Chairman's Award Video

[KathieK]

The CA submission is text-based this year. The judging process includes a ten-minute interview session. During the first five minutes three team representatives can give a presentation of any kind, including showing a video. You must bring all equipment to show it with you. Then the judges will interview you for the remaining five minutes.

Were you planning on showing the video as part of your interview?

[rajaravi.1]

Yes we were planning to show it during our interview and were wondering what type of content to put on it. It's not going to be a part of our submission. It's going to be part of the interview.

[KathieK]

I would think that your video should supplement your online text submission. If your team has a strong partnership in the school system, for example, and you've implemented a pre-engineering or robotics course into the curriculum, you might want to include a clip of the class. You're basically telling the judges more about your team than can be conveyed in 10,000 characters and 4 small photos...

[Kyle]

The video should show everything that you are going to have in the written part of the submission and also anything that you don't have room for in the written part that way the judges can see more of the impact that your team is trying to show. some god ideas for the video would be 30 second clips of Major build moments, any good matches at regionals, if you are interviewing at Nat's, and also video of the team in the community. Try to have the presenters know the video that they will show like the back of there hands so they can describe the video segments with out having to break contact with the judges.
Just a few tips that might or might not fit what your team is planing on doing. If you would like more help with anything to do with the video or submission e-mail me at kyle.a.rice@gmail.com or PM me. good luck

[Eria4044]

FIRST said it wants to discourage anything other than digital submissions, so I wouldn't do a video if I were you.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Here are a few handy tips for your interview.

1) Timing!

According to this year's Chairman's award rule book, you have 10 minutes for your interview. The first 5 are for your presentation, the second 5 are for answering judge's questions. It is your choice what you do with the first 5. Just be careful. If you do show a video, a short clip (without having to worry about technology) may be more advantageous. For example, a short video from a camera that is quickly loadable.

2) Purpose

Five minutes is a short short time. If you're gonna use video, you needn't have a 5 minute video. It should compliment your presentation, not distract from it. Please consider doing a simple photo slide show where you can pause if you need to without disturbing quality. It's also easier to work with because it's easier to edit in captions.

3) Effectiveness

In order for this video to have a truly lasting impact, it needs to be innovative and show what method your team uses to bring FIRST to your school and community. If this is better explained in words, please do not do yourself in by limiting yourself to video format. A video may be more effective in other uses.

4) Videos in General

Team videos are emotional and meaningful years after they are made. A memory video may serve you better in effort. Also, a video for a sponsor or for rookie students may also be more effective.

I really like your plan for your presentation of knowing the material inside out, but it's not as easy as it sounds. I wish you luck!

- Genia

[avwilloughby]

Hello, , we are a rookie team and I just had a few questions about the whole Chairman's Award process...
I wasn't aware about an interview, so reading this is totally new to me. Do rookie teams also undergo and interview and when exactly do such interviews take place? It would be wonderful if you could elaborate...thanks a bunch!

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by avwilloughby

Hello, , we are a rookie team and I just had a few questions about the whole Chairman's Award process...
I wasn't aware about an interview, so reading this is totally new to me. Do rookie teams also undergo and interview and when exactly do such interviews take place? It would be wonderful if you could elaborate...thanks a bunch!

The Chairman's Award is the most prestigious award that FIRST bestows upon a team. You can read about the whole process in Section 9.2 of the Manual. Although Rookie teams are ineligible to win a Chairman's Award ("CA") they are encouraged to go through the CA process because it is a good way to review what your team has accomplished during the year. You can use the information you gather later in presentations for potential sponsors, to your school administrators, etc. FIRST will also use this information for their Rookie All-Star Award. A Regional Chairman's Award winner will be chosen at each of the regionals. These winners will then be in the running to win the coveted CA at the Championships in Atlanta.

Step 1 of the process is to complete your Yearbook information in TIMS. This information is given to the judges to use when reviewing your entry. It must be completed by February 23 but don't wait - better to do it now while the TIMS system isn't swamped with everyone submitting their info. Step 2 is to complete a written entry online at www.firstawards.org. The specifics of the submission are detailed in the manual, but you are limited to a certain number of photos and characters for the entry. The entry should be done by Friday, February 18 (it is due one minute after midnight on February 19). When you go online to do this you must choose one regional competition that you are attending, to submit your CA entry to. Step 3 is the Judging Process. When you arrive at the regional you chose in Step 2, go to the registration table. They will tell you what day and time your interview will be. You may choose 3 members of your team (adults and/or students) to give a 5 minute presentation to the judges. It should supplement what you have already entered online. It can be an oral presentation, a PowerPoint presentation, a video, etc. But you are required to bring whatever equipment you need to show it. Following your presentation, the judges will interview the three team members for an additional five minutes.

Then you sit it out and wait until Saturday night's Awards presentation to learn if your team has won!

[RoboMom]

And always have a backup plan for your interview (this is also in other threads). You will be scheduled usually on Thursday, but maybe on Friday for an interview time slot, which will usually happen sometime on Friday. The interview may overlap when you are on the field.
Practice your interview. 5 minutes goes by really fast.

[macurtis]

Yeah. When we work on our Power Point Presentation, we always make sure we have back-ups. In the event that something happens and one of our team members can't make it, or, in the off chance that we make it to nationals and one of the presenters can't make it because they weren't planning on it, we always have back-ups. You can never be too prepared.

[MasonMM]

we've always gone with the no electronics in the interview strategy. Instead we just bring posters... can't go wrong there, never have to worry about a failure... except maybe your easle falling over.