Speaking Lesson from Hollywood

In the recent New Yorker profile of Ben Stiller, Tad Friend describes what a movie needs to have in order to be successful. He writes:

 "Then you need a whiz-bang ending, one that sends audiences out of the theaters, texting in rapture."

How often do you leave a speech "texting in rapture?" We often spend so much time on the body of the speech, that we forget to take the time to craft a powerful close.

Friend continues: "This requirement explains why many studio films fall apart in the last half hour, are reshot, and still don't work."

Yes, endings are hard.

From the Green Room: Even the most powerful speech falls apart with a bad ending. Save your best for last, and take the time to figure out how to end strong. While this is difficult, it is well worth the effort.