I finished my first sci-fi book of the year and when I learned it was made into a movie I watched it right away. This 2010 movie, Never Let Me Go (which is actually also a song), just didn't live up to the book. There seemed to be so much left out, implied, or communicated in different ways that it was almost distracting. But then I realized, it was very similar to business in items you turn from report to presentation, proposal to pitch. Converting something written to something visual can take concentration and grace. What makes it so difficult to communicate the same content in a different medium?

1. Time investment
• It only takes 2 hours or less to watch a movie, but many weekends to finish a book. The same is true for presentations in the compressed time of hours to minutes. Our interest in the ending is built over time, drawn by clues leading us to answers. An fast action-packed film doesn't let us look away, but a poetic mystery may keep us on the edge of our seat when reading. And presentations? Something that doesn't make us crave a nap within 20 minutes is what I call success.
2. Pictures mean 1000 words
• When you look at a farmer in a field of dead corn, or a president at a podium with a stern face, or a , you notice little things that set the mood. Cloud cover can bring you down, or a chatty audience can perk you up. With words, such a scene would need pages to describe the detail and set the stage. Color, art, handouts, and gestures can keep people watching you.
3. Speed of listening
• Have you ever read a book out loud to someone? It is a very different experience. The speed at which we speak is much slower than the speed in which we listen and think. Influenced only by vocal tones of the reader, your imagination runs wild bringing the story to life in your own perspective. A balance of control, the best listeners take an active role in the story or presentation.