If you are a movie fan like all of us at Ethos3, the summer isn’t just about sunshine, barbecues, beaches and blonds. Summer is also about sitting quietly in the too-cool darkness, waiting for that first burst of light at the beginning of a new summer blockbuster.
Although many parts of the country are still waiting for the temperature to rise out of the lower end of the thermometer, the summer movie season is well underway, and one of flicks that is wreaking havoc at a box office near you tells the story of guy with a bad attitude and a tentative relationship with his razor, in bad need of a manicure.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is exactly what it says it is. The latest chapter in the X-Men saga tells the tale of how James “Logan” Howlett became the mutton-chopped mauler that we all know and love. Of course, this tale is full of action, adventure, twists, turns, and the kind of tortured psychological conflicts we’ve come to expect from heroes in the Marvel Universe. However, if you are a presentation geek – again, like all of us at Ethos3 – ‘Wolverine is so much more.
Believe it or not, this new summer blockbuster is a great primer for presenters. The story of ‘Wolverine may as well be the story of your very own transformation from a really good presenter to a bloody, great one.
Take it Like a Mutant – Long before Wolverine receives his indestructible skeleton of adamantium, he is already a mutant with special powers. Even in his early years, young James displays an accelerated healing facility that makes him effectively immune to trauma and leads to an extended life-expectancy. As a presenter, you are going to take it on the chin every now and then. Your projector is going to go down and someone won’t have any extra bulbs. Your opening joke will crash and burn and stink up the rest of your pitch. You will prepare for a generation Y show-and-tell and then be asked to address a small boardroom filled with octogenarians. If you want to be a great presenter, you’ve got to learn to bounce back like you never went down.
Serve Where You Are Needed – Wolverine lives an interesting life and he has always gone to where he was needed the most. He lived with wolves as a young man, worked as a logger, lived in Japan, and eventually served with a number of Canadian and American special forces and black operations units. For better or worse, Logan usually answers “Yes” when duty calls. Be the person on your team that your peers and allies can count on in good times and bad. Share your knowledge, trade your resources, and never let your comrades down.
Be a Pioneer – One interesting fact about Wolverine’s origins is that his British Columbian birth makes him one of the first Canadian superheroes. What sets you apart and makes your presentations stand out? Don’t be satisfied just doing a good job. Blaze a trail and become legendary!
Save Yourself – The story of Wolverine is largely the story of a man who is constantly fighting to maintain his own, unique identity. In nearly every storyline, someone is either implanting memories or erasing them from between Logan’s sideburns, and our hero is constantly left balancing between being a caring, wounded man and a vicious, bloodthirsty killer. Although we all want to deliver the kind of presentation that can blow our audiences away, it’s important to keep things in perspective. Don’t become so obsessed with your presentations that you lose track of the rest of your life. After all, there is an “I” in presentation, and that “I” is “YOU”.
