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OVC Publishing Guidelines for Print and Multimedia About OVCOJP seal: Innovation . Partnerships . Safer Neighborhoods Message From the DirectorOVC Publishing Guidelines for Print and Multimedia NCJ 229712 / March 2010
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Submission Requirements

Videos

File Setup

Prepare your submission package according to the following guidelines:

DVD

Due to ever-advancing technology and the extended lifecycle of many grants, OVC does not accept DVD compressed files (masters) ready for duplication. Accessibility refinements, improved technologies, and OVC's evolving best practices dictate that grantees submit the appropriate files individually so that any adjustments can be made economically and efficiently. Submission requirements for DVDs are subject to change, so be sure to check these guidelines periodically and discuss any issues with your grant monitor.

Grantees must submit the following:

Source video

  • Preferred: DVD-R or hard drive of video in QuickTime .MOV format (720 x 480, 16:9 aspect ratio, DV/DVCPRO compression, Best Quality) and HD 1920 x 1080 video in Apple ProRes 4:2:2 format.
  • Alternative: DVD-R in compressed MPEG-2 format

Audio files (standard)

  • Preferred: .aiff files; also accepted: .wav and .ac3 files
  • Bit-rate: 24-bit
  • Sample rate: 48 kHz

Subtitle files

  • Submit subtitles in SubRip (.SRT), Spruce (.STL), and Text (.TXT) file formats.
  • Length of individual captions appearing on screen should not exceed 65 characters, including spaces.
  • Limit captions to two lines per screen, and ensure that their placement doesn't conflict with the placement of other text on screen (e.g., names, titles).
  • Save SRT files using the following example format:
    1
    00:00:02,701 --> 00:00:06,067
    BUKOLA: My trafficker
    was my husband.
    2
    00:00:07,734 --> 00:00:12,534
    There was no way I could
    reach out to anybody for help.
    3
    00:00:15,667 --> 00:00:17,667
    MARQ: We're scared.
  • Save .STL files using the following example format:
    //Font
    $FontName = ArialMT
    $FontSize = 28

    //$Bold = FALSE
    //$Italic = FALSE
    //$Underlined = FALSE

    //Colors
    $ColorIndex1 = 3
    $ColorIndex2 = 1
    $ColorIndex3 = 1
    $ColorIndex4 = 1

    //Color-Contrast
    $TextContrast = 15
    $Outline1Contrast = 8
    $Outline2Contrast = 15
    $BackgroundContrast = 0

    //Position Control
    $HorzAlign = CENTER
    $VertAlign = BOTTOM
    $XOffset = 0
    $YOffset = 0

    //Effect Control
    $ForceDisplay = FALSE
    $FadeIn = 0
    $FadeOut = 0

    //Tape Offset
    $TapeOffset = 00:00:00:00

    00:00:02:21 , 00:00:06:02 , BUKOLA: My trafficker|was my husband.
    00:00:07:22 , 00:00:12:16 , There was no way I could|reach out to anybody for help.
    00:00:15:20 , 00:00:17:20 , MARQ: We're scared.
  • Save .TXT files using the following example format:
    00:00:01:07, 00:00:02:05, Hello
    00:00:03:12, 00:00:04:27, How are you?
    00:00:05:10, 00:00:06:23, Fine.

Enhanced audio script

  • Include timestamp, description of scene (where applicable), and caption. For example—
TIME Description Caption
00:15:17 Kenneth Barnes, LAPD, speaks over images of a victim being interviewed by police and a team of people discussing issues at a table Justice must be equal. And justice for crime victims should be at the head of the table.

DVD content

  • Submit the following disclaimer as an editable graphic file to incorporate into the final DVD product. Acceptable formats include layered Photoshop (.PSD) and Tagged Image File Format (.TIFF) files. Contact your grant monitor if you have questions.
    "This product was produced by [name of production company] and supported by grant [or contract or cooperative agreement] number ____________________, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice."
  • Add the OJP seal and tagline and the OVC logo at the beginning of the playback but after the OVC disclaimer (see above). Onscreen, the OJP seal should appear on the left, with its tagline below it and the OVC logo to its right. Both logos should be approximately the same height.
  • Contact your grant monitor to obtain the correct files.

Artwork

Generally, OVC prepares final artwork. If your grant or contract requires you to prepare camera-ready art, check with your grant or project manager for OVC's production standards (e.g., slipcovers, cases, labels, disclaimer use and placement, logos). This applies whether or not the product will be printed or uploaded by OVC or the grantee.

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Online Video

OVC posts clips of the videos it offers online and on YouTube and, in some cases, posts the full-length videos (e.g., public service announcements). OVC uses the files you submit as part of your DVD submission package to create the promotional clip. If you are creating your own clip, or if your full video will be online only, you will need to submit the following files to OVC:

  • QuickTime . MOV in HD 1920 x 1080 ProRes 4:2:2 format
  • MPEG 4 .MP4 in 1920 x 1080 H.264 format
  • Closed Caption file in .SRT format for posting on YouTube
  • Transcript files in .TXT format

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