Since it appears that we won’t be allowed to host “large gatherings” in the state of California for the foreseeable future, it is time to plan for keeping the spirit of VCF West alive without the physical gathering.
To do that we want to host the same basic format. Exhibits, speakers and classes along with the “social” aspects of getting hobbyists together.
The only way to effectively do that is to put as much of the effort in advance as possible. That means that contributors are being asked to “virtualize” their contributions with shareable videos, slide shows, etc. Speakers and class trainers as well as any exhibitors willing will be asked to allow for an online Q&A session after the video is aired.
We will also host virtual meetups throughout the day, hopefully with special guests encouraged to visit at predetermined times.
The entire event will be scheduled for 6-8 hours on Saturday August 1st with all of the videos completed, post processed, uploaded and held by the prior weekend (July 26th.)
What we will need:
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Committed exhibitors to produce 5 minute (+/-) videos of the systems(s) they would have liked to exhibit. These should be submitted to the VCF West team by early July, at the latest. Sooner is always better!
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At least a couple of keynote speakers willing to do 30 minute recorded talks and willing to host a Q&A Hangouts/Meetings call.
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Hopefully a classroom teacher or two to do a training video of 15-30 minutes and willing to host a Q&A Hangouts/Meetings call.
Again if you would like to participate in one of the above categories (exhibitor, presenter, educator) please let me (erik@vcfed.org) know as early as possible and please get your video done as quickly as possible.
Some video suggestions:
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Please have your recording device in Landscape mode.
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Introduce yourself and your exhibit to start.
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Please ensure that you have appropriate lighting for your video. Remember that different parts of the video may need different lighting. Filming screens is usually done in a darker environment while speakers should find as much light as possible.
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Audio is just as important as video. Consider an external microphone, if possible. Find a suitable space to do the recording with a minimum of ambient noise, echo, etc.
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If you are speaking while in the video please speak into the camera rather than while looking away, if at all possible.
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Play back your work and make sure you like it before submitting it! Our editors will clean up some stuff, but we can’t add things that aren’t there, etc.
I created a sample video.
My raw one is here: https://youtu.be/amSyI3t6JWk
Update 6/24/2020
We currently have 12 exhibits, 2 presentations and 2 classes and the list is growing daily. The deadline of July 7 is coming soon, so submit your video quickly if you want to be included!
