NAB Canceled. Everyone stuck inside their homes. One-on-one meetings canceled. It is a helluva time to try to deliver the news to you. Yet, we have an idea.
In the past, we flew on packed airplanes, packed into crowded hotels, and crammed into a full Las Vegas Convention Center. Our goal, to see the newly announced gear and how you may use it. To inform was the top of our minds. To inform still is the top of our minds.
How are we going to do it? One-on-one interviews will still happen just online instead of in-person. Here at Pro Video Coalition, we will use programs like Skype or Zoom to record individual conversations with our manufacturer’s partners to place videos in our posts.
After recording the one-on-one interviews, the video will be uploaded to PVC’s YouTube page, embedded into PVC Posts online and shared. On the page, the NAB posts will look very similar to past NAB Video Interview Posts with an intro paragraph, the video, photos of the product, and written details about the product learned during the interview. We may live stream content when it is appropriate.
We all know about Skype, a video call between two people. Yet, when you add an ATEM Mini, Blackmagic Web Presenter, Teradek ViDiU Wireless Streaming Encoder, AJA Helo or the Streamstar X4 Live Production and Streaming Studio Rack Unit to name a few, you can then shoot with multiple professional video cameras, and those become your “webcam” skype uses. Using a Web Presenter is a much more professional look than a MacBook Pro’s internal camera. In my case, I will be using the Blackmagic ATEM Mini.
From my initial outreach to manufacturers, most seem to have this capability already. ARRI is a good example; they have a whole studio set up for this type of situation. These are interviews just like we did in-person in previous years. If you have watched a Blackmagic Design Web Press Conference, then you have seen this set up in action.
Are these Live Interviews? Pre-recorded Interviews? Or a Live Stream?
These are live interviews recorded and ready to go immediately following the discussion. Since we will be using an ATEM Mini on my end, we can use four different input sources. 1. Client feed from Skype. 2, 3, and 4 will be PVC cameras presenting Wide, Medium, and OTS shots for visual variety. A Director, or second person, will punch between the four sources. All of this recorded like a “live-to-tape” segment. I already have Matt Pfingston, last year’s NAB Video editor for PVC enlisted as Tech/Director. If the situation warrants live streaming straight to YouTube, then we will do so.
How long will it be?
Like in-person interviews of NAB past, these videos can range from a few minutes long to several minutes long. I believe last year we produced a very long ALEXA Mini LF interview with Art Adams, and it did well with viewership. The length of a video will vary, and we will try to be concise while remaining thorough.
Where Would It Take Place?
On my end, I will be in my studio garage or a buddy’s much more beautiful studio space. Filmtools may also have set up in their facilities. The best part, PVC can access more contributors to cover more of the news for you. We are no longer restricted by the select few who traveled to Las Vegas for NAB. These setups need not be significant and expansive, but they will look excellent and professional. This set up should keep everyone separate and safe. No need for in-person studio visits because NO ONE WANTS TO CATCH COVID-19, am I right?!
Monday – Wednesday or just one day?
The scheduling of our NAB coverage is wide open. Some manufacturers have shown interest in getting their news out before the scheduled, now canceled, NAB timeframe and others want to stick to the schedule. What is great about this set up is we can do it whenever. We are no longer beholden to Las Vegas Convention Center hours. If a manufacturer wants to pre-record their point-to-point Skype call before a news announcement, we can make that happen.
If you’d like to share your perspective and insights around how you keep productive and profitable during times of uncertainty, please send us an email (social@provideocoalition.com) or get in touch with us on Twitter.
