Anticipating audience reaction to your slide show

One of the first slide shows that I presented to an audience of more than 10 people was for my dad's birthday. Preparation of the show had consumed me (in my after work time) for the better part of three months. Since this was the first time that I had made a show with old family photos, I had to first find the pictures that I could use, scan them, then put them together into a multiple chapter video. By the time the show was complete I could view the slide show in my head and hum the music at the same time.

The video was going to be shown at Dad's birthday party. I knew that my dad and my family would love the show and I thought that the friends gathered for the celebration would, too. I thought they would sit there enthralled; enthralled and silent. So as they sat there watching the show, I watched them. They were not silent.
[caption id="attachment_165" align="alignright" width="300"] The best audience reaction that you can expect is that people want to interact as they see the images in your video slide show.[/caption]"Oh, look at that!" "How sweet!" "My you were handsome when you were young!" "How old were you there!" And on and on. I wanted to hush them but instead I turned up the music.

It took me awhile to realize that what happened wasn't bad. The people were actually responding to the images and the story of my dad's life. My expectation of a welling up of the heart with perhaps a sprinkling of tears was too narrow, too solitary. The audience wanted to interact with what they are seeing and with each other, especially since the subject of the show was sitting amongst them.
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I still anticipate audience reaction when I'm making a video slide show but now I do it in a more realistic way. I just finished a travel journal of my trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area last summer.  I'm contemplating how my travel companions will react when they see the show for the first time. I know they will love reliving the trip through the video. I think they might be surprised at how their memories and emotions will pop to the surface but while that is happening, I know that they won't be quiet and I don't want them to be. The best compliment that I can get is that they interact with the story. I'll be ready for that but I can't promise that I won't also turn up the music.
Here's the trailer for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area video: