Final MAP Chat Transcript 1/14

Neal:  I've got a question about the sample for the director on the project we're applying for.  The only work sample we have to submit is a series of scenes from another play the director staged here. It's not a 10-minute segment, but it's all we have. Is this going to be to our detriment to submit?

Kelly at MAP: It's always better to have a longer, sustained sample...rather than clips. But if that's all you have, just go ahead and use that. How long are the scenes?

Neal:  There are five scenes none more than 2.5 minutes or thereabouts.

Kelly at MAP:  That should be okay. Just be clear in your work sample description that those clips are all you have available as documentation. Evaluators are pretty understanding about that, given that most theaters are restricted on how they can document their work because of Equity rules.

Powe:  My question is about composer work samples. Can I submit a combination of 'audio-only' and 'audio-with-video' samples as long as it all adds up to 10 mins?

Powe: What about the mail-in part: okay to send 1-DVD and 1-CD?

Kelly at MAP:  Yes, that’s fine.

Neal:  Okay -- will do. One other quick question: What is "Chapter or Cue Point" on the Work Sample page?

Kelly at MAP: That refers to the physical DVD you'll be sending to us. It's the place for you to tell us the cue for the sample, if necessary.

Neal:  So, If the sample work is the entire dvd contents, then N/A?

Kelly at MAP:  Yes.

Curiewo: I am having a difficult time getting my work sample video to burn to DVD. Is there anything I can do to make this easier?

Jay at MAP:  What program are you using to burn the DVD?

Curiewo: The clip is an avi and I am trying to burn it from windows media player.  But when I double click the file, windows media players gives an error message

Jay at MAP:  Windows media player does not support creating Video DVDs. I would try this: http://www.dvdflick.net/.  It is donationware, meaning you can use it for free or give them a donation for using the software.

Clarem:  I can send a work sample that is a montage of moments edited together from the entire 50 minute work..is this suitable for the online work sample content?  Or I have another work uploaded that would be a sustained 5minute clip?

Kelly at MAP: Definitely go with the sustained clip.

Clarem:  One of our work samples can't be put on youtube or vimeo because of Union issues. We have this sample on our own website that is embedded that is allowed by the union. If we submit a dvd of this same sample and then link to our website for this sample only is this ok?

Kelly at MAP:  Yes, that’s okay.

Mare: For a director video work sample, I know that 2 5min. scenes is strongly encouraged, but i'm wondring if 2 4 min scenes and one 2 min scene would be acceptable…

Kelly at MAP: Yes, that would be okay. But remember, you are only able to upload two video links in the online application. So you will have to combine two of these into one video.

Emmanuel:  With regard to some of the questions we submitted for the LOI. Do you recommend we go back and expand where possible for the full proposal or leave as is?

Kelly at MAP: Expand, if possible. If you know more about your project at this point or have confirmed venues, etc. definitely go back and include that information.

Molly: A question about development vs production support. I am requesting support for development of an ongoing work that is reaching its most vital stage of development. Is a request less competitive if it doesn't have confirmed venues for eventual/projected presentation?

Kelly at MAP: No, there's no requirement for confirmed venues. Proposals for development are just as competitive and welcomed as proposals for production.  It can sometimes be harder to write a proposal for the development of a work, because you are earlier in your process and may have a lot of unanswered questions. But our evaluators are often artists themselves and so they understand that's how the creative process often works and are sensitive to that.  Also, you may have a work-in-progress work sample to submit, so that could help strengthen a proposal for development

Powe:  My question is regarding a composer work sample again. With the online submission, you ask for audio files to be saved and uploaded as video files--so I assume they'll be played back through computer speakers. But what about the mailed-in samples? Will the panelists listen to them through quality speakers or just computer built-ins?

Denise at MAP:  Panelists will be listening to the mailed in CD’s through quality speakers and ipods.

Molly:  Question about Youtube vs Vimeo video quality. Vimeo seems to promise a higher quality upload. Do you have any experience w/ this?

Jay at MAP: Vimeo is preferred to Youtube generally. Though watching Vimeo is more jittery for some people the file will actually be downloaded. Is your mp4 a high definition video or a standard definition video?

Molly:  My videos are all standard def.  I've been uploading to youtube and vimeo to experiment and can't see a huge difference, but obviously I want the quality to be the best it can be given the resolution.  I'm using imovie to edit.

Jay at MAP:  When using iMovie, the video you imported was originally standard definition, correct?

Molly: Correct. Original import--standard def.

Jay at MAP:  If you have already uploaded the video to vimeo, I suggest providing that link for your submission.

Powe: Are there instructions online about how to converts documentation from a DVD to a .mov file?

Jay at MAP:  Yes, are you using Mac OS X or Windows?

Powe: Mac OS X10.5.8

Jay at MAP:  The instructions are here, http://apply.mapfund.org/guidelines_faq.php#faq25

The instructions are for a free program called Handbrake and are not as intimidating as they seem when you have the program installed and open on your computer.

Mare:  We did a workshop production of the piece we are now applying for funds to premier/tour: Could a sample from the workshop performance be considered a work-in-progress sample? And is that an additional 10 minutes of video allowed then?

Kelly at MAP:  Yes and yes.  All proposals are allowed one (optional) work-in-progress sample, in addition to your lead artist work samples.  The work-in-progress sample is 10 minutes of material (video or audio or 10 images or a script, of which 10 pages will be reviewed)

Molly: Will the default upload settings from imovie to vimeo be sufficient? They offer suggestions on how to get "highest" quality--but I don't want to spend time translating unless it's a significantly better option to do so.

Jay at MAP:  See the second section of http://apply.mapfund.org/guidelines_faq.php#faq25 (the first is for handbrake, the second for imovie). If you want to use youtube, feel free to use share/youtube settings in iMovie.

Molly:  Sorry, Jay--getting clear here: I need to work w/ Handbrake in order to upload my SD video from imovie to vimeo?

Jay at MAP:  No, handbrake is used to prepare dvd content for upload.

Molly:  Sorry Jay, still not clear. dvd content or .mov content?  Wait--handbrake is for dvds...like if my content started on a dvd and had to be placed on my harddrive to upload?

Jay at MAP:  Yes.

Molly: If I'm going straight from imovie content that I've transferred myself from mini dv (or whatever), can I use the default settings for upload to vimeo?  ie. choose "share", then create a "large movie file" from imovie, then upload from vimeo.

Jay at MAP:  If you used imovie to edit content from your digital video camera, the instructions in the link are for exporting that imovie to a H.264 mp4 or mov file (mp4 and mov are analogous)

Jay at MAP:  Which version of iMovie?

Molly:  I'm not sure—I think it’s a very recent (last year) version.

Jay at MAP:  I suggest using the iMovie Share menu and choose Export using QuickTime

Molly:  I've uploaded two clips to vimeo and two to youtube, but I just followed the basic instructions.  So you're saying "share" "export" "quick time" ...that will create my file and it *should* be in the required format?  Then when I upload from vimeo I choose that file and it will be a .mov or m4v file. If I go w/ youtube, i can just "share" to youtube (which is an option).

Jay at MAP:  The youtube default option in iMovie is acceptable

Molly:  But vimeo is better and more complicated.

Jay at MAP:  For vimeo, I recommend following the instructions for iMovie in http://apply.mapfund.org/guidelines_faq.php#faq25

Molly:  Okay. Even though the faq sheet lists this as the instructions for HD, and my video is SD?

Jay at MAP:  If your original video is standard defintion instead of high definition, the Video Size can be (and probably will be) less than 1280 x 720

Molly:  Yes.

Jay at MAP:  The other settings can be the same.

Molly:  Is there a "SD ___" option that will be fairly intuitive when I'm selecting size?

Jay at MAP:  There is not a predefined setting in iMovie, but once you are working in iMovie the guidelines will make more sense

Powe:  I'm using handbrake but seem to be unable to alter the output settings. your instructions say to change the PICTURE SETTINGS to W-1280, H-720. But I can't get to anything higher than W-720, H-496. Advice?

Jay at MAP:  Feel free to to leave the resolution as is.  The picture settings may need to be lowered to 1280x720 for some if their original video is higher definition.

Oakland:  I have a question about the labeling of electronic work samples.  It says in the instructions, "For electronic files, please include the 4-digit ID in all filenames”  Is that referring to the physical copy of the work sample?  or the youtube link?

Kelly at MAP: The 4 digit number is your application number. The number in brackets at the top of the page in your application.

Molly:  Can you confirm the maximum length allowed for the work-in-progress video sample?  And, can you confirm that this can only be ONE sample, not one ten min. OR two five?

Kelly at MAP: Max. length of work-in-progress sample is 10 min. and it can be either one 10 min. or two 5 min. But if you are going to do 2, you should probably edit them together in the same video link.

Mare:  Could  the work in progress video sample be 3 clips edited together totaling no more than 10 min (as opposed to two)?

Kelly at MAP: Yes, that's fine.

Mare:  Out of curiosity, how many full proposals did you invite?

Kelly at MAP: Around 450.