Practical guides · Trainers and coaches
How to review a presentation recording
Review one short recording for message, structure and delivery, then change one thing and record the same section again.
Choose a message before reviewing your delivery.
Write one sentence naming what the audience should understand or do after your presentation. Watch a short recording all the way through, then compare what you actually said with that sentence. Mark where the main point first becomes clear and where extra information distracts from it.
For practice, record only yourself and material you are authorised to use. If other people appear or can be heard, agree how their recording will be used before recording or sharing it.
A practical presentation-review checklist.
- Purpose: Can a listener state the main message after watching? Ask them to say it in their own words.
- Structure: Does each section explain, demonstrate or support that message? Move background detail that is not needed into supporting notes.
- Examples and visuals: Can the audience see the point of each example, chart or slide? Remove visual elements that you cannot connect to your message.
- Voice: Note moments that are difficult to hear or follow. Try a clearer phrase, a pause or a shorter sentence at those points.
- Movement: Notice where gestures or changes of position support the explanation and where they distract. Use what you can observe; do not infer personality from posture.
- Ending: Does the final sentence make the next action clear?
Record a timestamp, what you noticed and the change you will try. “At 00:40, I gave three examples before naming the decision” is more usable than “I am a bad speaker”.
Worked example: reduce an overloaded opening.
Fictional editorial example, not a Stagecraft participant recording or a guaranteed result.
First version: A supervisor spends two minutes describing the history of a handover form before explaining what the next shift needs to know.
Review note: The audience cannot yet tell what they must do. Keep the history in a reference note and begin with the task.
Revised opening: “Before you leave, hand over three things: the unresolved issue, the agreed next action and the person responsible. Let’s practise with one customer case.”
Check: Record the opening again. Ask a listener which three details they would include. If they miss one, examine the wording, pace and example before adding another slide.
Compare one change at a time.
Use the same topic and similar recording conditions for the next attempt. Compare the original and revised section against your review note. Keep the change if it makes the message easier to follow; revise again if it does not. A smoother second recording is a practice observation, not proof that every future presentation will improve.
Stagecraft: Speaking with Presence is a two-day presentation programme in Kuala Lumpur. Participants deliver an initial and final recorded presentation and use feedback and self-review to compare their delivery. Its published outline covers structure, storytelling, body language, visual support and stage control.
If the main issue is what learners will practise during a workshop, start with the workshop-design guide. Presentation review and workshop design address different parts of the work.
Check the course before you enquire.
Source for course facts: the published programme outline and enrolment details. These exercises are Academy editorial guidance, not additional promised curriculum or participant results.