Picture this: You’re tasked with giving a presentation at work, school, or maybe a fan gathering. But instead of starting with the usual “Hello, my name is…”, you launch into a galaxy far, far away, complete with scrolling text and that iconic theme music. Suddenly, everyone’s paying attention, eager to see what comes next. That’s the power of the Star Wars opening crawl, and believe it or not, you can create it right in PowerPoint.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan looking to spice up your presentations or just want to make your project stand out, this guide is your ticket to creating a memorable opening crawl.
Step 1: Set Up Your Slide
First things first, you’ll need to create the right backdrop for your crawl. Here’s how:
• Open PowerPoint and create a new blank slide.
• Set the background to black. You can do this by right-clicking on the slide, selecting “Format Background,” then choosing “Solid Fill” and picking black.
Alternatively, you can also add a starry background image in the same way by choosing “Picture or Texture Fill” instead of “Solid Fill”.
Step 2: Add Your Text
Now, let’s get that iconic text ready:
- Choose the “Insert” tab and click on “Text Box.” Click anywhere on the slide to create it.
- Type your opening crawl text into the box. Remember, it usually starts with “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” which you can add in the first line or you can skip it as well.
- Select your text and change the font to “Franklin Gothic Medium” or “Arial Narrow” for authenticity. Make it yellow and adjust the size to fit your content.
Step 3: Tweak Your Animation
To get that perfect Star Wars feel, you’ll need to adjust the speed and direction:
- With the text box still selected, click on the dropdown menu for the “Fly In” animation in the animation pane.
- Choose “Effect Options,” and a dialog box will pop up. Make sure it is “From Bottom”
- Under “Advanced Animation,” set the “Duration” and “Delay” according to you. I have set it to 5 seconds to ensure a consistent scroll speed.
- Adjust the speed to your liking and feel free to experiment.
Step 4: Add the Perspective
This is where PowerPoint’s magic comes into play. You’ll use the 3D rotation options to give your text the slant:
- Select your text box.
- Navigate to the “Shape Format” tab.
- Click on “Text Effects,” then “3-D Rotation,” and finally “3-D Rotation Options.”
- Here’s where you’ll tweak to get that Star Wars angle. You can select one of the presets. You can also set the X Rotation to 0°, Y Rotation to 0°, and the Z Rotation to about 320° to start. You might need to adjust this depending on how your text looks.
If you’ve followed the tutorial, you should now have a Star Wars opening crawl that looks impressive in PowerPoint. However, if you’d like to bypass the detailed adjustments in PowerPoint or find it tricky to nail the perfect animation, there’s a simpler option. You can use Stargazer’s Star Wars Crawl Creator, a user-friendly platform that lets you effortlessly craft your crawl. With its iconic font and animation style, your crawl will look as if it were lifted straight from the silver screen.
Create Your Own Star Wars Crawl
Conclusion
And there you have it! You’ve just created your very own Star Wars opening crawl in PowerPoint. It’s a fun, creative way to kick off any presentation, and it’s sure to grab your audience’s attention from the get-go. Plus, it’s a testament to how versatile PowerPoint can be with a little imagination.
So, whether you’re presenting to colleagues, classmates, or fellow Star Wars enthusiasts, why not give your audience an opening they’ll never forget? After all, who wouldn’t want to start their day with a trip to a galaxy far, far away? Now, what epic story will your crawl tell?