From 4c69dae9116523c9a6948d935c1881b566b16b66 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Sacha Chua Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2023 22:56:38 -0400 Subject: initial draft --- 2023/prepare.md | 253 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 253 insertions(+) create mode 100644 2023/prepare.md diff --git a/2023/prepare.md b/2023/prepare.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..81995a3c --- /dev/null +++ b/2023/prepare.md @@ -0,0 +1,253 @@ +[[!meta title="Notes and tips on preparing your talk"]] +[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2019, 2020 Amin Bandali; 2021, 2022 Amin Bandali, Sacha Chua, Leo Vivier; 2023 Sacha Chua"]] + +[[!template id=pagedraft]] + +This page contains tips for preparing your talk. If you have any +questions, concerns, or suggestions please feel free to write to one +our organizational mailing lists: the public +list, or the private 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. + +We'll bring up the web-based upload service soon. Let us know if +you're already ready to go! + + +### 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 + to chat more about this. + +### Recording your talk + +To help EmacsConf 2023 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), so it may help to switch to that size before you record. +Please make sure your text will be easy to read. +[You can change the font-size in your Emacs](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/SetFonts#h5o-6). +(Maybe `M-x customize-face default` and set the height to 150?) 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 an **external microphone or a headset**, 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!) + +If possible, please also record a separate video with at least **5 +seconds of quiet** in the same room as your main recording. 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. + + +# 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: + Tiling window managers and +multi-monitor setups can be a little tricky, so it's good to figure +out a setup that works for you. If there are things you'd like to +confirm by having another person in the meeting, such as audio +quality, please feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll sort +things out together. + +Thank you so much for helping with EmacsConf 2023! + +# Frequently-asked questions + +## Can I present live? + +Tech issues kept happening during EmacsConf 2023, 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 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 speaking +super quickly or fast-forwarding your recording to make it fit within +the format. Trimming out the silences and the filler words can help +sometimes, but a better solution for you might be to condense your +talk to the essentials, then write, record, and edit your voice-over. +Once you've figured out how to use the time, you can record your video +to go along with it. Don't sweat being a few minutes over or under, +that's cool. + +Feel free to send some questions for the host to ask you during the +Q&A so that you can address extra points that didn't make it into the +video. + +## 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 the conference. Please email + 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 the conference. Please email + 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 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 it's already time for the next talk? + +The stream will move on to the next talk, but people can join the +BigBlueButton meeting room and keep chatting with you for as long as +you want to keep going. You can also 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. + +## More questions? + +Please email . We’d love to hear from you. + +Thanks for contributing to EmacsConf 2023! + + + + + + + + + + + + -- cgit v1.2.3