I've dissected this year's IPP presentations and found a pulse

Del Barber from Chris Gaudry on Vimeo as presented at #IPP11

Quincy, we've got a pulse.

I recently sat down with my first- and second-year students to give this year's IPP presentations a post-mortem, just like Jack Klugman and so many CSI investigators have done before me.

As all of planet Earth surely knows by now, the IPP is a year-long course at Red River College in which CreComm students develop an original and meaningful project that they propose, complete, and market on their own in order to graduate.

So last week at the Convention Centre Presentation Theatre, this year's graduating students made their 10-minute presentations on the outcome of their work. Projects included promotional, creative, documentary- and research-based stuff in the form of video, audio, print, performance, and new media.

Here is some of the feedback; as always: I don't name names. And remember: these are just individual opinions; not everybody in the room agreed with every one of these comments.

The good

• Timing was "like clockwork."
• Good venue.
• No Q and A made the show move along quickly.
• The Tweet Pit and #IPP11 hashtag.
• Phenomenal presentations.
• The hosts.
• Presenters who moved around.
• Audience engagement.
• Efficient transitions.
• The presentations ended strong.
• Great backstage facilities.

The not as good

• Red River College logo wasn't in the brochure.
• Not as many performance-based IPPs this year.
• Missed the intimacy of the Park Theatre.
• Wi-Fi - that we couldn't use.
• Too many "thank-you speeches," like the Oscars.
• Tell us where we can buy your book or see your film.
• Professional presentations aren't a bad thing, but a little dull after a while.
• Too much "advice to first years" and "trials and tribulations."
• Bad lighting.
• Parking - expensive and hard to find.
• Intrusive music that played off presenters.
• Presenters who ignored music cut-off and went overtime.
• The cold temperature in the room.
• The front rows were mostly empty - should have pushed people toward the front of the theatre.
• Weak prizes.
• The "specials" at the restaurant were regular prices.
• Inside jokes.
• No free donuts?!

Suggestions

• Hold the presentations and panels later in the year.
• Get instructors to slot the presenters, not classmates.
• Hold a film festival to screen the video projects.
• Spend less time on thank yous and more time on the meat of the projects.
• Bring in more former students to show their IPPs in Thursday speaker slots.
• Make the PR proposal assignment the IPP proposal assignment.
• Get Twitter handles from presenters in advance of the presentations.
• Have a greater diversity of hosts.
• IPP organizers should present first.
• Make it more of a networking event.
• Invite the RRC Advisory Board.
• Make the visuals match the presentation length.
• Change up the presentation format.
• Let everyone tweet.
• Present the presentations online via streaming.
• Sell naming rights.

See you next year at the Tim Hortons Roll Up the Rim to Win IPP Presentations of Love '12!