Livestreaming, also called webcasting, are words very much on everybody’s lips today when the subject of smachot and events come up, whether weddings, bar/bat mitzvah celebrations, organization dinners, musical galas and even professional conferences. A few year ago, wedding webcasts were directed to guests or participants living in faraway places like Israel and Australia, or loved ones who were unwell and unable to travel. Event webcasts were aimed at groups who could not travel. Today, as a result of Corona restrictions, almost every event must be staged for a mixed audience, both for guest or participants who are at the event in-person, and for large numbers who are participating from a distance. And so, webcasting has become an integral part of many smachot and events.
By livestreaming a simcha, the host or sponsor can convey special, cherished portions of a wedding or bar/bat mitzvah celebration, and share the milieu and the ruach (spirit) of the event with distant guests; the sponsor of a panel discussion can include audiences otherwise cut off. Many webcasting platforms enable recording everything that you have webcast, thus preserving the event live in all locations. Most recently, a newer technology which enables interaction between the event site and far away guests, has become available and cost effective. Often referred to as ‘zooming,’ it allows hosts to bring faraway guests right into the simcha hall, and even involve them in the simcha conversation.
How Do You Go About Webcasting?
Awareness that COVID-19 and the coronavirus will be with us for a while, has propelled webcasting to become an essential item on our list of party production tools. But we all know that webcasting today is not always perfect, and we’ve each experienced glitches in the midst of what should have been a memorable moment. Let’s take a look at the steps we can take so that our distant guests avoid hearing the Rav’s speech drop its key point, seeing the wood floor take center stage from the bride or the bat mitzvah suddenly grow 10 feet tall.
There are several live platforms available for streaming live events. They include: Facebook Live, Facetime (Apple,) Instagram TV, YouTube Live, Livestream from Vimeo and Zoom. The platforms vary in their costs, features and benefits to the user. They are designed so that non-technically educated users can manage with them without too great a time investment. Initially, this platform worked for most folks as Do-It-Yourself tools, because even those who could not set the software up — had a friend or relative who could help out. Thus, when these webcasting platforms first appeared, they were used to a great extent by the event hosts themselves, wedding hosts, parents of bnei and bnot mitzvah. This past spring, they were used by many event directors at outdoor school graduations. Events produced using these platforms without a specialist, often ran into some common challenges, not necessarily caused by flaws in the platforms themselves.
Key challenges are the host’s Internet connection, audio and video.
The Host’s Internet Connection. The most difficult challenge is the host’s Internet or WIFI connection. Video requires significant bandwidth and a stable Internet connection. Frequently, the host’s WIFI or a 4G cell phone connection is unstable and crashes during the event. Without an on-call technical specialist, the webcast can terminate, causing inconvenience and embarrassment to all. In the case of a graduation, a school’s WIFI signal may have been more than adequate for its indoor uses, but once COVID pushed the party outside into the parking lot, the signal was simply too weak, and grandparents at home missed the graduation.
The Audio. Audio can be lost or transformed into odd tones, background noises can dominate, and echoes may persist. This is especially so at outside events, such as graduations, where noise from even a light breeze, or soft guest chatter, can cause distractions.
The Video. Video can lag for several minutes at a time, freeze, shake, or focus on uninteresting subjects. Lagging video is difficult to watch and bores viewers.
How Improve the Broadcast on Your Own. Do-It-Yourselfers can take some steps to reduce the risk of these problems.
Internet. Eliminate competing uses of the connection for the duration of the event. Install WIFI where the host has none or upgrade the WIFI connection. Short of hiring a specialist, there is little that will assure completely smooth performance.
Audio. To improve audio outdoors, eliminate as much external sound as possible and can invest in specialized microphones. This step will work better indoors.
Video. Buy or borrow a specialized camcorder, or enlist an experienced friend or relative to shoot the video. Discussants on a panel may appear in any pose, and are not limited to sitting in front of a computer screen.
What Professional Webcasting Offers
Because of the popularity of webcasting, companies like Triple S and its V-Social affiliate are specializing in webcasting and real-time virtual experiences. They offer solutions that can resolve most of these challenges. They add costs to the event but add key benefits.
What to Look for in a Webcasting or Virtual Event Company
The Internet Connection. While the Internet connection can be a crucial determinant of the quality of the webcast, only a few webcasters address this head-on. Those that do, offer their own Internet connection. If the client has reasonable bandwidth and a fairly strong signal, the webcaster can add their own WIFI, and blend it as needed. If the client’s connection is insufficient or there is none, the webcaster can plug directly into their own router, and supply the appropriate bandwidth and signal strength. Note that webcasters can usually webcast on any of the major platforms.
The Audio. After the Internet connection, the next critical driver of listener’s audio experience the microphone. Basic cell phone and computer mikes are omni-directional and wide-field. They pick-up and amplify all sounds in the vicinity of the microphone, including all background sounds. Professionals use specialized microphones. A directional microphone has better reception, and picks up the voice of the speaker or guest who is talking into it a few feet away. Even from a distance, it has a small cone of reception, broadcasts only that speaker’s voice, and does not pick up surrounding noise. The lavalier (lav) or personal mike, is attached to a person and broadcasts the speech of a specific host or guest.
The Video. A high-end broadcast quality camera allows the photographer to zoom in and out smoothly and pan around a room. It has specialized features including adjustable exposure, longer zoom range, variety of focus options, and creative filters. Experienced webcasting videographers will be proficient at integrating the broadcast quality camera’s advantages with the webcasting platform’s features. A solid webcasting company will have professional operators with years of videography experience, who can use the camera’s features to produce a high-quality, integrated video broadcast.
Professional Services You Should Expect from a Webcasting Company
Experienced webcasters provide a full range of event audio and video services, usually by putting together crews of experienced specialists. All seek to provide the services of skilled photographers and videographers, and the specialized equipment noted above. Some of the value-adds that are provided by the leaders in the field, like Triple S and V-Social here in Teaneck, include:
Years of experience in all aspects of webcasting, including providing appropriate lighting and sound for the occasion.
A dedicated qualified technician, trained in Internet webcasting, at the event, who will troubleshoot issues on site throughout the event.
Preparation of the scene and on-site direction. These services are varied, and can include framing images; positioning bride, groom or panel speaker to appear in the appropriate position on the far away relative’s computer screen; or, assistance choosing and setting up backgrounds where required.
Access to a professional studio, useful for organizers of panel discussions or speeches at events. The speaker is positioned and rehearsed in the ideal conditions of a studio, and the speech is either broadcast live or pre-recorded to be broadcast later. Where coming in to the studio is not possible, the most experienced webcasting companies can set up a mini-studio on the client’s site.
I am very excited to be in webcasting just now, when so much is happening and there are so many services we can offer our clients. I am proud to be part of a Teaneck family enterprise that has grown and now boasts one of the few truly advanced capabilities in the region. At Triple S and V-Social, we’d like to hear from you, and to answer any questions you might have.
You can reach me at: 973-869-9232 or [email protected].
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Zev Savetsky, Triple S and V-Social Studios, offering broadcast, webcast, interactive, sound, video and production.
