Presentations to the Thesis Committee of faculty take place this semester on <date> and on <date> . Presentations will run from <hours have not yet been set by Department>. Each of you is expected to attend both days in their entirety. (If you have a conflict, speak to me.) Each student will be called on to present. Your presentation times are not scheduled in advance.
Each
Thesis I student will be allotted 10 minutes to present + 5 minutes for
questions and discussion.
Each
Thesis II student will be allotted 5 minutes to present + 5 minutes for
questions and discussion.
This is not very much time, so it is extremely important for you to prepare carefully, to rehearse your presentation, and to test your presentation. You should test both on your own machine and on the machine in the lecture hall used for presentations. You also must load your files onto the presentation machine before presentations start. If you spend time trying to get your presentation started, that time will be deducted from your 10 minutes, giving you even less time to present.
Below are some suggestions for how to organize your presentation.
Thesis 1: 10 minute presentation
Do not read your presentation. Unless you are a very good voice actor (almost none of us is), it becomes very boring to listen to a read text. Instead, make notes that will guide you -- key phrases, key points, an outline. You can have these on the lectern in front of you. Put the same key phrases in your slides. These phrases will guide you and remind you, and at the same time help the audience to understand. Key phrases on the slides are especially important if your English pronunciation is not extremely good.
Original project plan (1 minute): Begin with a very short description of your original project plan/idea. This section can be text only or text plus imagery. Keep this very brief. The real issue is where you are now, not where you were six months ago. The only purpose of this is to remind the Committee of what you had originally proposed or started.
Current state of your project (6-7 minutes): This is the heart of your presentation. Show and explain the current state of your project. This can be images, audio, diagrams, physical models, prints, etc. As you show these, you can also explain the ideas of issues that are behind them, especially as these have developed or evolved since you first started. Your project should be well more than 50% finished if you are in Thesis I. Show finished prints, finished animation, detailed models, running code -- not just tests or sketches. The idea here is that you should clearly be able to finish up your project within another few months.
Remaining work (1-2
minutes): Finally, explain and show what remains to be done in your project. For example, you may need to make more images or animation, do specific technical testing, build something, etc. Include a timeline of what you expect your schedule to be as you finish. The timeline does not have to be extremely detailed, but it should be realistic.
Thesis II: 5 minute presentation
If you are finished your project, just introduce yourself and immediately show your final project. If it is an animation, just play it. If it is imaging or installation, show slides or video of your final artwork and final exhibition. If you are finished, the work should speak for itself. If you are showing documentation, you might comment or explain as the documentation plays.
If you are not finished your project, very briefly say that you are not finished, that you are seeking a TIP or an extra semester, then immediately show your work.
Remember, your time is very limited, so you want to be very, very clear. You do not want the 5 minutes of discussion to consist of "I didn't understand...." and "Could you please explain again...." That will be a waste of those 5 minutes. If your presentation has been clear, the 5 minutes will be real discussion and suggestions, and can be extremely helpful to you.
Rehearse your presentation several times. Rehearse it aloud, not just silently in your head. Rehearse it aloud, with your slides, and with a timer. This will help you refine your phrasing and refine your timing. Make sure you can comfortably and clearly say and show everything that you want to present within the 10 minutes that you have.