Video Required for Chairmans

[Beth Sweet]

So according to the 09 manual, regional Chairman's potentials now have to submit a video in addition to their regular presentation.

http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles...e%20Awards.pdf

Anyone else have thoughts? I'm a little nervous, because we really don't have a video camera...

[Cynette]

Wow! Now I wish I'd listened on the FIRST Senior Mentor Phone Conference on the Chairman's Award.

On the camera dilemma, our High School actually loans us a camera to use to document our build season and competitions. So I recommend you start there. Maybe they even have a few budding cinematographers who will take on the project!

[rees2001]

"Although it is a requirement of submission, it is not a requirement for the judging process for 2009."

What does that mean? It is part of the section but makes no sense.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by rees2001

"Although it is a requirement of submission, it is not a requirement for the judging process for 2009."

What does that mean? It is part of the section but makes no sense.

Let the Q & A begin?

But yea...our team kinda sorta doesn't have a camera, and our school is not apt to loaning us one, we've tried before. So what about teams in this situation?

[Beth Sweet]

For an additional comment, the manual doesn't actually mention when the DVD is submitted. It can be assumed, based on the description, that a hard copy is required, but do we hand it to the judges when we go in? Do we submit it to pit admin the first day of competition. It says that the DVD has to have the event submitted to on it. Do Michigan teams have to make a new DVD for State Championship? Do we bring just 1 copy of the DVD to competition? 1 copy per judge?

A lot of questions are left unanswered in the manual about this

[Madison]

Originally Posted by rees2001

"Although it is a requirement of submission, it is not a requirement for the judging process for 2009."

What does that mean? It is part of the section but makes no sense.

It seems to me that they're requiring teams to submit a video that, should they win the award, will be played as part of the ceremonies. It does not appear that, unless you play your video during your scheduled interview, it will otherwise enter into the judge's decision making process. Nothing, of course, explicitly mentions this. This is FIRST, after all.

[BornaE]

Originally Posted by rees2001

"Although it is a requirement of submission, it is not a requirement for the judging process for 2009."

What does that mean? It is part of the section but makes no sense.

I think that the winners video will be shown during the awards ceremony. Also FIRST is asking all the teams to submit a picture of their robots in TIMS as well, probabbly for the awards ceremony.

[JYang]

Originally Posted by rees2001

"Although it is a requirement of submission, it is not a requirement for the judging process for 2009."

What does that mean? It is part of the section but makes no sense.

From my interpretion of the section, the video will be turned into judges at the competition (sort of like the extra documentation turned in except this is required). However, the video will have no impact in the selection process at the regional and championship level.

GL to all teams!

[artdutra04]

This is a positive addition to the Chairman's Award criteria, as it really helps reinforce the ideas behind the Chairman's Award essay with concrete video proof. Any journalism major can tell you that by picking and choosing from among a select few [normally synonym] words, you can completely alter the reader's perceptions of the content, for better or for worse. (Read an article on Fox News (or Drudge Report) then MSNBC (or Huffington Post) about the same news event and you can see this in full swing).

I also like the widescreen requirement, as the trend of the last few years has been for all video to move towards the widescreen format.

...Although it would have been a lot more helpful to teams if they announced this new criteria immediately after the Championships last year. It could have helped the "year-round" teams who could have had the advance notice to film their summer activities.

Just remember, each robotics team does not have to own a video camera to shoot video widescreen video. Chances are that at least one parent of a student on every team owns a video camera capable of shooting video in widescreen, and it's not hard to borrow them for events.

[Rosiebotboss]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

...Although it would have been a lot more helpful to teams if they announced this new criteria immediately after the Championships last year. It could have helped the "year-round" teams who could have had the advance notice to film their summer activities.

Rememeber, if you have still pictures of your summer camp, robot demo, trade show booth, etc... you can always edit them into a video format.

[Alivia]

Video required for Chairman's?!?!
I'm totally psyched!
Videos are kinda my thing.
(Sorry. Film crew geek right here. haha)

As far as teams without a video camera, please do not worry!
Like others have stated, a picture slideshow with voice overs is just as effective (if not more so) than actual video.
While I was on my high school team, most of the work I completed was done through this method.
My final year I made a slideshow that recognized our mentors for being the heroes that they are. It was still shots with voice overs from students on the team.
I made most of my mentors cry, proving that stills are just as effective.


Also, another little sidenote. Many digital cameras these days come with the ability to shoot video. While it may not be the highest quality, it could help a team that wishes to shoot video but lacks the funds for a new video camera.

[Rich Kressly]

Alright, I've been reading and rereading this for a few days now and ...

...color me totally stupid on this one. I think corresponding video is a GREAT idea for any team that has this inclination and/or has the time and resources to provide such a product, but making this a requirement is totally nonsense IMHO. Unless I'm reading this wrong, and I totally hope and pray I am, this will ultimately decrease the number of judged/completed CA entries submitted from FRC teams. If I'm not reading this wrong, my team will not be eligible to win a Chairman's Award unless we submit a video in wide screen format on DVD, correct?

Please, please, please tell me I'm wrong. If I'm not I'd REALLY like an opportunity to talk to the folks who wrote this particular rule. This will only serve the purpose of having more teams say, "Well forget it, too much to bother with so we won't do it." Which in turn leads to fewer teams writing the actual submission, which in turn leads to fewer teams that take the time to focus on the overall program and it's community impact, which in turn leads to more "robot-centric" teams that build a machine to win on the field and maybe they do the bigger-picture stuff and maybe they don't.

GAH ... I like seeing video stories on a big screen too, but this is NOT the way to go about getting them. Please, please, please tell me I'm reading this wrong.

And don't think for a minute this is about "me and my team." 1712 will put a video together because we were already working on one and we're planning on having copies with us at the regional anyway.

...but silly me, I thought this was about changing as much of the culture as possible - not to ensure wide screen multimedia at events or elsewhere. In a year where everyone's lives are already upside down with new control systems and the fact that we're apparently only getting one of them - ever, I'm not too keen on adding to teams' plates - not even a little.

Is the Q&A open for clarification? If it isn't and there's someone here that can explain this to me in a rational way that tells me why we all HAVE to do this as a requirement of submission, I'd appreciate it.

Nowwwwwww...... there is one way I'd see this as a net gain, if the rule had more detail. If the criteria stated that the video had to match, verbatim, the text in the actual submission, with video and/or pictures to go with the words and we all had to post to Youtube ....... THEN I'd do a 180 and become the biggest fan of this rule you would ever see.

In fact, teams considering not submitting should consider this less painful approach because the last thing I want to see is fewer submissions. Simple narration over top the visual support works.

Normally not this puzzled or flustered,
-kressly

[rees2001]

I too have read through his and I cannot understand why FIRST is forcing the video issue? It seems as though somebody in FIRST has the idea that video is the way to reaching more people and thus getting more people interested in FIRST.

Look at the President's Circle for the past 2 years. 2007 had less applicants than planned award recipients. This year they had to extend the deadline because of an apparent lack of submissions (5 to date).

Is it us, or is it FIRST that seems to not understand? Is FIRST raising the bar too high in a year they are already making changes? I understand that making a video is a lot of work but, is it really that much work? specially for teams that think they are CA caliber. It does seem as thought they are separating the "haves" and the "have-nots". I too think the DVD format makes it harder on teams that don't have the resources.

I know it seems like I'm all over the place on this video thing. I like the idea but it may require some tweaking.

[JaneYoung]

As one who has worked with a team that purchased a video camera due to persistent nagging, erm, encouragement by a certain blonde mentor *cough* - the camera can break. When purchasing or borrowing a camera, take every precaution not to incur damage. Also, don't assume that everyone knows how to use one - that isn't necessarily the case. A proper storage place, check-in/check-out/keeping the battery charged system - would also help in this area.

[Wayne C.]

if this is a REQUIRED video I guess it fills a need for videos that isn't being filled elsewhere in FIRST....

personal opinion- a team that is a great movie producer isn't necessarily a great FIRST robotics team and if this requirement is being announced this late how does one capture all the good stuff done up until now?

overall the CA is becoming simply another little contest these days- not what it should be. A worthy team's merit should be evident throughout their year without a catchy presentation or video performance.