VICK_321606A_Oral_History_SOW_Combined_Revised.docx

Vicksburg National Military Park

STATEMENT OF WORK:

Oral History Interviews with African American Community

DATED:

June 2024

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

SOUTHEAST REGION

I. OVERVIEW

SCOPE

Under the terms and conditions of the Contract, the Contractor shall perform the work of this purchase order for the National Park Service (NPS) as described below.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The information developed under this purchase order is the property of the U.S. government and shall be kept in strict confidence.

PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The work shall begin following the issuance of the purchase order, proceed following the schedule for submittals, and be completed no later than 36 months after award.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK) was established to commemorate the 18-month campaign and siege during the American Civil War. In 1990 though, the park’s enabling legislation was updated to include interpretation of Occupation and Reconstruction in Vicksburg. Reconstruction efforts following the war were reflected in changes occurring in regional and national politics, economies, and society as a whole. Vicksburg became a microcosm of these changes and consequences. The National Cemetery contains the remains of over 18,000 soldiers including over 5,500 United States Colored Troops as well African American veterans from the Spanish-American War through the Korean War. These burials are segregated. Through telling the stories of Vicksburg, one can trace the path of the African American experience from enslavement through the fight for freedom through Reconstruction, its unfulfilled promise, and through to the Civil Rights Era struggles. The park also plays a significant role as both a commemorative and recreational space with a broad spectrum of meanings to the Vicksburg community.

While park planning documents have identified the significance of African American stories to the park’s mission, they have remained largely untold and under-told within the context of the park’s interpretive efforts. This project will seek to collect oral histories that will provide deeper insights into the African American experience as it relates to Vicksburg National Military Park and its associated stories. The focus of these efforts is to give identity to people and to bring to light perspectives and stories that are either currently unknown or under-told.

This project will first identify the gaps in historical knowledge and gather new perspectives. The project will then focus on collecting oral history interviews from African American community members and other marginalized communities to explore meanings and relevancy. Included in this would be collecting stories of descendants, family, and friends of those who are buried in the National Cemetery including the United States Colored Troops. Ideally, this project would work with communities of African descent to identify themes and focus areas/periods. The interviews shall become part of the park’s permanent archives and shall be used in future interpretive and educational efforts.

Due to the personal nature of many of these experiences and topics, the Vicksburg African American community requires special attention and respect, and enhanced community engagement.

Additional information about the park is available at www.nps.gov/vick.

II. SCOPE OF WORK

This scope of services directs the Contractor to provide research, community engagement, and audiovisual services to produce 15-20 ultra-high-definition (UHD) video interviews (individual and group) oral history interviews for Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

General Requirements

All interviews will be recorded in ultra-high-definition (UHD) and adhere to the principles and best practices for conducting oral history interviews as established by the Oral History Association (http://www.oralhistory.org/about/principles-and-practices/), the Smithsonian Institution (http://www.folklife.si.edu/the-smithsonian-folklife-and-oral-history-interviewing- guide/smithsonian), and the Library of Congress American Folklife Center (https://www.loc.gov/folklife/familyfolklife/oralhistory.html).

The final product provided to the park will include the inventories of the existing oral histories and their respective archival locations, as well as the oral histories collected as a part of the project and interview materials and all documentation necessary to understand and use these materials. These additional materials will include but will not be limited to, signed NPS release forms in hardcopy and two external hard drives (formatted for Mac and Windows) containing all archival quality recordings and lower file size access copies, full transcriptions, any structured datasets (e.g., spreadsheets) created through the course of the project, and a completion/summary report. All materials and documentation and associated metadata should adhere to the Oral History Association, Archiving Oral History: Manual of Best Practices (https://oralhistory.org/archives-principles-and-best-practices-complete-manual/).

The contractor shall provide all services, including labor, materials, equipment, facilities, fees, research, licensing, and travel necessary to produce all audiovisual media necessary to complete the required work as specified in this scope of services.

POINTS OF CONTACT:

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR):

Carrie Mardorf Superintendent Vicksburg National Military Park Carrie_Mardorf@nps.gov 318-652-0141

Project Manager:

Brendan Wilson Chief of Visitor Experience Vicksburg National Military Park Brendan_Wilson@nps.gov 601-642-6881

SPECIFIC TASKS AND REQUIREMENTS

This scope of work includes a base bid and bid options. The Park may or may not choose to exercise these bid options throughout the life of the contract.

BASE BID

The contractor shall conduct the following:

1. Orientation Meeting (location and method TBD)

Meet with the appropriate NPS staff to discuss research goals, schedule, project deliverables, interview topics, locations, and community outreach.

2. Community Engagement

Community engagement and collaboration should be part of project design and implementation, not only providing opportunities for co-creation but also for VICK to build and maintain important relationships with African American community members. Community participation should be sought throughout the project not just as narrators/interviewees but in the larger execution of the project. This will include hiring two (2) Community Liaisons as outlined below.

3. Conduct Preliminary Research and Identify Participants

Conduct sufficient preliminary research on the history of African American events in Vicksburg to develop a preliminary list of possible interviews. This includes identifying and inventorying pertinent archives and archival deposits to be utilized, and cataloging what oral history interviews their collections currently hold to determine which interviews to prioritize.

4. Community Liaisons (2)

In addition to other project personnel, the contractor will hire two community liaisons for the duties below. These should be hired locally in consultation with the NPS and the community:

a. Assist in the identification of potential interviewees.

b. Promote the project in the Vicksburg community.

c. Serve as a community representative in project meetings including the 3 community meetings.

d. Should be hired locally in consultation with the NPS and the community.

5. Conduct Interviews, Collect Metadata, Complete Transcriptions, and Prepare Progress Report

Conduct 15-20 archival quality audio/video recorded interviews (individual and group), compile metadata, and complete transcriptions in accordance with the Oral History Association guidelines and standards.

All recorded interviews should originate in Ultra-High-Definition (4K UHD, 3840 x 2160 resolution) using a professional camera and lens pre-approved by the COR. Should have a minimum of 13 stops of dynamic range, a minimum sensor size of “Super 35” or 35mm Full Frame, camera raw file format. Also, produce lower-resolution (high definition 1080p) MP4 proxy files—either synchronous in camera or by using a post-production process—that can be played using the latest version of Windows Media Player or equivalent programs on a standard Windows PC. Still, photos should also be collected of each interviewee. The contractor should also be prepared to digitize/capture images of relevant supplementary materials such as historic photos and related memorabilia that the interviewee is willing to share. In this event, additional permissions should be obtained permitting NPS use of these digitized items.

The Contractor is responsible for regular communication with the COR and park point of contact regarding the confirmation and scheduling of oral history interviews. Interviewees should be compensated $250 for each interview, to be paid by the contractor.

The Contractor will respond to occasional requests for status updates from the Contracting Officer or COR.

The Contractor will obtain signed NPS release forms during each interview session. Transcriptions shall be provided to interviewees for their review and approval.

The Contractor is responsible for providing a progress report and summary report outline to NPS staff for review and comment. The progress report should summarize project activities up to the drafting of the summary report and include a draft outline of the summary report. The summary report outline should indicate how the interviews address the principal research topic and any additional research topics (see Section 5 for research topics and additional topics).

6. Prepare Summary Report First Draft

Prepare a first draft completion report that includes an inventory of existing oral histories in archival sources and interview metadata as well as outlines the history of the events being commemorated by VICK. Analysis should be made of missing or underrepresented stories in existing archives and how the newly collected interviews address identified gaps. Additional content should include short bios of interviewers, a summary of each interview, common themes that emerge across interviews, recommendations for future research, and resources related to the African American history in Vicksburg and value to the community identified in interviews. These resources include objects, places, structures, and landscapes. Submit a draft summary report and associated data to NPS for comment and review. Develop and distribute a comment matrix to collect and track comments from NPS staff who will respond no later than 45 days after receipt of the draft.

7. Submit Edited Draft Which Responds to NPS Comments

Submit the second draft summary report and associated data to NPS review that responds to NPS comments. Include a comment matrix to collect and track any additional comments from NPS staff. NPS may return the draft to the Contractor to revise and resubmit before the review of the draft continues if more than 15 grammatical, typographical, or factual errors are identified in the draft. Provide a comment matrix that indicates how each previous NPS comment is addressed in the final draft. NPS may request a revised final draft if comments are not sufficiently addressed, or if grammatical, typographical, or factual errors are identified.

8. Submit Recordings, Transcriptions, Forms, and Final Summary Report

Inventory of existing oral history interviews in archival sources should be submitted electronically as a separate report to the COR and a copy included as a file with the interview materials below.

The final raw recording files, transcriptions, release forms, and summary report of findings shall be submitted on two external hard drives, one to the park and one to the regional office. The Contractor will submit any structured data sets created to analyze the materials and all metadata formatted to adhere to the Archiving Oral History: Manual of Best Practices.

9. Provide the following personnel. Specific duties are listed in Section II.2.B, Personnel. Multiple roles may be filled by a single team member but they should still be identified.

a. One Project Manager

b. One Interviewer

c. One Cinematographer

d. One Sound Recordist

e. One Makeup Artist (optional)

f. Two Community Liaisons should be hired locally in consultation with the NPS and the community.

In addition to the personnel listed above to fulfill the community engagement requirements, the community liaisons will assist with the collection development and project collaboration. Their duties will include the promotion of the project in the community and the identification of prospective oral history interviewees.

10. Contact all interviewees and schedule all interviews as described in Production Process, and Technical Specifications. The government shall furnish a list of interview candidates with contact information.

11. Provide all equipment and supplies necessary for the acquisition of required video footage, including professional grade 4K UHD video camera, lens, tripod, video monitor, audio equipment, lighting equipment, and backdrop. Equipment requirements are listed in Technical Specifications

12. Provide a venue to record the interviews. The contractor shall secure a suitable space such as a hotel suite, conference facility, or studio in each city to conduct the interviews. The government shall furnish a list of potential venues, but the contractor shall be responsible for booking the venues and paying all associated expenses. Requirements for the venues are listed in Technical Specifications.

13. Conduct and film a total of 15-20 interviews as described in Production Process, and Technical Specifications.

a. The contractor shall record the interviews. The number of shooting days and interviews per session may vary depending on the availability of interviewees.

b. The order and dates of the recording sessions shall be determined during the Post-Award Videoconference (see Production Process) or subsequent discussions.

c. Each interview shall be approximately 60 to 90 minutes in duration, depending on the content to be covered and the comfort level of the interviewee.

14. Pay an honorarium in the amount of $250 to each interviewee. Payment shall be made by cash or check and be paid after interviewees have been provided a copy and transcript of the interview and have returned the consent form. Optionally, if the contractor has the capacity, half of the amount can be paid at the time of the original interview and the other half after the interviewee has reviewed materials.)

15. Provide still current photos of each interviewee taken at the time of the interview.

16. Should be prepared to digitize any relevant materials that the interviewee is willing to share and provide as part of deliverables.

17. Provide accurate written transcriptions of each interview as described in Technical Specifications.

18. Provide interviewees with an additional opportunity to review and copy of completed interview and transcript and provide consent.

19. Provide a completion report as described in Final Deliverables and Closeout.

20. Submit all deliverables to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) as described in Technical Specifications.

BID OPTION 1 – COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Bid Option 1 includes enhanced community engagement throughout the oral interview process. It is dependent on the NPS securing additional funding and may or may not be awarded throughout the life of the contract. This bid option includes:

Community Engagement Events/Meetings (3 meetings)

The contractor/subcontractor will host three (3) Community Engagement Meetings, to be scheduled in consultation with the NPS. Potentially, these meetings could align as follows:

1. One coinciding or shortly after project kick-off to inform the community about the project.

2. One to provide an update/progress report and to identify ongoing project needs. This will ideally take place around the time of the progress report.

3. One to present the completed project after receipt of the second draft summary report, but before final submission of all deliverables.

BID OPTION 2 – ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS

Bid Option 2 includes five (5) additional interviews to be conducted throughout the oral interview process. It is dependent on the NPS securing additional funding and may or may not be awarded throughout the life of the contract. This bid option includes:

Additional Interviews (5 interviews)

The contractor/subcontractor will interview an additional five (5) community members. Interviewees should be compensated $250 for each interview, to be paid by the contractor. Payment shall be made by cash or check and be paid after interviewees have been provided a copy and transcript of the interview and have returned the consent form.

PROJECT SCHEDULE AND SUBMISSION OF DELIVERABLES

All work specified shall be completed under the following schedule. All work will be completed no later than three (3) years from the kick-off meeting. The NPS shall provide consolidated comments within 45 days of receipt of any submissions.

Progress Report and 2nd Community Engagement Meeting

18 months from the kick-off meeting

STIPULATIONS

1. The Contractor and key team members shall meet the professional qualification standards specified by the Oral History Association.

2. The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR and park project manager as necessary to complete the work. This coordination may include participating in conference calls and product review meetings.

3. The Contractor shall follow the Oral History Association Principles and Best Practices.

4. Appropriate permissions and informed consent must be granted by interviewees and provisions for confidentiality must be implemented. Selected portions of sensitive or especially important data that need to be kept confidential may be provided as a separate file with the names of individuals deleted or the code name substituted, and excerpts deleted from interview transcripts. NPS Management Policies (5:12, 13) recognize the need to keep confidential the location, character, and cultural context of certain ethnographic resources, especially historic and archeological resources with sacred significance. Data on them are exempted from public disclosure consistent with Section 304 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 9(a) of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.

5. All documentation (metadata, photographs, sketches, audio and video recordings, transcriptions) produced in connection with this project are to become the property of NPS. All documentation shall be delivered to the NPS upon completion of contract services. Restricted access materials will be marked. Original field notes will be retained by the Contractor under the condition that future NPS requests for information contained in the field notes will be made available at no additional cost, however, interview metadata should be provided. The completed documentation may be used and reproduced in any fashion that the NPS chooses, with appropriate consideration given to confidential information and credit given to the researcher. A researcher may publish articles based on the research covered under this contract, provided that appropriate consideration is given to confidential information and credit is given to the NPS.

6. The Contractor's quality control efforts shall ensure that all draft and final deliverables are completed documents, as specified, that have been reviewed for academic excellence, professional and copy quality, and technical accuracy. Documents not displaying such efforts will not be accepted.

7. The Contractor will not subcontract any portion of this project without prior NPS approval.

8. The contractor/subcontractor will conduct the three community engagement sessions professionally in accordance with project goals and furtherance of the main contract.

FEE AND PAYMENT

Progress payments to the Contractor shall be made based on proper and acceptable invoices submitted consistent with the quality requirements described in Stipulation 6 above.

Estimated Schedule of Payments

III. SPECIFICATIONS AND SUBMITTALS

This contract includes the following specifications and requires submittals as detailed below:

0. OVERALL SPECIFICATIONS:

0. Project Management

The contractor shall assign a Project Manager to oversee the contract. The Project Manager shall:

a. Be the primary point of contact between the contractor and the Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

b. Have full authority to act for the contractor on all matters.

c. Provide quality control to ensure that all elements of project work meet the requirements of the contract specifications as follows:

1) Provide routine inspections of ongoing work.

2) Inform the COR of any issues that could affect work quality or schedule.

3) Ensure that all work not acceptable or compliant with the specifications is corrected before review by the COR.

d. Track work progress to ensure that the project is completed according to the schedule. Coordinate and confirm the dates for all submittals and meetings with the COR.

e. Ensure that contractor staff adhere to the communication protocol set forth by the Contracting Officer (CO), as follows:

1) The contractor shall only communicate with the Contracting Officer and COR.

2) Unless otherwise specified by the COR, no direct contractor-to-park communication is permitted except during phone calls, meetings, or site visits arranged and attended by the COR.

f. Initiate, participate, and provide the agenda for monthly telephone conference progress meetings with the COR and as needed, other National Park Service (NPS) and contractor staff. The contractor shall provide a toll-free conference number for the calls. The contractor shall submit meeting notes to the COR no later than five business days after each meeting.

0. Format and Method for Submitting Deliverable Documents

a. All documents shall be submitted to the COR electronically via email unless otherwise approved by the COR.

b. All documents shall be created in the latest version of Microsoft Word. Documents shall be dated, with headers and page numbers.

c. Document file names shall include the park alpha code (VICK), deliverable description, version number, and date submitted. File names shall use camel case when needed. Per best practices, no spaces or punctuation other than underscores shall be used.

Example: VICK_ProductionPlan_v1_date.

0. NPS Release Form

The contractor shall obtain a signed release form from each interviewee at the time of the interview using an NPS Release Form (to be provided after contract award).

B. PERSONNEL

0. Project Manager and Interviewer

The Project Manager shall ensure that scheduling, coordination, overseeing, and managing are effectively accomplished for all work produced under this contract. The Interviewer shall conduct research on each interviewee, write interview questions, and conduct the interviews. One person can serve as both Project Manager and Interviewer if they meet the required minimum qualifications for both roles. The Project Manager, and Interviewer shall perform the following work:

a. Participate in the Post-Award Videoconference as described in Production Process.

b. Develop a Production Plan as described in Production Process.

c. Contact all individuals on the government-furnished list of prospective interviewees to confirm their interest in participating and to schedule a date and time for their interview as described in Production Process. (NOTE: Before developing the list of interviewees, the government shall send an invitation to prospective candidates to explain the project and solicit their participation. Those who accept the invitation will be included on the government-furnished list.)

d. Survey of existing oral history collections that includes an annotated list of relevant interviews, pertinent archives, and archival deposits to be utilized, and a catalog of oral history interviews to determine which interviews and subjects to prioritize.

e. Prepare a final prospective interview list in consultation with the NPS, with priority placed on narrators who have not previously been interviewed on this topic.

f. Once interviewees have been selected, research each interviewee before each shoot to become familiar with their role and connection to Vicksburg and/or Vicksburg National Military Park.

g. Develop a list of questions for each interview. The government shall furnish a preliminary list of interview questions at the Post-Award Videoconference. The contractor shall refine these questions to capture the unique experiences and perspectives of each interviewee, based on the contractor’s independent research.

h. Scout and book the interview venues.

i. Schedule and coordinate video production personnel to ensure that all work is performed in accordance with contract requirements.

j. Coordinate the payment of honoraria to interviewees.

k. Obtain a signed release form from each interviewee at the time of the interview using the NPS Release Form.

l. Conduct a total of 15-20 interviews as described below in Production Process and Technical Specifications.

m. Oversee the preparation of interview transcripts and proofread all transcripts for accuracy before delivery to the COR.

n. Oversee the convening and hosting of three community meetings to kick off the project, an update/progress meeting, and a final meeting to present the completed project.

o. Oversee the preparation of deliverables. Inspect completed work before shipment or final inspection by the COR to ensure that the work meets the standards of quality specified in this contract.

0. Cinematographer

The Cinematographer shall perform the following duties:

a. Set up and operate a professional 4K ultra-high-definition camera system to record 15-20 interviews over the course of the project. Each interview shall be approximately 60-90 minutes in length.

b. Set up and adjust 3-point lighting and backdrop for all interviews to match government-furnished interview samples.

c. Correctly adjust camera exposure and white balance according to lighting; ensure all footage is in sharp focus; consult with COR on framing before recording; adjust the camera angle and framing between responses as directed by COR; avoid pans, zooms, and camera movements during interview responses except as needed to keep interviewee in focus and within the frame; ensure the lens is free from dirt and dust; avoid lens flares; use a tripod at all times.

d. Coordinate with the COR regarding color management settings and desired aesthetics and style of the production.

0. Sound Recordist

The Sound Recordist shall perform the following duties:

a. Record synchronous audio for 15-20 interviews over the course of the project. Each interview shall be approximately 60-90 minutes in length.

b. Set up and operate all audio equipment including wireless lavaliere microphones, shotgun microphones, microphone stands, cables, and field mixer.

0. Makeup Artist if Appropriate (Optional)

The Makeup Artist shall perform the following duties:

a. Apply makeup to 15-20 interviewees over the course of the project. Makeup shall be applied as needed to reduce shininess and complement the natural appearance of each interviewee.

b. Provide makeup supplies appropriate for a variety of races, ethnicities, genders, and ages, including African Americans and senior citizens.

c. The Makeup Artist can be hired locally as needed to minimize travel costs.

0. Community Liaison (2)

The Community Liaison shall perform the following duties:

a. Assist in the identification of potential interviewees.

b. Promote the project in the Vicksburg community.

c. Serve as a community representative in project meetings including the 3 community meetings.

d. Should be hired locally in consultation with the NPS and the community.

C. PRODUCTION PROCESS

1. Post-Award Videoconference

a. The contractor shall participate in a two-hour post-award videoconference with the Contracting Officer, COR, and park staff. The date and time shall be determined between the COR and contractor after the award. At a minimum, the Project Manager and Interviewer shall participate in the call.

b. The contractor shall provide a toll-free videoconferencing service for the meeting.

c. The agenda shall include:

i. Orientation to key team members and the park.

ii. Review the Scope of Work, project schedule, and deliverables.

iii. Review and discuss interview themes, goals, and objectives.

iv. Review and discuss a government-furnished list of prospective interviewees.

v. Review and discuss a government-furnished list of preliminary interview questions.

vi. Discuss possible sources for background research.

vii. Review and discuss protocols for scheduling and conducting interviews, obtaining release forms, and paying honoraria.

viii. Review and discuss production and technical parameters.

ix. Discuss potential filming venues and dates.

2. Production Plan

Within 30 calendar days after the Post-Award Videoconference, the contractor shall submit a Production Plan to the COR via email in the latest version of Microsoft Word. The contractor shall revise the Production Plan as needed in response to comments by the COR. The Production Plan shall include the following:

a. A summary of the key points shared, and decisions reached during the Post-Award Videoconference.

b. A description of the contractor’s proposed approach and timeline for contacting prospective interviewees and scheduling the interviews.

c. A description of the proposed approach for researching the interviewees, revising the interview questions, and conducting the interviews.

d. A description of the proposed technical approach for filming the interviews, paying honoraria to interviewees, and obtaining release forms.

e. Names and locations of proposed venues, including photos of interview rooms and greenrooms.

f. Name(s) and qualifications of proposed Makeup Artist(s) for each location shoot.

g. List of all proposed production equipment.

h. A description of the proposed approach for transcribing the interviews and preparing the interim and final deliverables.

i. A production schedule with proposed dates for the four location shoots.

3. Research

The contractor shall be responsible for conducting a survey of existing interviews related to the subject matter and researching the topics to be discussed in the oral history interviews. The contractor shall acquire sufficient knowledge of the Vicksburg and Vicksburg National Military Park as well as the biographies and accomplishments of each interviewee, to conduct in-depth interviews that elicit detailed, candid accounts of their personal experiences and reflections.

4. Interview Scheduling

Upon approval of the Production Plan, the contractor shall:

a. Contact each person on the prospective list of interviewees to confirm their interest in participating, and to schedule a date and time for their interview.

b. If an interview candidate declines or cannot be reached, the contractor shall immediately notify the COR, and the COR shall work with the park to identify a suitable replacement.

c. The contractor shall follow up with each interviewee at least one week but not more than 10 calendar days before the shoot to remind them of their appointment.

5. Interview Schedule and Questions

At least 30 calendar days before each location shoot, the contractor shall submit the following documents via email in the latest version of Microsoft Word to the COR for review and approval. The contractor shall revise the documents as needed in response to comments by the COR.

a. Interview Schedule. The Interview Schedule shall provide the date, time, and location for each interview; the name of each person to be interviewed; and a brief (100-word maximum) biography of each interviewee that describes their connection to the Freedom Riders story.

b. Interview Questions. The interview questions shall reflect the unique experiences and perspectives of each interviewee, based on the contractor’s independent research.

c. Crew Info. Travel and lodging information for all crew members, daily crew call times, and emergency contact numbers for crew members.

6. Interview Shoots

a. The contractor shall shoot the interviews during four separate trips to Alabama. The contractor shall propose the dates, locations, and venues for each shoot as part of the Production Plan. The number of shooting days and interviews per shoot shall vary depending on the availability of interviewees.

b. The contractor shall obtain a signed release form from each interviewee at the time of the interview, using Attachment A, NPS Release Form. The contractor shall digitally scan each signed release form as a PDF file for delivery on the hard drive as per Section II.2.E, Post-Shoot Deliverables. The contractor shall deliver the original signed release forms to the COR with the hard copy of the Completion Report as described in Section II.2.F, Final Deliverables, and Closeout.

7. Interim Deliverables

Within 30 calendar days of each shoot, the contractor shall provide one hard drive to the COR per the requirements in Section II.2.D, Technical Specifications. The hard drive shall contain the following:

a. Original unedited, uncompressed 4K UHD footage of all interviews from that shoot

b. High-definition (1080p) MP4 proxy files of all interviews from that shoot

c. Transcripts of all interviews in the latest version of Microsoft Word

d. Scanned NPS Release Form for each interviewee in the latest version of Adobe PDF

e. Footage logs in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PDF format

D. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

1. Each interview shall be approximately 60-90 minutes in length, depending on the comfort level of the interviewee.

2. All interview questions shall be approved in advance by the COR. The interviewer shall ask open-ended questions designed to elicit detailed, candid, personal responses.

3. The interviewer shall not interrupt or talk over the interviewee in a way that would prevent their responses from being used as standalone soundbites in a documentary film.

4. The interviewer shall adhere to best practices for conducting oral history interviews as established by the Oral History Association (http://www.oralhistory.org/about/principles-and-practices/), the Smithsonian Institution (http://www.folklife.si.edu/the-smithsonian-folklife-and-oral-history-interviewing-guide/smithsonian), and the Library of Congress American Folklife Center

5. (https://www.loc.gov/folklife/familyfolklife/oralhistory.html)

6. All footage shall originate in Ultra-High-Definition (4K UHD, 3840 x 2160 resolution) using a professional camera and lens pre-approved by the COR.

a) Minimum of 13 stops of dynamic range

b) Minimum sensor size of “Super 35” or 35mm Full Frame

c) Camera raw file format

7. The contractor shall produce lower-resolution (high definition 1080p) MP4 proxy files—either synchronous in camera or by using a post-production process—that can be played using the latest version of QuickTime Player.

8. The frame rate shall be 23.97P.

9. The camera shall be always mounted on a sturdy tripod with a fluid head.

10. All interviews shall be professionally lit using three-point soft lighting against a solid black backdrop to match the look of the government-furnished interview sample. No furniture shall appear in the shots, including the chair that the interviewee sits in. The contractor shall provide a black director’s chair or similar for interviewees if a suitable chair is not available at the venue.

11. Audio shall be recorded using a Lavaliere microphone on the interviewee (but not visible in the shot) and a boom shotgun microphone aimed at the interviewee. Audio from the two microphones shall be recorded on separate channels. Audio from the interviewer shall be audible from the shotgun mic and/or the lavaliere for transcription purposes.

12. The equipment package for each shoot shall include:

a. One professional 4K ultra-high-definition camera

b. Media cards and batteries (enough for ten hours of filming and sound recording per day); battery charger(s); cables.

c. Laptop computer for downloading footage with the capability to review dailies.

d. External hard drive(s) for footage backup

e. One professional tripod with a fluid head

f. Zoom lens to accommodate medium to close-up shots.

g. One high-definition field monitor

h. Dimmable LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting kit with stands, reflectors, flags, and diffusion material.

i. Lavaliere and shotgun microphones; microphone stands; cables; field mixer.

j. Solid black backdrop with stands.

13. All interview venues shall be quiet and acoustically “dead” (i.e., with carpeting, drapes, and/or other sound-absorbing materials), with adjustable temperature and lighting controls. The venue shall be large enough to accommodate social distancing and shall have good ventilation and easy access to the outdoors. The venue shall have an adjacent or nearby greenroom where arriving interviewees can await their recording session. The venue and greenroom shall be accessible for people with mobility impairments, including those who use wheelchairs. The venue and greenroom shall be sufficiently separated or acoustically isolated so that chatter from the greenroom is not audible during the interview recording.

14. Approval or rejection of the contractor’s work shall first occur on-site during location filming. The COR shall be present during the film shoots and shall review the footage on location to ensure that the government’s requirements are being met.

15. Interview transcripts shall be produced in the latest version of Microsoft Word. Transcripts shall include the full name of the interviewee and interviewer, the date and location of the interview, and timecode reference numbers at the beginning of each question and each response.

16. Word files shall be labeled as follows:

VICK_Lastname_Firstname_Transcript.docx

E. POST-SHOOT DELIVERABLES

1. The contractor shall back up all digital files on a minimum of three redundant hard drives for each shoot.

a. Hard drives shall be industry-standard USB-3, USB-C, or faster connection.

b. Hard drives shall be 7200rpm (revolutions per minute) or higher.

c. Total space used shall not exceed 75% percent of the hard drive space (for example, a 10TB drive shall only carry 7.5TB of data)

d. All power and connector cords shall be provided.

e. One of the three hard drives shall be formatted for Apple File System (HFS+).

f. Two of the three hard drives shall be formatted for Microsoft NTFS.

g. Encryption is required on all hard drives. Encryption software shall be approved by the COR before compiling the hard drives.

h. One of the three hard drives shall be encrypted for Mac (FileVault).

i. Two of the three hard drives shall be encrypted for PC (Bitlocker).

j. Hard drives and boxes shall be physically labeled as follows:

i. Park alpha code (VICK)

ii. Project Number (XXX)

iii. Drive sequence number (i.e., Drive 1 of 3)

iv. Description of contents

2. The contractor shall ship one of the PC-formatted hard drives to the COR for review and approval no later than 30 calendar days after completion of each shoot.

3. The contractor shall deliver the remaining two hard drives as part of the final deliverable package.

4. In addition to the three required hard drives, the contractor shall back up all digital files to a minimum of two physical locations and shall ensure the safety of all assets until the final deliverables are submitted and accepted.

5. After each shoot, the contractor shall deliver the following files to the COR on one of the PC-formatted hard drives:

a. Original unedited 4K UHD video files in native camera file format or uncompressed QuickTime ProRes. All files shall have unique file names, and the file name shall include the park alpha code (VICK).

b. MP4 proxy files at 1080p (produced synchronously in camera or using a post-process) for playback using standard office software such as Quicktime Media Player.

c. Interview transcripts in the latest version of Microsoft Word

d. Scanned NPS Release Form for each interviewee in the latest version of Adobe PDF

e. Footage logs in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PDF format to include the following information:

a. Date of filming

b. Location of filming

c. File name

d. Brief description of each file (i.e., “Interview with Jane Doe, part 1 of 3”)

e. Duration of each file

f. Camera used.

g. Type of audio recorded.

h. Other information pertinent to identifying the footage.

i. Identification of interviewees and interviewer

j. Thumbnail image of each interviewee

F. FINAL DELIVERABLES AND CLOSEOUT

Upon completion of the project, the following Final Deliverables shall be submitted to the COR:

1. One Mac-formatted hard drive containing the files listed in Post-Shoot Deliverables.

2. Two PC-formatted hard drives containing the files listed in Post-Shoot Deliverables.

3. Completion Report

a. The contractor shall deliver one hard copy of the Completion Report which shall include all original signed release forms.

b. The contractor shall deliver one digital copy of the Completion Report to the COR via email or electronic file transfer in the latest version of Microsoft Word. File formats for attachments are specified below.

c. The Completion Report content should include project description; process/methodology; description of gaps in existing archives (based upon inventory) and how the newly collected interviews are addressing the gaps; major/common themes in the interviews; identified associated resources (objects, places, structures, landscapes, and natural resources); and recommendations for future research and lessons learned.

d. The descriptions of the required attachments are as follows:

i. Attachment A: Release Forms. All original signed release forms shall be provided in the hard-copy binder. All scanned release forms shall be included in the digital copy as individual PDF files.

ii. Attachment B: Interview Guides

iii. Attachment C: Transcripts. Transcripts of each interview should be provided to COR per the requirements in Section II.2.D, Technical Specifications.

iv. Attachment D: Source Material List. Including an inventory of existing oral history interviews.

v. Attachment E: Original Footage and Sound Logs. This attachment shall include the footage logs from each of the four shoots as described in Section II.2.E, Post-Shoot Deliverables. Digital copies of footage logs shall be provided in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PDF format.

IV. INVOICING

Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP). Contractor shall email the proposed invoice to the COR for initial approval before uploading the invoice to IPP. Such coordination assists in prompt payment of invoices.

"Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in the contract, or the clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items included in commercial item contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

The Contractor must use the IPP website to register access and use IPP for submitting payment requests. The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM) will receive enrollment instructions via email from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (FRBB) within 3 - 5 business days of the contract award date. Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by contacting the IPP Production Helpdesk via email at ippgroup@bos.frb.org or by phone at (866) 973-3131.

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