Articles on creating video content for the web.
.jpg)
Have you become interested in Facebook live and wondering how to get started. Well, this video will show you how to kickstart your broadcasts, build your community of viewers and grow your business or organisation.
Read more
By way of introduction it is worth saying a few things about why live streaming or a social media TV program, is worth the effort. Live streaming has all the advantages of video; a stronger audience, able to show as well as tell, more engaging and ultimately, it's easier! More on that in a sec. Facebook prioritises video and especially live video in the newsfeed so that more people see it. I read recently that as hundreds more or thousands more videos appear higher and stay higher in the newsfeed than other types of post. As well as that, while your live video is being broadcast, Facebook actively seeks to build your audience using what it knows about you and your prospective viewers. Why is it easier? It is substantially, you just need to show up and tell your story rather than crafting text and images. You simply have producers such as us here at Simply Splendid Productions take care of the technical support that you need for getting out your content.
Digital video fascinated me when it first appeared in 2000. VHS had been around for a while that but I was never an enthusiast. When the Digital Video iMac appeared it had me hooked. What had taken very expensive equipment suddenly became available for the price of the computer and camera.
Well it has happened again! This time with live broadcasting. There's now an app for mobile phone, mimoLive Reporter, that connects with a recording studio on a Mac over WiFi and Mobile. We can now cross to anyone on location and broadcast their live video directly to internet TV. For a number of years I taught at Warriappendi School and delivered a fortnightly program to the community channels in Adelaide and Melbourne. That meant I dropped off a tape with a recorded program. This is much more exciting. Live TV production and programing is now available for anyone. You can download the free trial of MimoLive HERE.
Facebook, Youtube and many other platforms have offered live streaming for some time. But that is still a far cry from a fully crafted TV program. Now with the Mimolive Reporter app you are no longer tied to a studio. Interviews with people on location, from the webcam or from live camera are "Plug & Play". So How do you use it?
On iPhone:
If the program is interview format, use a selfie stick or better still, a tripod. The experience is much like using Skype or Google Hangouts with the added benefit that it can be switched into a TV program with video feeds from other speakers. It is a simple matter to convene an online panel with people from all over the country.
If you don't have an iPhone, no problem. The link from the program producer will work in Chrome browser on Mac, PC or Android. Incidentally, Chrome browser on iPhone doesn't work.
There are a couple of bonuses to using the Reporter App for iphone; you can broadcast directly to social media, and you can include all kinds of extra graphics, intros and credit rolls as well.
One of the best ways to let people know about your Art, Practice or business is with live streaming to social media. You can take the DIY approach or have us at Simply Splendid Productions produce it for you with your content.
While on route to our picnic at Brownhill Creek reserve on Sunday, Carol and I dropped in to the Waite campus labyrinth for a location recce for our short film "Mandala Magic". I had heard a lot about the labyrinth and wanted to take a look. The labyrinth is an ancient symbol, a mandala whose twists and turns represent the cosmic dance, the universe in microcosm. Walking the circular path that twists and turns back and forth upon itself one is disoriented to the external world and drawn within the the centre of one's being, to the place where we experience wholeness. In other contexts it represents the steps of Shiva Nataraja, the Divine Transformer, Lord of the Dance. It is a symbol found in many disparate cultures throughout the world, from petroglyphs in the Americas, to Egypt and Greece and in many European cathedrals with Chartre Cathedral being a prime example.
The similarities between walking a labyrinth and colouring a mandala are remarkable, calming the mind, mentally stepping through to a subtle realm where the cognitive brain is confused into a state of flow, allowing intuition and creative mindfulness to be revealed and revealing. Carol, Gemma and myself will be recording the sequence this week.
Should you wish to walk the Urrbrae Labyrinth, I have attached directions below.
Big Girls On The Move crowdfunding campaign is well under way with the second box of the Big Girls Little Colouring Books delivered yesterday. Carol and I visited the Inner Southern Homelessness Service in Marion and met with the team. I took the opportunity to film the event for YouTube and document this innovative approach to supporting women in crisis with a powerful tool for relaxation and stress relief. The crowdfunding campaign raises money to buy colouring books for women's shelters and services.
Leaving domestic violence is a monumental task for many women. They are able to self refer to a service such as the Inner Southern Homelessness Service and very often the first step will be finding motel accommodation as a temporary measure. Click through to the YouTube video for a fuller story.
It was inspiring for me to meet the team, a dynamic group of people committed to supporting women in crisis. There are more services requesting books and we look forward to working through the crowdfunding campaign to provide them.
Carol uses mandala colouring in her women's colouring and conversation circles and the effectiveness of this approach speaks for itself. She also offers training in how to get them most out of using the books. She says that it is effective becauses it creates a supportive environment amongst women who have had similar experiences and helps connect with the "wise older woman within" to create a better life.
For my part, I concentrate on supporting the campaign with video and social media. We also have a film called, "Mandala Magic" in production that documents the benefits of colouring for women who are making big decisions and monumental changes for themselves and their children.
We are extremely grateful for the generosity shown by all our contributors. You can find out more about the crowdfunding campaign and join the initiative at Go Fund Me.
We are entering a time when we will see video everywhere. 80 % of web traffic will be video by 2019, say the forecasters including Facebook and they should know. It really is essential for any organisation wanting to promote their content with social media because more and more people are accessing the internet on their smartphone and video works far better than text on a small screen. The largest organisations have the resources to get up and running straight away though they are not usually the first to adopt new technologies. For smaller organisation without in-house resources it makes more sense to outsource video production. It is an innovation that doesn't have to cost the earth to get high quality productions at an affordable price.
Social media is no longer optional. But that doesn't mean every ...
Read more