In the second half of Video Addict Vol.4, we will talk about GYAO!’s initiatives regarding live streaming. ### **We stream about 50 live videos a year** **Brightcove (BC) Tsuchiya**: After you joined GYAO, were there any challenging initiatives? **GYAO Honjo**: We live streamed a concert by a certain idol group from multiple angles. I’m proud of the interesting work we were able to do, including the preparation period. As I mentioned earlier ([see Part 1](https://www.brightcove.com/ja/blog/2019/09/video-addict-vol4-gyao-1)), I had experience with multi-angle broadcasting at my previous company. However, personally, the challenge for me in this concert was being involved in the image creation process. Normally, at concerts like this, the production staff and camera crew from the artist’s side do the filming, and we only take care of the distribution side. In this case, GYAO! gave direction on the kind of footage they wanted to capture, and we distributed it using multi-angle. **BC Tsuchiya **Normally, I think that the roles of creating the footage and distributing the video are clearly divided, including the skill sets involved. Is this something that you wanted to do, Mr. Honjo? **GYAO Honjo** Yes, that’s right. When I was working at Ustream Asia, I was in a position where I was giving advice on how to create images for internet video distribution. I was on the side giving advice on how to film things so that they would be easy to watch and easy to see, so it was something I had wanted to try at GYAO! **BC Tsuchiya** How many live broadcasts does GYAO! currently carry out each year? **GYAO Honjo**: We broadcast about 50 live shows a year, about once a week. **BC Tsuchiya**: So you direct all of them? **GYAO Honjo**: No, there are other people in charge of live broadcasts. There is also a procurement team that deals with content holders, and external partners in charge of operations. There are also several people in charge of creating the web pages for live broadcasts. It’s like a project team is set up for each project. **BC Tsuchiya** Have you continued to stream live at such a frequency and with such a system since 2014? **GYAO Honjo** At the time of 2014, it was once a month. There were some personnel changes, but as the number of live projects increased, the frequency increased and the current system was established. **BC Tsuchiya** I see. In any case, judging by the quality and quantity of the events you stream, you’re one of the best live streaming technical directors in Japan. ### **If it’s not attractive content, it won’t be seen** **BC Tsuchiya** Among the many live events you’ve streamed on GYAO! **GYAO Honjo** In the past, live streaming itself was rare on the internet, so if you did a live stream, people would watch it. However, in the last couple of years, I have the sense that if it’s not attractive content, it won’t be seen. For this reason, we always keep in mind that the user comes first, and we are always conscious of what users want to see and what is easy to see, and we deliver attractive content. Not only the content itself, but also things like what bit rate to use for the delivery… For example, since the number of smartphone users is increasing overwhelmingly at the moment, we are conscious of how to make things look good at a low bit rate on a small screen. **BC Tsuchiya** That’s true. In the past, just announcing that you were going to do a live broadcast would be picked up by various internet media and become news. Now there are many UGC media, so it inevitably gets buried. As the number of live broadcasts increases, are there any changes in the way you operate on site? **GYAO Honjo** In the past, we had to go to the trouble of preparing network lines on site, but now there are often already lines in place at the venue, and the bandwidth is also getting wider, so I have the impression that there is more freedom. **BC Tsuchiya** In the past, directing the line construction was part of your job (lol) **GYAO Honjo** That’s right. I directed the line construction when we did a live broadcast at Itsukushima Shrine (lol). There weren’t enough internet lines in Miyajima, so I talked to NTT and had them prepare the lines over the course of three months, which is a good memory now. ### **Always putting the user first** **BC Tsuchiya** What kind of live broadcasts are there now? **GYAO Honjo**: There is a lot of music. **BC Tsuchiya**: I also feel that many people have trouble attracting customers for live streaming. How do you promote GYAO! **GYAO Honjo**: Basically, it’s our own portal site and SNS. **BC Tsuchiya**: Finally, could you tell us about your future plans for GYAO! **GYAO Honjo**: We always keep the user first in mind, and we want to provide content that users can enjoy. I also like entertainment personally, so I want to create new forms of expression and products using video, and make our users happy! **!
** GYAO! has a long history as a video distribution service in Japan. Mr. Honjo has been involved in the video distribution service industry in Japan since its early days. We look forward to seeing what new services GYAO will offer in the future. The next Video Addict will feature Mr. Murata from Mainichi Broadcasting System. We hope you enjoy it! — __After the interview__ __BC Tsuchiya__ I have had the opportunity to speak at length with Mr. Honjo since he appeared on stage at our company event in 2018, along with Mr. Danno from TV Tokyo and Mr. Hamaguchi from Mainichi Broadcasting System. I have the impression that he is a very serious person. Premium live streaming, which is monetized in some way, is the most difficult of all the video streaming measures to get right, and it makes me very nervous. Even after being involved in video streaming for over 10 years, like me, it is something that is not easy to get used to. However, I sincerely believe that with Mr. Honjo’s experience and craftsmanship, I would feel reassured if he were to direct the project. On the weekend, when I open Facebook while taking a break, I see a post from Mr. Honjo about him setting up and taking down equipment at a live streaming event, and I quietly close the app, thinking, “Thank you for all your hard work…”. The internet has become more convenient, and we can now watch all kinds of content anytime, anywhere. However, there are always people working behind the scenes who are doing important work in content production.
