Session Length: 50 Minutes s2

TL102 BUILDING THE SHOW 2009 NATIONAL ORDER OF THE ARROW CONFERENCE

Session Length: 75 Minutes

Learning objectives: . Understand why a Shows program is important. . Understand what a Shows program can accomplish. . Build a foundation of knowledge to create or improve a Shows program in each lodge or section.

Required Materials: . PowerPoint Presentation . Screen & Projector . Cameras, computers, etc. (basic Shows gear)

TRAINER PREPARATION

This session is essentially a high-level crash-course in how to execute a Shows program at the Lodge level. It will emphasize responsibilities and opportunities relevant to a lodge-level shows crew.

Due to the highly technical nature of this session, it generally requires a trainer with a bit of experience in multimedia production. Ideally, the trainers will have considerable experience with Lodge- or Section- level shows, a solid technical background, and the ability to communicate highly technical and complicated ideas or topics in simple terms that inexperienced Arrowmen can understand.

Trainers should be prepared to field a wide variety of highly technical questions and adjust the scope or domain of the discussion to fit the technical experience of the audience. PowerPoint slides will emphasize key words or phrases, provide technical illustrations, and guide the focus of the presentation. Slides are not a script and should not be used as such.

SESSION NARRATIVE

Welcome and Introduction: 5 Minutes

Welcome to this course, TL102: Building the Show. The objective of this course, as printed in the NOAC training schedule, is as follows:

A “how-to” on creating presentations for lodge events. From presentation ceremonies to full- blown lodge event shows, this session will show Arrowmen what technology is out there and how to use it. You’ll also learn how to plan, create, prepare and pull off the best show your Lodge has ever seen.

Before we get to that, though, let us introduce ourselves and talk for a minute about our history in Scouting, the Order, and our experiences in our lodge’s Shows program.

[At this point, each presenter gives a 30-45 second introduction of themselves.]

How that you know who we are, and what we’ve done, you’re probably asking why we work with Shows, or perhaps how our Lodge benefits. This is important, so let’s start with that.

Order of the Arrow Page 1 of 5 Boy Scouts of America 2009 NOAC Session TL102 Building the Show

. Our lodge’s Shows program creates leadership opportunities. In the last ten years, over half of our Lodge Chiefs were members of Coosa Shows. . It improves membership retention, event attendance, and Brotherhood conversion. . It gives us an opportunity to translate the messages of Scouting and the Order into a medium that today’s youth (the Facebook or MySpace generation) can relate to. . We help Scouts earn related merit badges (Photography, Cinematography, Theater, etc.) . We use these skills to support Council-wide events (Talladega Encampment, etc.) . We really, really love what we do.

Now that you know who we are, what we do, and why we do it, let’s get into the meat of this session. Here’s a quick outline of the things we’ll cover. (Show a high-level outline slide on-screen.)

Trainer Tip: The rest of this presentation will be loosely structured, since the content lends itself to regular interruptions with questions from the audience and is prone to tangential discussions or stronger emphasis in some areas than others. The discussion should continue to follow an outline as much as possible, but you shouldn’t be afraid to follow the audience’s lead if they want to move in a slightly different direction.

Planning: 5 Minutes

Perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle, in our experience, is pre-event planning. We are in constant contact with the members of our team, often one or more times per day. In the week or two before a large event (Conclave, Fall Fellowship, etc.), it’s not unusual for us to have teleconferences one or two nights to make sure that we’re all ready and on the same page.

We do the vast majority of our planning online in collaborative environments, including:

. Email, Twitter, IM, and Skype . Google Docs or MediaWiki . Private online forum

Basic planning should include what you’re going to do, who is going to take responsibilities for each task or project, who is responsible for bringing which equipment, and when/where the Show will take place. Work with the LEC to ensure that a show is on the schedule for each event (or at least the main events).

Production: 25 Minutes

At a basic level, every show can be broken down into two major functional parts: Production, where you actually create the things that will shown on-screen, and presentation, where you have a room full of people watching your work on the big screen.

Basic production equipment for most shows will be a camera (video, still, or both) and a computer with which to do the editing. You can edit with an old VHS camera and a pair of analog VCRs (we used to do it!), but computer-based editing has come a long way in ten years and it’s simple enough that anyone can do it with a bit of practice.

Still cameras should be at least 3 megapixels (MP), with removable memory cards and plenty of batteries. Point-and-shoot cameras can work just as well as a fancy digital SLR. They each have their pros and cons. Make sure that you have the USB cable or an appropriate card reader.

Trainer Tip: Talk a bit about different models on the market at different price points and try to help the audience understand what makes on camera better or more capable than the other. This will require a bit of research, obviously. Be sure to cover some of the standard debates, such as Canon vs. Nikon.

For video cameras, look for something that shoots in one of these formats: Digital 8, DV, mini DV, HDV, or AVCHD. Any camera bought in the last 5 or 6 years should be one of these formats. Generally, if you have a FireWire (IEEE 1394) output on the camera, you’re in good shape.

Trainer Tip: Talk a bit about different models on the market at different price points and try to help the audience understand what makes on camera better or more capable than the other. This will require a bit of research, obviously.

The most important piece of the production puzzle, perhaps, is the computer that you’ll use for your editing. When you’re buying a new camera, be sure to consider the computer that you’re likely to be working with. Many laptops, for example, lack a FireWire input. This makes it difficult to find a compatible video camera. Recent still cameras can create image files that are as large as 25 MB each, which can be difficult for older computers to handle.

Trainer Tip: Talk a bit about different models on the market at different price points and try to help the audience understand what makes on camera better or more capable than the other. This will require a bit of research, obviously. Be sure to cover some of the standard debates, such as Mac vs. PC. If you expect a Linux-savvy audience, be prepared to talk a bit about that.

To tie everything together, lots of teams choose popular music to set the mood or tempo for their videos and slideshows. It may be okay to use copyrighted music (from a CD, for example) during your shows, but it’s generally not acceptable to post videos with that music to sites like YouTube. We’re not lawyers, however, so please take some time to learn about this stuff on your own.

Trainer Tip: Become familiar with some of the basic music licensing issues and be prepared to explain them. Offer legitimate alternatives, such as royalty-free music collections or music published under Creative Commons. Also encourage them to find talented musicians within their lodge to create original music.

The topic of production technique is certainly outside the scope of this session, but we can cover some of the fundamentals:

. “Rule of Thirds”, and why it matters. . Too much headroom, too little headroom. . Pre- and Post-roll for a video clip. . etc., etc., etc.

Presentation: 25 Minutes

Now that you’ve slaved away all day in the Shows office, it’s time to pull your collective efforts into a single presentation, put it on the big screen, and share it with the lodge. Our lodge’s shows typically include things like Vigil presentations, Founders’ Award presentations, lodge officer installation, and more.

Your setup can range from relatively simple (a DVD player connected to a PA system and projector) to highly complicated (several laptop computers, a hardware video switcher, closed-circuit porta-coms, live cameras, theatrical light controls, and more). If you’re just starting out, keep it simple and grow your skills one piece at a time.

Trainer Tip: Be prepared to describe the process of burning a video/slideshow set to a DVD or pulling everything together into a single PowerPoint or Keynote presentation. Also, spend some time to draw up some basic setup diagrams for simple or complicated setups. Have some presentation equipment on-hand and be prepared to explain why you use what you do.

The essential elements of any multimedia show are the audio and visual elements. For us, that general involves a large rear-projection screen, a projector, and a beefy PA system. This is all that’s really necessary to put your DVDs or video files out there for everyone to enjoy. Projectors should have at least 1200 lumens (more is always better) and PA system should start at 100 watts per channel for small groups.

Trainer Tip: Be familiar with the pros and cons of front- or rear- projection setups, different types of video standards (component, composite, s-video, HDMI, DVI, VGA, etc.), and different audio connections (XLR, RCA, minijack, etc.). Also be prepared to offer suggestions on a screen, projector, and PA system.

Once you’re comfortable with the basic setup, you can start to mix in some more technical capabilities, starting with a hardware video mixer, which will give you much more control and flexibility over how fluidly and cleanly you transition from one piece of your presentation to the next.

You might also consider adding a “live” camera, which is used to put the focus of the audience’s attention (a speaker, presenter, performer, etc.) on-screen so everyone can clearly see what’s going on. When you pair this with a hardware mixer, you can use your presentation software (PowerPoint or Keynote) to create a “lower third” graphic, which adds some really nice polish to an already impressive presentation.

Post-Show Review: 3 Minutes

This is almost as important to each show as the planning process. Take some time after each show to meet with your crew to figure out what went well, what didn’t, and what can be improved. This is a great time to identify areas for improvement in your arena, troubleshoot technical problems with your presentation, or brainstorm ideas for the next event.

The Power of One: 2 Minutes

The theme of this conference is “The Power of One”, so it is important to take a minute and relate this session to that theme. As far as team efforts go, working with Shows is, arguably, as challenging and rewarding as it gets in the Order of the Arrow. You will work with many different personalities, youth and adult, and will have many opportunities to inspire the Arrowmen around you.

Each of you brings to the table a unique skill set, a unique perspective, and a unique style. Don’t be afraid to explore those unique assets as you grow within your Lodge and within your Shows program. You never know … Your unique vision may be what inspires one person in the audience to do something extraordinary.

Closing and Q&A: 10 Minutes

Trainer Tip: Use this time to give a quick review of the things you covered, pass out a handout with information and further reading (books, websites, etc.), share some of your favorite resources, and share your contact info with the class. When you’re done, open the floor for questions and encourage everyone to contact you after the event if that have questions.

APPENDIX: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1: Where should I go for more information on Shows?

A1: In general, we get our information fresh from the ‘net. There are a ton of topic-specific resources out there for any type of production or presentation you’re interested in. For stuff specific to Scouting-type Shows, we have created an online forum at http://coosashows.net/, which we invite everyone to join.

Q2: Which websites would you recommend for research? Or where should I buy my gear?

A2: We’ve posted a collection of our favorite resources to the website that we built specifically for this class: http://coosashows.net/noac2009/

Q3: How can I contact the instructor(s) for more information?

A3: For contact info or to download a copy of our syllabus, outline, slides, or handout, visit the webpage for this class: http://coosashows.net/noac2009/

Order of the Arrow Page 5 of 5 Boy Scouts of America