Brightcove recently participated in a panel discussion at Harvard Business School titled, “TV, Disrupted: A World of Video Choices Opens Up.” The event explored the challenges for broadcasters, advertisers and media companies that arise from the penetration of OTT offerings and other emerging business models into the traditional relationship between consumer and operator. The host and moderator of the discussion was industry expert and HBS graduate Will Richmond (editor and publisher of Videonuze).
With our VP of Business Development and Marketing Mike Green on the panel, and HBS being just around the corner from us, it was a no-brainer to livestream the event using Brightcove’s live streaming feature. We do this for many events, such as the DrupalCons and our own customer conference PLAY, and it’s something that gets talked about a lot among our customers.
And this is how we did it:
As Video Production Manager at Brightcove, I oversee all video production efforts for the organization. My small team provides planning, creation, and editing support for almost any video project that comes across our desks. And when we can’t do it ourselves, we source and manage vendors on behalf of our internal stakeholders.
In my experience, the most important parts of any video project are the planning and the framework. The better prepared you are in terms of logistics and expectations, the easier it is to actually carry out the project and the better the end product will be.
Before a live event, I always ask myself the following questions:
– What is this program about?
– How many people will be speaking?
– How long will it last?
– Will other media be used (PowerPoint, video, etc.)?
– What kind of audio/video equipment is available on site?
– What IT capabilities are available in the room?
Once I had coordinated with Green and the HBS event team, I had all the information I needed. Now I could plan what equipment and personnel to use and what content we needed to pay attention to. In this particular case, we provided the live stream production support ourselves instead of outsourcing everything to a production company. And because I knew all the details in advance, I felt comfortable doing it.
At the HBS event, I had to consider the following aspects (which basically need to be considered for any video event production):
## The recording
I knew that we would use two camera operators: me and my unit manager. I decided to use two cameras: one for an overall picture of the podium from a long distance (camera A) and one for close-ups (camera B). I was responsible for shooting with Camera A, which I kept fixed in place for almost the entire event. I wanted to have my hands free to help with the other camera, the sound or the live show if necessary. My colleague took over the close-ups with Camera B and followed whoever was speaking at the time.
## The lighting
I decided not to bring any lighting equipment to the event. Spangler Auditorium at the Harvard Business School is fully equipped with good lighting and sound, so I felt that the lighting was adequate for our modest purposes at this event.
## Sound
Since Spangler Auditorium is also fully equipped with sound equipment, we were able to rely on one of the on-site technicians to set up the room and control the microphones. This meant that I was able to do without my own sound engineer and feed the microphone from the main control room into my camera (cam. A) to provide the sound to our live stream audience.
## The video content
We also brought Carl Rutman, one of our talented Solutions Engineers. In addition to ensuring a flawless stream throughout the broadcast, he was also tasked with switching the video content back and forth using a small software solution called Wirecast from Telestream.
Telestream is an important partner of Brightcove, and Wirecast is their flagship product, the application of choice for many live stream productions on the internet. It has special features built into the application for Brightcove Live, allowing Rutman to set up an environment with four integrated video sources: the two cameras my team was operating, the PowerPoint presentation displayed on a screen in the room, and a short video one of the presenters wanted to show.
## The Stream
To send the live stream, Rutman created an event profile and copied two URLs from Brightcove Live into the Wirecast template. He had provided HBS with an embed code in advance so that the video could be posted on their website, and when we were ready, Rutman switched the broadcast to live and started Wirecast.
Normally, this switching back and forth is done via expensive hardware equipment to manage the various source signals until the combined signals are sent to a computer running Wirecast. However, to reduce costs and use our existing setup, Rutman coordinated the live broadcast with what was happening in the auditorium.
Here is an overview of the equipment we used and a simple diagram of how we connected everything.
## Equipment
– 2 Canon C100 (using the on-site sound system)
– 1 zoom lens 24-70 mm 2.8L
– 1 zoom lens 70-200 mm 2.8L
– 2 HDMI cables (180 cm)
– 2 Canare HD-SDI cables (15 m)
– 2 Atomos H2S-HDMI to HD-SDI converters
– 2 Blackmagic UltraStudio Mini Recorders
– Laptop with Telestream Wirecast
## Diagram of live stream configuration
Now, you might think that you would need to invest in expensive equipment, but basically all you need is a camera, a few microphones and a computer, and you can start streaming your event using Brightcove Live.
In other words, there is a misconception in the corporate world that live streaming is too complex or expensive. Many feel that their event is not important enough to justify the costs of venue, technical staff, etc. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You don’t need a spectacular venue or five cameras or Bill Gates as your keynote speaker. What I hope I have conveyed to you is that it is entirely possible to engage with other people in real time, as in a live Q&A or corporate communications, and that the above is far from the only way. With the right motivation, a bit of training, and the right equipment, you can find the right mix for a successful live stream.
