Note: The videos below are clips from three longer videos, if you’d prefer to watch the videos in their entirety, you can view all of the guidelines by clicking on the following links: iBioSeminars, Discovery talks, Slide Preparation
Why record a talk?
Watch this short video by iBiology Founder, Ron Vale, about the iBiology project:
What content should I include in my talk?
You likely have been invited to give either a iBioSeminar (multi-part research talks) or a Discovery talk (short ~20 minute retrospective on a discovery). If you were invited for a different type of talk, please refer to our email correspondences for guidelines on content.
iBioSeminars: iBioSeminars consist of two or three 30-minute parts. Part 1 should always be an introduction/overview of the field you are working in. This can be a wide look at the research going on or a historical perspective aimed at an upper level undergraduate audience. Parts 2 and 3 (3rd part optional) are research stories from your own lab, and, although the audience for these are often more advanced, keep in mind that most people watching the videos will not be from your own field of research. We encourage you to include personal anecdotes or behind the scenes stories – the more the better! For further guidelines, please watch this short video by Ron:
Discovery talks: Discovery talks are short, 15 minute talks that give a behind-the-scenes look into a significant science discovery. Think of this as telling a story: Why were you asking the question you were asking? What was known at the time? What led you there? What were the experiments that led to your discovery (including “failures”)? Were the results a surprise? How did the community react? How did it change your field? For further guidelines, please watch this short video by Ron:
You’ve said yes! Now what?
The timeline of your talk preparation can be seen in the video below. In general we will send you the guidelines on this page for review, schedule a call with you to go over the talk content, and request that you send your slides to us 14 days before recording (7 days minimum) so we have time to review and format your slides and discuss any suggested edits.
What to expect in the studio:
We will be filming your talk in a green screen studio. Although there won’t be an “audience”, our videographer and iBiology staff will be on hand to listen to your talk and provide input and feedback. The video below shows you how the magic happens.
How to design your slides:
This short presentation walks you through some guidelines when designing your slides. There are a few key things to keep in mind:
- We record your talk with 16:9 slides, moving content to the left so there is room for you to stand. If you are using slides you have previously designed, we are happy to format them for you. If you are making new slides or want to format them yourself please follow these guidelines:
- Keynote users:
- Previously made slides: convert a 4:3 to a 16:9 presentation by selecting Document → Slide Size. Select all and move the material on the slide to the left leaving 1/3 blank space on the right.
- New presentation: download a 16:9 template for your presentation
- Powerpoint users:
- Previously made slides: convert a 4:3 to a 16:9 presentation by selecting Themes → Page Setup. Select all and move the material on the slide to the left leaving 1/3 blank space on the right.
- New presentation: download a 16:9 template for your presentation
- If you use both software, we have a strong preference for Keynote (and Keynote can open/convert PowerPoint files)
- Keynote users:
- Important Guidelines:
- *Less is more*
- Try to put only one image per slide
- Keep text to a minimum
- Use large font sizes (30pt + in PowerPoint, 45pt + in Keynote)
- When showing data, keep it simple. Don’t put up more than what you are talking about
- Journal images need to be cited!!! If you can use figures from a preprint or pre-submission manuscript that is even better.
- Please do not include animations unless they are necessary to illustrate data or a concept
- When pulling an image from the internet, you must make sure we have the rights to use it. This could mean that the image creator/owner has granted rights for use through a license like the Creative Commons license or that the image is in the Public Domain. In all cases, we need to provide a citation/attribution for the image.
- Start by searching these databases for usable images (most still need to be cited)
What should I wear?
- Do not wear any green! You will appear invisible
- Do not wear tight patterns (e.g. plaid or thin stripes) as they often appear distorted in the final video
- It is best to wear a solid color that contrasts with the background color of your slides
- We’ll need to clip a microphone on you, so it’s ideal to have something that’s button-up or has a firm edge/collar, but not too close to your neck (we usually try to clip it about 8 inches below your mouth). Also, we’ll need to be able to put the microphone transmitter in a back pocket or clip it to a belt or pants/pocket
- If you wear both contacts and glasses, please wear contacts on the day of your recording (glasses are okay, but can sometimes reflect the studio lights)
- Wear comfortable shoes. You will likely be standing for awhile, and the camera will cut off right below your knees
Email us any questions! You can contact any of our staff members from this page: iBiology Team