org, offers this explanation for the monthly event:
Pecha Kucha Night, devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham (Klein Dytham architecture), was conceived in 2003 as a place for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public.
But as we all know, give a mike to a designer (especially an architect) and you’ll be trapped for hours. The key to Pecha Kucha Night is its patented system for avoiding this fate. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up, and gives more people the chance to show.
What? No Pecha Kucha Night in your area?
Why let that stop you from utilizing the simple concept? Hone your skills - streamline your argument - practice with some abstract ideas - practice with your current case.
At the risk of beating an old cliche further into the ground:"Think outside the (blue) box".
Imagine creating a persuasive argument that is easily followed and understood under seven minutes.
What? You can't? Neither can I. But it's worth a try, isn't it? What have you got to lose?
Your Case?
