CAA 2021 FAQ for Presenters

For All Chairs and Presenters (Both Synchronous & Asynchronous Sessions)

NMC PROGRAMMING TYPES

What is the difference between SAC/NMC MediaLounge, NMC Affiliated Panel, and NMC Showcase?

New Media Caucus has  three types of programming at CAA conference that are not hierarchical:

  1. NMC Affiliated Panel at CAA – This is our large-format panel where NMC is given a large platform to program a single panel.
  2. NMC/SAC MediaLounge Content at CAA – A series of panels hosted by SAC which is a committee of CAA. All of the following information that you see in this page is related to this particular programming.
  3. NMC Showcase – Our NMC offsite event that is not affiliated with CAA but occurs in the same week as CAA to streamline our content offerings and maximize engagement. 

REGISTRATION

I am presenting in a joint NMC/SAC MediaLounge session. Do I need to be a New Media Caucus member?  

Yes, all chairs and panelists in SAC/NMC sessions are required to join NMC’s free membership by subscribing to NMC’s mailing list. (link here).

Do I have to be a member of CAA to present in SAC programming?

No, participants in SAC programming do not need to be active CAA members. They were issued non-member ID numbers to be added to the conference schedule.

Do I have to register for the conference to present in SAC programming?

Yes, SAC program participants must complete the free conference registration by selecting the “Free and Open Sessions” registration type (link to register for the conference).

When do I have to register for the free and open programming?

Registration is now open on CAA website, and it closes February 13, 2021. We recommend registering for free and open programming as soon as possible and no later than January 5 to give some leeway for any technical issues that may arise.

Can I invite colleagues and friends to attend my session?

Yes, but all attendees must complete the free conference registration by selecting the “Free and Open Sessions” registration type (link to register for the conference).

I want to attend a session that is not part of SAC programming. Do I get an entry because I am a presenter?

Some other sessions, such as Student and Emerging Professional Committee sessions, are also free and open to the public. For all other sessions in the main conference, you must register either for a single day or for the whole conference.

Where can I get access to the conference schedule?
https://caa.confex.com/caa/2021/meetingapp.cgi/Day/2021-02-10

SYNCHRONOUS/ LIVE Q&A TECHNOLOGY

What is the difference between a 30-minute Q&A session and a 90-minute live session?

These 30-minute sessions are live Q&A sessions associated with the 90-minute asynchronous sessions that will be available on the conference website from February 5 through March 15.

The 90-minute live sessions are synchronous sessions such as workshops, roundtables, or formats that do not easily correspond to pre-recording.

(Below info is NEW! Updated December 30)

What platform is being used for the conference sessions? Do I need to download or install any apps for running my live Q&A or synchronous live session?

Chairs/ moderators are recommended to have the desktop Teams app in order to have any controls in the meeting.

Attendees are not required to download any application or buy subscriptions for video conferencing platforms. They can log into sessions directly through the web browser. However, CAA recommends that participants download the Teams app for the best viewer experience.

Note: We are still waiting for more information about the web-based platform that will be used for synchronous and live sessions from CAA. Once that information is available, we will share it here on this page.

TITLE AND INTRO TEMPLATES

(Below info is NEW! Updated December 30)

Do I need to include anything in my presentation besides the original content of the session?

SAC requests that all SAC programming, including NMC sessions (both synchronous and asynchronous,) use the title slide/graphics that includes CAA, SAC, and NMC logos at the beginning of their presentation. The slides are located here (you just need to add one): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15tum_dL84N9vtsC2fIuasnt2KCR2xAjb

Please note that only the first presentation (typically that of the chair) should include the title slide/graphics at the start of their video and/or synchronous/live Q&A session slideshow. 

In addition, chairs should read the following script at the introduction of the live Q&A session, synchronous session, or any pre-recorded chair introduction. Feel free to adapt for your speaking style but do include the content points:

“I’m pleased to welcome you to this New Media Caucus program hosted by CAA’s Services to Artists Committee. SAC sessions are free and open to the public and promote dialogue about visual-arts practice and its relation to critical discourse. Panel discussions, screenings, professional development seminars, workshops, roundtables, and the presentation of work provide opportunities for the creative exchange of ideas. I hope you enjoy this program and will visit other NMC sessions hosted by SAC, as well as other SAC programming, during the conference.”

PDF CONTENT

(Below info is NEW! Updated January 4th)

How can I provide PDFs or other handouts to my session attendees?

If you are providing PDFs or any handout materials with your session (bios, resource guides, vocabulary, bibliographies, websites, etc.), please upload to Speaker’s Corner by January 10th (previously January 5th).

If you would like to continue to add/edit linked content later, it is also possible to create a PDF with a link to a Google folder or file (or another document receptacle of choice, such as Dropbox) and upload that PDF to the Speaker’s Corner by January 5th (previously January 10th). You can then update your linked folders/files whenever you wish. However, please note that using PDF linked folders and files is not an official CAA recommended approach, so we cannot assure any CAA tech support or assistance if you run into technical issues using this method.

One final way to provide external links for your session’s audience is to post them in the comments section of your session page as soon as the session pages go live in February.

(Below info is NEW! Updated January 4th)

Is there any PDF content that I should include by default?

Yes! SAC is requesting that all chairs include a PDF upload of the 2021 SAC Programming Full Schedule (linked here). As attendees go from one panel to the next, this document will help to promote all of the SAC and NMC programmed panels. Please include this in your document uploads by the January 10th deadline.

For Asynchronous (pre-recorded) Session Chairs and Presenters Only

SUBMISSION PLATFORM AND SPEAKER’S CORNER (SC)

What should I consider in preparation for sharing my pre-recorded contents to CAA’s conference platform?

Your pre-recorded contents need to be uploaded to CAA’s submission platform, called Speaker’s Corner (SC.)  In mid to late-October, CAA sent a general email to all chairs and presenters with the subject line of “Next steps for your CAA 2021 SAC Session.” In that email they provided a personal access link to Speaker’s Corner for each session. They sent another email around December 4th with the subject line of “Prepare for your CAA 2021 Presentation” that also has the Speaker’s Corner link embedded. If you cannot locate these emails, please check your spam folders. In addition, check your spam settings and elect to allow any emails from “caa@confex.com”

What if I can’t find the CAA email that includes my personal access link to the Speaker’s Corner?

You need to contact one of the two SAC/NMC liaisons as soon as possible:

Who has access to the Speaker’s Corner, and is there anything else I should know about SC besides uploading my pre-recorded content?

All panelists and chairs who present at CAA should have access to the Speaker’s Corner (SC) and each presenter, including the chairs and panelists of NMC affiliated sessions, has to go into the Speaker’s Corner and enter their name into the electronic form, accessed in the section at the bottom. Please remember that even if you are gathering with all of your presenters in one recording space and uploading a single file that includes everyone, each presenter should still sign this electronically by January 5th.

ASYNCHRONOUS/PRE-RECORDING FORMATS

What can I do to prepare for recording and sharing my session?

The following link includes CAA general instructions for recording your presentation. Please use them as a suggestion regarding the tech. We strongly recommend tech rehearsals prior to your recording session (link here).

What is the best method for recording the session by including all materials provided by each panelist?

We recognize that chairs may choose to present session content in various ways:

  • Each panelist/presenter prepares a self-contained pre-recorded presentation, for which the chair creates an introductory video framing the content and suggesting possible viewing order
  • Each panelist/presenter prepares a self-contained pre-recorded presentation and the chair edits these together
  • All session participants meet and present on a Zoom call that is recorded as one video

There are pros and cons to all of these methods, and we leave it to the chair to determine the best for your session content.

Is there any time limit for the pre-recorded contents?
The pre-recorded contents may total up to 90 minutes. The division of time is at the discretion of the chair.

CAPTIONING

I received an email from servicestoartists@gmail.com about captioning. What is this about? Is captioning the session mandatory?

No, captioning the session is not required by CAA. According to CAA all pre-recordings, as well as live sessions, presented in Microsoft Teams can utilize built-in AI-powered transcription. However, please note that these AI-powered captions are not ADA-compliant.

SAC strongly advocates, especially in the context of this virtual conference, providing accessible and ADA-compliant content. SAC secured a generous sponsorship from the Tremaine Foundation for the costs of captioning all pre-recorded material. 

My session’s content will be ready before December 28th and I want SAC to provide the ADA-compliant captioning for my session, what should I do next?

After you confer with your participants, respond to the SAC email (servicestoartists@gmail.com) asap and no later than December 15th. SAC will provide links to Dropbox folders and requests that pre-recorded content be uploaded as soon as possible but no later than midnight (EST) December 28, 2020. We will caption, re-upload to Dropbox, and notify you to download and submit to meet the January 5th CAA Speaker’s Corner upload date.

Will I get the captioned files back?

Yes, we will provide files back to everyone so individuals can upload their content into the Speaker’s Corner.

I would like to get content captioned through SAC but I am not able to meet the December 28th deadline. What should I do?

Please communicate with servicestoartists@gmail.com and copy Sue Huang (sue.huang@uconn.edu) and Farhad Bahram (farhad.bahram@indstate.edu). 

Can I caption my own content?

Yes, while we strongly recommend all NMC panelists to consider this free ADA-compliant captioning service facilitated by SAC, you can still independently caption your own material before uploading to CAA Speaker’s Corner by the January 10th due date.

Please note that we are still waiting for information about how the captions work within the conference platform. So, if you are captioning your own session, look for further instructions that will be shared here on this page.

Who should I communicate with if I have further questions?

Revisiting the Important Deadlines

  • December 15th (12 midnight EST): respond to the SAC email as to your intentions regarding whether you can meet the December 28 deadline for SAC to facilitate captioning through rev.com. (REQUIRED for asynchronous sessions)
  • December 28th (12 midnight EST): If you choose to participate in the captioning process, upload your pre-recorded content to the Dropbox folder that SAC will provide for you after your confirmation in the previous step.
  • January 5th (12 midnight EST): submit digital release form via CAA Speaker’s Corner
  • January 10th (12 midnight EST): submit pre-recordings via CAA Speaker’s Corner (SC)

(Below info is NEW! Updated December 30)

  • February 13th: conference registration (all participants must register by this deadline whether by paid registration or the “Free and Open Session” free registration)