diff options
Diffstat (limited to '2022/prepare.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | 2022/prepare.md | 301 |
1 files changed, 301 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/2022/prepare.md b/2022/prepare.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..3ec8d713 --- /dev/null +++ b/2022/prepare.md @@ -0,0 +1,301 @@ +[[!meta title="Notes and tips on preparing your talk"]] +[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2019, 2020 Amin Bandali<br />Copyright © 2021, 2022 Amin Bandali, Sacha Chua, Leo Vivier"]] + +This page contains notes and tips for our speakers on preparing their +talks and presentations. Please read through the list and consider it +while preparing your talk. If you have any questions, concerns, or +suggestions please feel free to write to one our organizational mailing +lists: the public <emacsconf-org@gnu.org> list, or the private +<emacsconf-org-private@gnu.org> list, depending on the nature of the +matter you would like to discuss. + +Note: being part of a wiki, this page is subject to change (including +by you!); so please check back every now and again for any changes and +updates. + +[[Already done? Upload your video and other files|upload]] + +### Guidelines for conduct + +Please review our [[guidelines for conduct|conduct]] when preparing your +talk to make sure we’re all on the same page and strive to make the +event a great experience for all. If you’re not sure whether your talk +or presentation style meets the guidelines laid out in the guidelines +for conduct, we’d be happy to help. You can email Sacha Chua at +<sacha@sachachua.com> to chat more about this. + +### Recording your talk + +To help EmacsConf 2022 run smoothly, please prerecord your talk, and +plan to upload your video(s) by **November 4** to allow us enough time +to do any needed processing (e.g. format or codec conversion) in +preparation for the event. Please consider submitting a prerecording as +early as possible so that we can see if volunteers can caption your +video to make it more accessible and searchable. + +To make it easier for organizers and attendees to correctly pronounce +your name, please start your video with something along the lines of: + +"Hi! I’m ${NAME} and I’ll be talking about ${TOPIC}." + +The talks will be broadcast with a resolution of **1280x720px** +(720p). Please make sure your text will be easy to read at that size. +[You can change the font-size in your Emacs](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/SetFonts#h5o-6). +If you are capturing a single window, you can also resize it before +you record. + +We recommend using **dark text on a light background** for your +recording, as this can be easier to see especially for people who are +visually impaired. Themes with more contrast are easier to read than +low-contrast ones. If you use a dark theme with your Emacs, you can +change to a lighter one with `M-x customize-theme` (look for those +with a `-light` suffix). The `modus-themes-load-operandi` command from +the `modus-themes` package can be a good option. + +Audio quality can go a long way in making your talk enjoyable to +watch. Consider the background noise in the room that you are using to +record, and see if you can temporarily turn off things for your +recording. If you have a **headset or external microphone**, try recording +the audio through that so that you can reduce the sound of the +computer itself. If you have a smartphone, that might also be a good +way to record audio that you can then combine with your video +afterwards. Some people find that draping a blanket over their head +(including the microphone under the blanket) can help reduce echo, +which can be a good excuse to make a blanket fort. (It's for +EmacsConf!) + +Please leave at least **5 seconds of quiet** at the end of your video. +We can use it to try to process your video in order to reduce noise. + +Many speakers prefer to record and edit the audio until they're happy +with how it fits in the time, and then add the slides or videos +afterwards. It might be easier than trying to do both the audio and +the video in one go. + +To record your video, you could use any of the following pieces of +free software, depending on your needs: + +- [OBS](//obsproject.com) +- [SimpleScreenRecorder](//www.maartenbaert.be/simplescreenrecorder/) +- [vokoscreenNG](//linuxecke.volkoh.de/vokoscreen/vokoscreen.html) +- [peek](//github.com/phw/peek) +- [ffmpeg](//trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Capture/Desktop) + +If you decide to use OBS, please make sure to verify the window-capture +options. Most notably, there is a “Swap red and blue” option that is +necessary for some setup, and it's easy to miss it. + +You might find the following free software programs useful for editing +your video recordings: + +- [Kdenlive](//kdenlive.org/en/) +- [Blender](//www.blender.org) +- [Pitivi](http://www.pitivi.org) + +Per GNU Project’s [Guide to +Formats](//audio-video.gnu.org/docs/formatguide.html), we prefer to +receive prerecorded videos in formats unencumbered by software patents, +such as `video/webm` ([WebM](https://www.webmproject.org/)-encoded video +files, with `.webm` file extension) and `video/ogg` (video files encoded +with the Theora video codec, encapsulated in an Ogg transport layer, +with `.ogg` or `.ogv` file extension). However, if for one reason or +another you are unable to send us your prerecorded video in one of the +above formats, you may submit them in other common formats, like MPEG-4 +(`.mp4`), and we will convert them to our preferred formats on your +behalf. + +*Prepare recorded video in 720p (1280px by 720px) or higher, in the +WebM format if possible.* + +# Compression + +If you would like to compress your video before uploading, the following shell script may be useful: + + Q=32 + CPU=8 + ffmpeg -y -i "$1" -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 0 -crf $Q -an -row-mt 1 -tile-columns 2 -tile-rows 2 -cpu-used $CPU -g 240 -pass 1 -f webm -threads $CPU /dev/null && + ffmpeg -y -i "$1" -c:v libvpx-vp9 -b:v 0 -crf $Q -c:a libopus -row-mt 1 -tile-columns 2 -tile-rows 2 -cpu-used $CPU -pass 2 -g 240 -threads $CPU "$2" + +If you put it in a file called `compress-video.sh`, you can execute it +from the command line with something like `sh compress-video.sh +input-file.webm output-file.webm`. It will compress the file in two +passes. During the first pass, the frame count will increase, but the +speed will be 0. After the first pass, it will display proper progress +information. + +<a name="tech-check"></a> +# Tech-check + +We ask that speakers who plan to participate in live Q&A sessions schedule +a short tech-check in the weeks leading to the conference; this is to ensure +that you can perform all the common tasks you’d need such as sharing your +screen or toggling your microphone. + +We use BigBlueButton for our video-conferencing needs, and a quick way to +familiarize yourself with it is to run it in a test-room: +<https://test.bigbluebutton.org/> + +If this is your first time at EmacsConf or if you run into any problems, +please get in touch with us and we’ll sort things out together! In these +cases, since we’ll need to schedule a 1-on-1 tech-check with you, we ask that +you email the closest volunteer to your timezone in the list below (or zaeph +if none of the timezones is a good fit). You can also visit us at +[#emacsconf-org on Libera](irc://libera.chat/#emacsconf-org). + +We will likely schedule those 1-on-1 tech-checks with you on Saturdays or +Sundays, but we would be happy to try and work out another time if that +doesn’t work for you. + +<table> +<thead> +<tr> +<td>Volunteer</td> +<td>Email</td> +<td>IRC Nick</td> +<td>Timezone</td> +</tr> +</thead> +<tbody> +<tr> +<td>Leo Vivier</td> +<td><<a href="mailto:zaeph@zaeph.net">zaeph@zaeph.net</a>></td> +<td>zaeph</td> +<td>CET (UTC+1)</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Sacha Chua</td> +<td><<a href="mailto:sacha@sachachua.com">sacha@sachachua.com</a>></td> +<td>sachac</td> +<td>America/Toronto - usually Sat/Sun 8-10AM EDT</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><strong>Want to help out? You can add your name and contact-info here!</strong></td> +<td><<a href="mailto:your@email">your@email</a>></td> +<td>…</td> +<td>…</td> +</tr> +<!-- <tr> --> +<!-- <td>Corwin Brust</td> --> +<!-- <td><<a href="mailto:corwin@bru.st">corwin@bru.st</a>></td> --> +<!-- <td>corwin</td> --> +<!-- <td>US/Central (UTC-6)</td> --> +<!-- </tr> --> +<!-- <tr> --> +<!-- <td>Amin Bandali</td> --> +<!-- <td><<a href="mailto:bandali@gnu.org">bandali@gnu.org</a>></td> --> +<!-- <td>bandali</td> --> +<!-- <td>US/Eastern (UTC-5)</td> --> +<!-- </tr> --> +</tbody> +</table> + +If you’d like to help out with the tech-checks, feel free to add your name and +email to the above list and email <<a +href="mailto:zaeph@zaeph.net">zaeph@zaeph.net</a>> to plan the logistics. + +Thank you so much for helping with EmacsConf 2022! + +# Frequently-asked questions + +## Can I present live? + +Tech issues kept happening during EmacsConf 2020, so we’d really +prefer that all talks have prerecorded videos. There will be time for +live questions and answers, though, so if you can record a short video +covering your main points, you might be able to go into more detail in +live Q&A. + +## I have so much I want to share. Can I record a longer video? + +The conference program has so many interesting talks. We wish we +could fit everything in at full length! (Maybe EmacsConf month?) +Please think of your video as a short teaser that can get people +interested and point them to where they can find out more. You can +email <emacsconf-submit@gnu.org> links and other notes to add to the +wiki page for your talk. If you’d like to record a longer video *in +addition* to the short one for the main conference, please feel free +to send us that too. + +Additionally, even though it is tempting, please refrain from +fast-forwarding your recording to make it fit within the format; on top +of being obvious, it hurts your intelligibility. Trimming out the +silences and the filler words can help sometimes, but a better solution +for you might be to write, record, and edit your voice-over; then, you +can record your video to go along with it. + +As a last option, you may send some questions for the host to ask you +during the Q&A so that you can address extra points that couldn’t make +the cut. + +## I can’t figure out how to record the video. Can I just present the talk? + +We might be able to help you record your talk using the BigBlueButton +web conferencing system before November 4. Please email +<emacsconf-submit@gnu.org> with some times that might work for you and +we’ll see if a volunteer can meet up with you to record it. + +## Do I need to follow some visual guidelines for the presentation? + +- Dark text on a light background is more legible than the opposite + (especially for people who are visually impaired), and more contrast + is better than a low-contrast theme. This stands for both your + slides and your Emacs theme. +- If you think your fonts might be too small in your slides or in Emacs, + they might very well be. [You can change the font-size in your + Emacs](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/SetFonts#h5o-6), but you can + also play with the size of the captured window during your recording. +- Try to minimize the screen-flashes that occur when you switch between + windows, especially if their themes do not cohere (light-to-dark and + the reverse). If you can edit your recording, fades and other + transitions are a neat solution to this problem. + +## How do I show my keystrokes on screen? + +In Emacs, you can use +[interaction-log.el](https://github.com/michael-heerdegen/interaction-log.el) +(in MELPA) to display the keystrokes and the commands they run in a separate +buffer. For a system-wide solution, you can look into +[screenkey](https://gitlab.com/screenkey/screenkey). + +## I’m not used to talking to myself. Can I present the talk to someone? + +We might be able to help you record your talk using the BigBlueButton +web conferencing system before November 4. Please email +<emacsconf-submit@gnu.org> with some times that might work for you and +we’ll see if a volunteer can meet up with you to record it. + +## Can I see the other proposed talks? + +Once we’ve emailed all the speakers about their acceptance, we’ll put +up the talk wiki pages. That way, you can see what else is going on +in the conference and maybe coordinate with other speakers in order to +minimize overlap and maximize awesomeness. + +## What if there are lots of great questions during Q&A and we run out of time? + +You can continue answering questions on the collaborative pad or IRC, +and we’ll copy questions and answers onto the wiki page afterwards so +that you can answer them in your own time after the event. + +An extended live demo or Q&A session might be possible if someone +volunteers to broadcast it on an alternative stream. If you or a +volunteer is interested in helping with this, please feel free to +contact us at <emacsconf-submit@gnu.org>. + +## More questions? + +Please email <emacsconf-submit@gnu.org>. We’d love to hear from you. + +Thanks for contributing to EmacsConf 2022! + +<!-- <a name="tech-checklist"></a> --> +<!-- #### Tech checklist --> + +<!-- - Can you speak and be heard? Is there echo? --> +<!-- - Can you hear the organizer? --> +<!-- - Can you share your screen? Is the screen readable? --> +<!-- - If you plan to show your keystrokes, is that display visible? --> +<!-- - If you want to share your webcam (optional), can you enable it? Is it visible? Will there likely be distractions in the background? --> +<!-- - Can you view the collaborative pad? Will you be comfortable reviewing questions on your own (perhaps by keeping it open beside your shared window), or will you need a volunteer to relay questions to you? --> +<!-- - Can you share contact information (ex: phone number) so that we can get in touch with you in case of technical issues or scheduling changes? --> +<!-- - Do you need help finding your way around IRC so that you can check into `#emacsconf-org`? What is your IRC nickname? --> |