TUTORIALS

VIDEO

Before you dive into live streams, think about whether or not your content can be more impactful as a pre-recorded video. Building lesson and performance content doesn’t have to all be live. 
  • Pros – Better for evergreen and promotional content. Gives you better control of production and editing, Takes the pressure off 'being live'  
  • Cons – limited audience engagement. Can be costly to produce well, but rewarding in the long run.  
  • Tutorial

PRIVATE ONLINE CLASSES, MEETINGS, AND WEBINARS

Take your meeting, class or workshop online! Here are some platforms our partners have recommended to go digital. These are ideal for music and art teachers, tutors, school teachers, and mentoring. 
  • Google Classroom / Google Hangouts: Desktop/mobile - Free and easy to set up!  Just log into your Gmail account and invite students/audiences with the click of a button.  Tutorial 
  • Group Facetime: Only available on Apple Desktop/mobile - Up to 32 participants   
  • Zoom: Desktop/Mobile - A versatile video conferencing app designed for businesses.  Offering free educational suite for K-12 school. Tutorial 

LIVE STREAMING

Q: Why "Go Live" instead of creating recorded video content?
Live streaming is ideal for small businesses, musicians, restaurants, and educators looking to engage in real-time and be as personal as possible with their audience.  Live streaming on social media is a great way to keep in touch with your audience and offer something in the moment! 
  • Pros – Engaging with your audience and building relationships with viewers. Encourages you as the content creator to 'seize the moment' and can be a quick way to create content. Currently, Facebook Live will place your live created videos in more newsfeeds than a comparable uploaded video, meaning you may get more exposure than a carefully curated, pre-recorded video.  
  • Cons – Live streaming requires a strong internet connection. While more interactive than recorded video, it still doesn’t replace the ‘real thing’ for a performance or class. Additionally, the technology is more demanding the more sophisticated your stream needs to be (audio, video, text, logos, etc)

Q: What platform should I use? 
Each live streaming platform has a different audience and we encourage you to head where your audience is already located online. Each platform has unique benefits in design and is best suited to different applications. We've outlined some of the major streaming platforms and considerations below. 
  • Facebook Live: 
    • ​Pros – Large audience exposure and user base, good for engaging with existing followers, as well as targeting through paid marketing. Offers both desktop and mobile streaming options. Very accessible and easy to share. 
    • Cons – Not designed for evergreen content. Difficult to monetize. Not able to be private.  
    • Tutorial
  • Youtube Live
    • Pros - Great for evergreen content. Good chat room integrations. Possible to keep public, unlisted (requires link to view) or private (only viewable by creator).
    • Cons - Streaming from Desktop only, and mobile live streaming for pages with 10k or more followers.      
    • ​Tutorial
  • Twitch.tv
    • Owned by Amazon, this is the most popular streaming platform for gamers. Also popular with animators and performers. Large regularly engaged, but more niche, user-base. Integrated features for channels, monetization, and tipping. Requires video encoding software (like OBS) to go live.  
    • Tutorial
  • Instagram Live
    • High engagement rates with Instagram users. Designed to be temporary and viewed on mobile phones. Automatically deleted after 24 hours. Provides only limited analytics. Requires a downloaded extension to be viewed on desktop.  Great resource for small businesses and promoting a brand. 
    • Tutorial
  • Twitter (Periscope) 
    • Similar to Instagram Live, this is designed to be viewed on mobile phones.  For casual audience interaction
    • Tutorial
  • StageIt
    • The only dedicated platform for live streaming music and concerts. Built in ticketing function and monetized 'tips'. 
    • Tutorial

Q: I've done a basic 'live stream' using a mobile phone. How can I take it to the next level?
Great question! Here are a few next steps to consider: 
  • Step up your production by upgrading your AV setup. Investing in a good camera and microphone will give your content a professional look and sound.  For under $200, you can take your digital content to the next level. There are three main areas to consider: the camera, the audio, and the lights.
  • Step up your broadcasting setup. In addition to improving your AV setup, your broadcasting software will improve the production value of your stream. With a few hours work, you can start adding text, doing split screen productions with multiple cameras, and change between scenes and settings seamlessly. A great place to start is the free Open Broadcaster Software (OBS).
  • Consider reaching a wider audience by sending your livestream to multiple platforms. This will require a subscription and some software setup. Here are a few services to check out: Castr.io ($15 / mo), Vimeo Premium ($50 / mo), Wirecast ($599), Restream.io (FREE for personal pages, $16/mo for Public Pages), Ciclano.io ($29 / mo for 3 destinations).

Q: Any general tips for making my live stream successful? 
  • Schedule your live streams at set times, this will help train your audience to tune in.  Start with once a week! 
  • Be yourself, have fun, and experiment.  The only way to develop your style is to keep streaming. 
  • Start simple.  Try your first stream from your smartphone or laptop before investing in gear. 
  • Who is watching?   Know your audience and create content that is fun and engaging.  
  • Think about production basics - make sure that there is plenty of light and minimal background noise.  
  • Keep within 6 feet of your camera and microphone at all times to stay engaging 

Q: I think I'd like to hire a professional to help me get up and running. Any suggestions? 
If you'd like to do a quick consultation, reach out to one of the SAACA team members and we'll do our best to get you oriented. There are also some great local production companies, like BRINK Media, that are available to come to you to produce a live stream or video for as low as $250. 
UA PRESENTS at the University of Arizona has launched a fantastic website outlining tips for improving your audio, lighting, video, and monetization strategies. Click on the image below to visit their resource page. 

TIPS FOR STREAMING AND VIDEO CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

TRAININGS AND WEBINARS

VIRTUAL REALITY & AUGMENTED REALITY

An Introduction to Tech-Driven Immersive Theater
In this step by step guide, technologists discuss tools used to create immersive theater experiences with VR, AR, actors, and software.