3/23/20 Bid Abstract Posted Below
BackgroundThe Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (‘AC Transit’ or the ‘District’) is the third-largest public bus system in California, covering a 364-square mile service area. The District operates 156 bus lines with an average annual ridership of 51,760,000 million trips. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a new and innovative service that is a sub-brand of AC Transit and will be launching in the East Bay in 2020. This type of service is often called “light rail on wheels” because it brings the frequency, safety and reliability of light rail to the bus rider without having to lay down the infrastructure required for rail transit. AC Transit’s BRT service will run the 9.5-mile corridor from Downtown Oakland to San Leandro BART, connecting people and places more efficiently. This video will be for a federally funded project. Adherence to the clauses on the attached (Exhibit A-Federal Clauses) is required. These terms will be incorporated into the resulting contract or purchase order.

Addendum 1 has been posted 5/20/20. See below for responses to questions and clarifications. Please acknowledge review of addendum 1 in your submission

Michael Silk
msilk@actransit.org
Phone:   Fax: 

Timeline/Budget: The District has two (2) timelines associated with this project, bulleted below. The District has a condensed timeline for the first presentation and will require the bidder to acknowledge, in advance, its ability to meet the expedited timeline within the proposed budget:
• This first timeline will require all revisions and edits for the first round of review to be submitted within two weeks of the initial video/photo field shoot. The final presentation for this first timeline will need to be completed by June 12, 2020. The District would like to capitalize on the reduced traffic along International Blvd. during this time in order to capture as much media without extensive traffic control or background disruptions.
• The second timeline will be for an event tentatively scheduled for August 2020. This second timeline will require all revisions and edits to be submitted within two (2) weeks of the initial video/photo field shoot.
• In the interest of maintaining competitiveness, the District would like to maintain a budget within the range of $15K-$23K for this project, depending on the District’s final determined specifications.

Editing: The District expects multiple rounds of revision for these videos. The lump-sum quote should include all pre-production and post-production costs including but not limited to those identified here: equipment (including still/video/drone cameras), crew, graphic production, and music for public use (preferably royalty-free), photo and video editing, location travel and meal costs. The chosen vendor shall be highly skilled in non-linear editing. Tight deadlines and the production of multiple rough cuts are expected. Please include lump sum quotes with pricing specific to an unlimited amount of revisions.

Format: High Definition image and video format.

Permitting/Access: The District will work in partnership with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, the construction contractor and the vendor to coordinate site access, control traffic and to ensure a safe photo shoot. The District’s Project Manager and representatives will be available for this project. The District will provide access to each station. Any drone footage will need to adhere to the City of Oakland’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicles policy, found here: Here and associated right-of-way restrictions.

Use: Generally speaking, the District will use the video and photos to showcase the progress and dynamics of the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Oakland. More information and samples can be found here . The District will own all content produced from this project.

Experience: The District is looking for a contractor that has drone, digital video, and still photography experience. The Contractor should be adept at nonlinear editing, which includes color correction, voice-over capabilities, in-house graphic development, and music library (preferably royalty-free). Please include recent digital samples of both photo and video projects that showcase compelling visuals, creative decision-making, effects, choice and placement of music, sound bites, and custom graphics. All submissions must be created and attributed directly to your company. The District will be contacting references to verify the listed requirements. Please submit three (3) references (name, title, company, email and phone) that can attest to the quality and competency of your work for a similar project, completed within the past three (3) years. The District will be awarding this solicitation to the vendor best demonstrating a clear understanding of the quality components listed below, verified by the ownership of the submitted material and the submitted references’ testimony.

Quality : 9. Quality: The chosen vendor will showcase their ability to produce a video with the following professional attributes in the samples submitted to the District as part of this solicitation.
• Audio and Visual Quality: Clear use of external microphones, reduction in ambient noise, and consistent audio pitch levels.
• Camera Angles and lighting: Display the use of diverse camera shots, framing, lighting and clear use of linear patterns. The chosen vendor should be able to showcase their use of zooming and panning effectively, implement focusing techniques and the absence of unsteady camera focus.
• Editing Techniques: Professional use of graphics, text and voice-over edits. Showcase nuances of proper sequencing of shots, without audio pops, jump cuts, or disordered transitions.
• Record, edit and mix audio tracks from multiple interviewees
• Familiarity with lighting design and manipulation. Ability to use and manipulate natural light in conjunction with artificial lights
• Professional Graphics: Display nonstandard graphics (not stock images), high resolution and appropriate placement in the video.
• Expert experience levels with Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop
• Must have experience working on content that appeals to broad and diverse audiences.
• Ability to manage complexities, meet deadlines, and work well under pressure.
• Ability to troubleshoot technical challenges and problem solve.
• Must be able to adhere to strict deadlines. The ability to take direction well and collaborate with a team.
• Experience in coordinating workflow and managing time.

Specifications: Below is a comprehensive list of the videos and stills that the District would like to showcase in this presentation. Some, if not all of these items (A through C) will be synthesized into one presentation:
VIDEO:
A. Standing on a platform (pick one - such as Fruitvale station) and show BRT bus approaching platform, docking, deploying bridge plates and departing.
B. From the vantage point of a rider, take video walking from the nearest corner onto the platform ( both 1 curbside and 1 median), looking at handrail art, looking at wayfinding sign, pausing at the Ticket Vending Machines (notionally buying a ticket), pausing at the Clipper card reader (notionally tapping card), look up at VMS, look at message board, look at enhanced windscreen art, look toward bench (perhaps sit) and then board bus when it arrives.
C. Drone flyover of corridor from a low enough elevation to clearly capture the major visible infrastructure improvements which include:
• New curb ramps
• New signals, signal cabinets, and service meters
• New street lights
• New curb-to-curb paving, striping, marking and signage
• New BRT stations
• New medians
• New hardscape features
• New landscape features
• 2 new fully landscaped, off street parking lots
• New bypass @ 10th Ave Derby AKA “Fruitvale Bypass”
• Northern layover
• San Leandro transit center
D. View through from windshield of BRT bus driving the length of corridor in the dedicated bus lane to clearly capture the major visible infrastructure improvements which include:
• New curb ramps
• New signals, signal cabinets, and service meters
• New street lights
• New curb-to-curb paving, striping, marking and signage
• New BRT stations
• New medians
• New hardscape features
• New landscape features
• 2 new fully landscaped, off street parking lots
• New bypass @ 10th Ave Derby AKA “Fruitvale Bypass”
• Northern layover
• San Leandro transit center

STILL:
A. Full-on shot of each platform looking from the sidewalk at each side of the median platform (North Bound and South Bound direction) and for curbside platforms taken looking from across the street or standing in middle of street. The picture should capture the platform from end to end, all platform amenities, all canopy equipment, all enhanced art features.
B. Full view shots of Fruitvale bypass, Fruitvale parking lot, Elmhurst parking lot, northern layover and San Leandro transit center.
C. Display of BRT command and control room and all BRT workstations located in the District’s Operation Control Center.

Questions. Questions, clarifications or requests for approved equals are due by 19 May 2020 by 4pm. Responses to those questions will be posted by 20 May 2020. Quotes, references and samples for this project are due by 22 May 2020 by 5pm PST.

Award. The basis for award for this Request for Quotes will be the lowest responsive quote commiserates to the defined skills and quality outlined above. All responsive quotes shall be from a vendor with verifiable experience with non-linear editing, ability to meet tight deadlines, and a music library (preferably royalty free) through the submitted references. All post-production shall be performed in-house by the vendor (subcontracting will not be considered).
 

Quotes/Submissions : Quotes are to be submitted along with references by May 22, 2020 by 5pm PST. Quotes are to be submitted as one lump sum. Contractors can submit a more detailed quote based on the items below, editing timeline and any other components (travel, rentals, taxes, fees, etc.) for incremental progress payments however these costs cannot be variable and must total an all-inclusive lump sum quote for the entire project.- Quotes shall be submitted electronically via email to msilk@actransit.org. In order to submit quotes to AC Transit, the electronic submission must be formatted using Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Graphics Interchange Format (.gif) or standard Video files with the file size not exceeding 10.0 megabytes. Files shall conform to the naming convention of: “Quote Number_Company Name” {Ex: “RFQ2020-10347_VideoCompanyX”}.