Read Part Two of my Streamingmedia.com article, "No Second Chances, Part 2: Best Practices for Live Events"

Part two of my Streaming Media article, No Second Chances, Part 2: Best Practices for Live Events - Streaming Media Magazine, is now in print and online. The second installment looks at different ways to make the overall webcast experience engaging for your online audience using a variety of different video production techniques interactive tools. Live events have changed dramatically over the last few years with the evolution of enterprise video platforms and the rise of virtual events and live webcasting. Today, companies are now incorporating new and innovative ways to engage their growing online audiences.

Webcasting tools have become easier to use, and, with the development of interactive and social media tools, they’ve evolved from one-way broadcasts into two-way conversations. But just because you have myriad bells and whistles at your disposal doesn’t mean you have to use every one for every event. As I said in Part 1 of my article, “the key is to use the right technology to make it easy to reach the live audience and virtual attendees and provide them a quality and worthwhile experience.”

Here's a brief excerpt from part two:

THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE

We’ve already established that you need the right team with the right tools and the right capabilities at your live event venue. But what are the secret tricks to creating an engaging experience for your audience with streaming video, audio, graphics, and real-time interaction to move them from passive viewers to active participants?

If you only take away only one thing from this article, remember this tip: Don’t let your online audience be an afterthought. You need to cater to their needs by making their experience as engaging as the live audience’s, but in a different way.

Waiting for the big event to begin, in person and online (Photo credit: Harvey Woo)

Look no further than popular culture to see what "American Idol" has done to capture its live audience. The producers were deliberate with their intent, because they knew that the real show was on the screens of millions of TV viewers; it was not for the hundreds of people in the live audience. They didn’t skimp on production value, and, from the start, they introduced an audience response text-to-vote system that gave the audience the power to influence the outcome of the show.

Just think: What if you put that capability into the hands of your online audience? We’d be able to vote off every boring presenter known to mankind!

Corporate communications departments are seeing the shift as well. Donn Kanagaki, senior manager of IT communications at Kaiser Permanente, oversees the employee outreach events for the CIO and senior IT leadership, which incorporate a combination of a live event, webcast, WebEx, and telephone bridge in order to reach more than 6,000 employees across five time zones. About one-third of the IT employees are able to attend the event live via webcast, but the online numbers are growing. Kanagaki says, “We have to recognize that the majority of our employees that participate are watching online, so we need to look at ways to better engage them.”

While Kaiser Permanente CIO Phil Fasano addresses an in-person audience of several hundred, the live webcast reaches thousands of employees who can watch the event online and submit questions directly to the CIO and senior leaders. 

In the words of Marshall McLuhan, “The medium is the message,” and the message can be delivered more effectively using the latest interactive technologies. You may have to use a hybrid approach with a combination of tools based on the capabilities of your webcast or webconferencing platform. Beyond content design, it really does come down to pushing the limits of any platform and streaming technology to achieve the best two-way experience for your attendees and yourself.

TELL A STORY

The plain and simple fact is that no technology, however great it is, can make a boring presenter better. You have to design your presentation to the right audience using the best set of tools and production value to carry your message. But beyond any technology, presenters need to connect with their audience.

All the great presenters, from Steve Jobs to Gary Vaynerchuk to Isabel Allende, use storytelling to convey their messages. People respond to personal stories because they convey emotion and a universal message.

According to Tim Schmoyer, producer of The Reel Web for Reelseo.com and one of the most diversely skilled and knowledgeable people in the online video space, storytelling is important and the best way to get your message across. “Stories are something that everyone enjoys and appreciates, and there’s an emotional connection to stories,” says Schmoyer. “What we really believe in is that stories are much more compelling, especially if you can tell a story that answers the ‘why?’ question.”


Continue reading the full article at: No Second Chances, Part 2: Best Practices for Live Events - Streaming Media Magazine


My thanks again, to the many people who I have worked with over the years to help me learn what works best for live events, and what doesn't work so well. Also, my thanks to the many clients I have worked with who have trusted me to produce their live events. I also want to thank the following people for contributing to this article, including: Nick Balletta, CEO of TalkPoint, Donn Kanagaki, senior manager of IT communications at Kaiser Permanente, Tim Schmoyer, producer of the Reel Web for ReelSEO.com, Casey Wilms, product manager at Zencoder, Mike Folgner, CEO and co-founder of SnappyTV, Harvey Louie, technical director, producer, and consultant of the webcasting company Event Compression Group, my good friend and creative partner Harvey Woo, owner and creative director of Professional Sound Productions, my production manager and traffic controller  Steve Dung, owner of Visions Plus video production services and my IT partner and colleague James Adams, Manager of Virtual Event Delivery at Kaiser Permanente.

My thank you's could go on and on, so I'll cut it short, and finally extend my thanks to my trusted crew and "A" team for your professionalism and support, you know who are... (Sammy, Dwight, Dominic "Baby Dom", Marcia, Brad, Tom, Alfonso, Jason "JJ", Rachel "Ray Ray", Harold "Dirty B", Luke, Ricker, Lorin, Paul and Weyman "The Pro Sound backbone", and the Young Guns, Sam, Matt, Brandon and Josh, and again, Harvey.)

This article appears in the August/September 2013 issue of Streaming Media magazine as:  No Second Chances, Part 2: Best Practices for Live Events.

Businesses are increasingly depending on live event streaming. For expert tips on how to pull them off like a pro, read the second part of our series.
by Larry Kless

Read my article on Streamingmedia.com, "No Second Chances: Get Live Events Right the First Time"

I just wrote a new article for Streaming Media Magazine titled, "No Second Chances: Get Live Events Right the First Time - Streaming Media Magazine", that looks at the five core elements for a successful live event in the enterprise setting. It's a culmination of key learnings from years of producing live events and offers battle-tested advice to ensure live enterprise events come off without a hitch.

A big thanks to the many people who have helped me over the years to learn what works best for live events, and what doesn't work so well, and to the many clients I have worked with who have trusted me to produce their live events. Many thanks to Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen and the people at Streamingmedia.com, for their support over the years and for giving me the opportunity to share my best practices in live event production with this article.

Here's a brief excerpt from the article:

The success of any live event is dependent on five core elements: the people, the plan, the technology, the venue, and the audience; they all intersect to either make or break an event. The added layer of virtual attendees creates an even greater challenge, because you have to produce the event for people both inside and outside the room. The key is to use the right technology to make it easy to reach the live audience and virtual attendees and provide them a quality and worthwhile experience. 

 And I can tell you from experience that it better be good!

 Over the last 20 years of producing live events, I’ve learned a lot about how things can go right and wrong, and from good to bad, and from bad to worse. Most problems stem from the things that fall through the cracks: forgotten tasks that didn’t make your checklist or that were not delegated. They can either creep up on you or blow up in your face, and we all know what’s at stake. As they say in the live event biz, “You’re only as good as your last show.”

 You can avoid most problems with proper planning and clear communication. The best shows are the ones where everyone knows what to do, so the show comes off without a hitch. Whether you are in the studio or on location, the same rules apply if you want to be successful. The key to succeeding is that you go in with a plan and strongly dissuade clients from disruptive last-minute changes. They may think it’s not a big deal, but you know better...

Continue reading the full article at: No Second Chances: Get Live Events Right the First Time - Streaming Media Magazine.

This view is of a video village with HD engineering, monitoring, switching, and recording. (This was set up inside a closet! Really, and it actually fit!)

I'll be following up with part two, that looks specifically at how to deliver an effective webcast, including interactive and social media elements, to the audience off-site.

This article appears in the June/July 2013 issue of Streaming Media magazine as "No Second Chances: Best Practices for Live Events in the Enterprise, Part 1."

Learn the five core elements for a live event, then follow this battle-tested advice to ensure live enterprise events come off without a hitch.

by Larry Kless

10 Tips for Producing Live Events

Over the last twenty years of producing live events I've learned a lot about how things can go right and wrong, and from good to bad, and from bad to worse. Most problems stem from the things that have fallen through the cracks. Forgotten tasks that didn't make it to a list or get delegated, and either creep up on you or blow up in your face. But you can avoid most problems with proper planning and clear communication. The best shows are the ones where everyone knows what to do and the show comes off without a hitch. Whether you are in studio or on location, the same rules apply if you want to be successful. I've worked on this post on and off over the past years adding a bits and pieces of what I've learned that's helped make my shows successful, and now present it as my ten tips for producing live events.

1) Know your client(s) - if you are the event producer you need to communicate directly with the main client. Most executives and professional speakers have handlers, communications staff who write their material maintain their messages, admin staff who directly support them and maintain their schedules and a variety of reporting staff, directors, managers, leads, you get the point. There are layers between you and the main client, who in the end, is whom you are working for. Whether you are planning the event logistics, identifying the technical requirements, working on content or estimating the budget - all things flow from the wants and needs of the main client. You can save your self a lot of work if you can get a meeting with the main client in advance and discuss staging, presentation style in advance. With all the handlers, you get a lot of filtered information and waste a lot of time getting through the layers.

2) Conduct a site survey - knowing your location is your best defense against failure. Not only are you able to assess the space for room dimensions, ceiling height, power needs, lighting, noise, Internet connections, access to loading dock, etc...  you also get to meet the people who manage the venue – and who will ultimately be the ones that support you and your production. Some venues will let you bring in all your own gear, without any buy-out fee – but some venues have exclusives on lighting and audio, and can even be within the jurisdiction of a local I.A.T.S.E. union, like Local 16 in San Francisco, and you'll be required to hire union labor. If you're a producer, it's best to work with a meeting planner who can deal with the hotel contract so you can focus on the AV and event production. But be sure to make friends with the venue, both the in-house AV and banquets staff. Don't forget that you're in their house and they are key partners in your success. The two most important aspects of your site survey are to gain intelligence and build relationships.

3) Have a plan - with every live event there are various templates that can be applied to the production. While each set up is distinct there are standards to follow when the space allows. Most live events takes place in an auditorium, conference room, convention center or ballroom. Video village, as it's called, or video control is back stage and is where the director, technical director, producer, engineer, graphics, projectionist and webcast or videoconference producer and that's the central nervous system of your equipment set up, signal flow and distribution, connectivity, interactive tools and lots and lots of cabling. Go into each set up with a game plan on how you will set up video village, where each station will be and what needs to connect to what.

4) Have an A-Team - it goes without saying that there's no "I" in team, and the best way to achieve your results is to be surrounded by people you trust, people who are professionals and experts in the field, and people you can rely onto do their jobs. With so many moving parts of your live event, you can't micro-manage, or keep track of every detail within each department. So that's where your team comes in to help you be those extra eyes and ears to catch any issues and ultimately get the job done right.

5) Stick to budget and deadlines - It's easy to go over budget when you start adding extra wireless microphones, Internet and power drops, cameras, and probably one of the biggest cost over-runs is not correctly estimating the amount of time it actually takes to produce your event. In most cases, labor can be your biggest cost, and if you don't account for overtime, and even double time, you run the risk of being way over budget. Having the proper staffing ratio is crucial to staying on time and budget. You need to have the right amont of labor to get the job done, and not either under or over staff. If you're producing a video webcast with a live audience, you'll have core costs that will cover equipment and labor.

6) Stick to the plan - Go into each show with a scripted game plan. Even a simple a simple agenda can be something that your crew follows, but a detailed run of show document that maps out the show flow is the best document to use. Your plan should also include set-up diagrams that shows signal flow; floor plans that shows they room layout and location of AV, cameras, lighting, catering; and, any other documents like webcast information, call sheets, production schedules and checklists for both the crew and clients to follow.

7) Plan a rehearsal - The more you know, the better the you do... and the best way to know is to practice. Aside from presenters being able practice clicking through their slides and getting comfortable with the environment, you need to know their transitions, cues for videos, music, camera angles and blocking, along with how the show will open and close. Will your presenters have walk-on music, on screen graphics, or need Internet access? Is there an announcer or VOG? How will Q&A be handled? It's best to have that all figured out in advance and rehearse with your presenters and crew. If time permits, try to gather the crew together for a show flow meeting, then go through a tech rehearsal with the crew, followed by rehearsals with each presenter. Beginnings, middle and ends, along with transitions, video rolls, lighting changes, and every audio and video cue should be rehearsed.

8) Avoid last minute changes - Last minute changes can be either highly disruptive or no harm at all. Fixing a typo on a slide or slight change to an element on stage usually won't upset the apple cart. But adding new content at the last minute, like a brand new slide show or video, should be avoided. Especially, if you don't get time to test or practice, that last minute change could blow up in your face, and make your presenters and clients look foolish. But be prepared for last minute changes and if there’s time  – update your script, rehearse if possible, but say, “No, we’re out of time” when you have to. Really, there’s nothing worse than a major on-air blunder.

9) Be prepared, and always have back up - As the Boy Scouts' motto says, "Be prepared." Not only for emergencies, but, "for any old thing." Live events are just that... they're live. Anything can happen. The presenter's wireless microphone could go out. You could lose power which could effect audio, lighting and the live feed. Make sure you have back up microphones and a reliable power source. If you have a lot of lighting, make sure you have a head electrician who can manage the power needs for all the lights so you don't trip a breaker or blow a circuit. For graphics, it's common to have a primary and back up computer to run your slides, and always wire the stage. You never know when a presenter will come with their own laptop and have videos they want to run, so having the cabling already set will save your


10) Roll with it - the old show business phrase, "the show must go on" applies here. Regardless of what happens, there is an audience out there waiting to be educated, informed or entertained, so you have to deliver. The that the fact that a live event is "live" makes it both easier and more difficult at the same time. There are no second takes. When something goes out live that shouldn't have, there are no take backs. So, when you're live you have to roll with it. That means when presenters are late or go off script, or when there's equipment failure, or a crew member calls in sick, or any unplanned situation you have to roll with it. When you're video recording, you can always "fix it in post." But the key is to keep a cool head, don't let them see you sweat and be a leader.

1st draft - 6/22/08
Final draft - 5/27/2012


Update 6/9/12: I forgot to mention how important it is to feed your crew. Bring snacks and plenty of water to keep their energy up, and be sure to budget crew meals on those long production days. That's the best way to keep them happy and on their toes.

Videoconferencing Best Practices: Designing Graphics For Effective Use in a Videoconference

It's often a challenge for presenters to design graphics effectively for use in a videoconference. Many presenters overdo it on slides and tend to cram as much information as they can on each slide, rather than follow the "less is more" approach. I've seen a lot good, bad and ugly graphics in my time, and this post focuses on tips for creating more compelling graphics for videoconferences. This post is also a follow up to a series of articles on Videoconferencing Best Practices, which includes: 12 Tips for Moderating a Panel Discussion, 10 Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Tips and 7 Presentation Tips for Speakers. 

Graphics work well in support of your message, but be careful you don’t become too dependent on the slides. Your audience should only see slides about 10% of the time you are speaking. If your audience is watching on a single screen, think of the how the 6:00 o’clock news is paced, and alternate between speaking, graphics, video and then back to speaking. No segment lasts very long – use this as your role model. The ideal ways to show slides are directly from the computer, and most all videoconference rooms have a PC connection for both in room and remote presentations.

For broadcasts, meetings and instruction the same rules apply when you prepare your slides.

• Keep things simple and concise
• Use a horizontal format
• Use a large sans serif typeface (Arial Bold)
• No less than 30 point size fonts
• Follow the 6 by 6 rule (6 words per line, 6 lines per page)
• Leave border room around the edges
• Fill the screen with the image
• Use simple graphs, illustrations, scanned images
• Use restraint with colors, high contrast works best
• Avoid transparencies and small type written pages

The take home message is that presentation materials need to be as clear and concise as possible. Unlike meetings or instruction, a broadcast is not two-way, so you can’t get instant feedback from the viewing sites on visual clarity.

The rules for producing successful computer graphic designs for video are the opposite of desktop publishing. Choices in text, color, and design varies between the two because they are very different mediums and different rules apply. Graphics for use on television should conform to broadcast guidelines.

Sans serif typefaces (Helvetica, Arial) are more legible than serif typefaces because of their clean letterforms. They are used where quick legibility is vital (street and highway signs), or to catch one's attention with short bursts of type (newspaper headlines). Serif typefaces (Times, Garamond) tend to be more readable for large amounts of text on paper. However, they are ineffective to use as text on the video screen.

The most basic rules for preparing presentation materials are to Keep It Short and Simple, and Keep It Large and Legible. The following tips should provide you with a basic set of graphic guidelines.

1. Keep primary text in the center
Although "dead center" is usually an area to avoid in print media, viewers are used to watching video this way. Don't crowd the screen, instead use several screens to focus attention. Use a horizontal page format, and use six words per line and six lines per screen {Rule of Six}. (Figure 1)

2. Work within the STA (Safe Titling Area)
The STA is the cut off area for all screen images.The screen size between computers and TV monitors is not equal, and things can be cut off if they get to close to the edges. Leave at least a one inch border of empty space around each side of the page to be safe. (Figure 2)

3. Avoid thin horizontal lines, single dots, busy patterns and finely detailed grids
Always use 2 Pt. lines or larger, thin lines just don't cut it. Lines need to be thick and bold or they will flicker. Like thin lines, fine grids, patterns and dots cause flickering and picture distortion also. Avoid shading on printed hard copy because it creates buzzing patterns on camera. Supply details verbally, making charts and graphs simple (Figure 3) . Also, use clip art and flow charts sparingly, remember less is more.

4. Avoid highly saturated colors
Chroma crawl can be seen when two neighboring colors (text and background) bleed into each other. . The more saturated your colors are the more chroma crawl is added to the image. Don't overdo your use of color.
AVOID USING RED or GREEN FOR TEXT

5. Make text large and legible

• Use 30 Pt. for body text, and 40 - 48 Pt. for titles.
• Use no more than two typefaces per presentation
• Use drop shadows to add depth to text, drop shadows help separate text from the background (Figure 1)
• DON'T USE ALL CAPS FOR BODY TEXT, IT'S TOO HARD TO READ!! (Figure 2)

Do's

• Keep text large and legible by using 30 pt for body text, 30-45 pt for subtitles and 40-48 pt for titles
• 48 pt serif title: Times Bold
• 30 pt sans serif-body text: Helvetica Bold
• Use sans serif typeface for body text and serif typeface for titles (the opposite of desktop publishing)
• Use no more than two fonts and only one background per presentation
• Use white text on a dark blue to black background, this works the best readability from across the room
• Use drop shadows to add depth to text, drop shadows help separate text from the background
• Use a Truetype font like Monotype Sorts as bullets, it's more expressive than Option-8 (•)

Dont's

• Don't use Script fonts, they are too fancy for presentations
• ONCE AGAIN, DON'T USE ALL CAPS IT'S TOO HARD TO READ!!
• All caps works only for TITLES, but not recommended

Download this full document here: Slideshare.net | Designing Graphics for Effective Use in a Videoconference

Webcasting Tips and Tricks From the Enterprise

Last month I had the pleasure of participating on a panel session: Webcasting Tips and Tricks From the Enterprise, at Streaming Media West. The panel was comprised of several enterprise video industry veterans from Wells Fargo, Cadence, Oracle, Lockhead Martin and myself, from Kaiser Permanente. While I'd usually say that I'm pleased to share the video from the session, I have to say that I may enter it in The Sucky Video Awards. I say this because from my personal experience, the videographer forgot one of the cardinal rules in video – have good lighting. In this video, it looks like only one light was used to cover the four presenters and moderator and you can barely see me in the dark corner of the stage. I would have used at least two lights in this situation, and also move the podium to one side so that all the presenters were in a row and well lit. Beyond that – I present this video not only for the great content each presenter shared, which is very valuable webcasting tips and tricks from the enterprise, but also as an all important tip – invest in good lighting or your video will suck.



Streaming Media West 2011, Session C201: Webcasting Tips and Tricks From the Enterprise

This session focuses on best practices from enterprise corporations which have adopted and implemented live video across their organization. See firsthand how these companies are using video for internal and external communications and learn how you can better leverage assets already available inside your company. Hear firsthand from those who have been successful with their deployments and learn what advice they have for others deploying live video in the enterprise today.

Moderator: Patty Perkins, Team Leader, Wells Fargo Creative Services Technology, Wells Fargo
Speaker: Michael Chop, Senior IT Architect, Cadence
Speaker: Tony Sehgal, Sr. Manager, Digital Media Operations and Infrastructure, Oracle
Speaker: Eric Hards, Manager, Web, Media Graphics and Streaming, Lockheed Martin
Speaker: Larry Kless, Production Manager, Videoconferencing and Virtual Events, Kaiser Permanente

We started our discussion talking about the partnerships that we've developed within our organizations and how we use all the assets available us to make webcasting work.

Eric Hands shared how at Lockhead Martin, they just completed a architecture design working with each of our individual business units. Each unit currently has its own streaming system. Some from one vendor some from another. It has always been his goal to provide a unified architecture and they are getting close with these new accepted requirements. But it has a long way to go.

Mike Chop's elevator pitch is "To have a strategy around any audio/video that touches our
network". At Cadence, they are pretty strong on the webcasting, telepresence, unified communications, Microsoft Lync and trying to add mobile to the mix. They started building a pretty strong creative production group. Here is a link to their latest podcast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GOPPf_9Vr8

Tony Sehgal discussed how at Oracle, they deliver live streams to both external and internal audiences using two different networks and media platforms. His responsibilities focus on live events, but he works with their broader team on hosting on demand media for Oracle's external audience. They do all their streaming in Flash, both internally and externally, and were one of the first organizations to stream with Flash multicast over their LAN. He's able to get metrics data for live events from Akamai and from MediaPlatform's Webcaster product. They also have a metrics team that implements SiteCatalyst to capture the official metrics data for our team. The SiteCatalyst plugin has been implemented on all of our live event platforms.

My work at Kaiser Permanente is focused on virtual events delivery, through videoconferencing, WebEx and webcasts and the full content life cycle. I partner closely with a colleague in our IT organization who heads up our WebEx rollout and over the last few years we've developed a Virtual Events Delivery Team. Prior to WebEx, we used our videoconferencing network as our internal broadcast network but since we've standardized on WebEx as our web conferencing platform we've been able to get to people's desktops, where they've been asking us to reach them for years. We work with internal business units on enterprise all hands meetings, town halls, educational sessions and since we're a health care organization we've even done live broadcasts from the OR (operating room). We currently don't have an internal video streaming we outsource large webcast events. On demand video is mainly delivered from web servers a progressive downloads and or from internal social media platform that is powered by Jive Software.

An interesting topic we discussed was a question Mike Chop asked about: What are “good metrics” for “stickiness”, his term for improving attention span. At Kaiser Permanente, we use Webex as one of our enterprise webcast platform, and a great tool within Webex, is the attentiveness meter that can tell if people are multi-tasking or paying attention. We've found that we can achieve 75% attentiveness with live video and real-time chat which helps keep the virtual attendees highly engaged. On demand video is not at all as engaging as live video, and having a community manager to respond to chat questions and add color helps keep people tuned in.

See my last post for more webcasting tips and tricks: Larry Kless' Weblog: I'm going to Streaming Media West to discuss Webcasting Tips and Tricks From the Enterprise

I'm going to Streaming Media West to discuss Webcasting Tips and Tricks From the Enterprise

I'll be taking a short break from my intense work schedule next week to speak at Streaming Media West, on a panel session, Webcasting Tips and Tricks From the Enterprise. According to the conference program, "this session focuses on best practices from enterprise corporations which have adopted and implemented live video across their organization. See firsthand how these companies are using video for internal and external communications and learn how you can better leverage assets already available inside your company. Hear firsthand from those who have been successful with their deployments and learn what advice they have for others deploying live video in the enterprise today."

Streaming Media West returns to Los Angeles and the conference organizers promise it to be even best show yet. Last year more than 2,500 content owners, viral video creators, online marketers, enterprise corporations, broadcast professionals, ad agencies, educators, and others all come to Streaming Media West to see and hear more than 100 speakers and 30 sessions focused on latest online video technology and the business models that are coming of age. In conjunction with the show is the first ever HTML5 Video Summit, which is an expanded two-day summit with how-to sessions, demos, case studies, round table discussions and more.

Here's a short promotional video about the conference which kicks off this Monday with pre-conference workshops and the show is November 8-9, 2011.




My session is scheduled on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 10:30 am and confirmed participants include:

Moderator: Patty Perkins, Team Leader, Wells Fargo Creative Services Technology, Wells Fargo
Speaker: Michael Chop, Senior IT Architect, Cadence
Speaker: Tony Sehgal, Sr. Manager, Digital Media Operations and Infrastructure, Oracle
Speaker: Eric Hards, Manager, Web, Media Graphics and Streaming, Lockheed Martin
Speaker: Larry Kless, Production Manager, Videoconferencing and Virtual Events, Kaiser Permanente

I'll be wearing my day job hat as a webcast producer like I did when I first spoke at Streaming Media West five years ago on a panel session on, Distribution & Delivery of Digital Media. The following year I also spoke on another panel session, Best Practices For Webcasting Production which I blogged about here.

Here are some "best practices" that I shared in that post, that address the technical and logistical challenges for webcasting, and how you put the right team and the right technology in place.

If you are producing a webcast, consider the following:

• Know your role. You may be producer, director and technical director and even camera all rolled up into one. Or you may have the luxury of hiring a full crew.
• Get clients on board with deadlines, financial commitments and better understanding of web cast requirements.
• Audio is the number one killer. It’s an ongoing issue when using wireless microphones, telephone call ins, multi-point conferencing and live PA (Public Address) system.
• Working with a team you know and trust and who knows your business is best. Relationships are vital to your process. Delegation and deference to expertise key to getting the job done. You need to rely on your team to do their job and sometimes take over your chores too when you get called away to manage client issues and handle last minute changes.
• Redundant personnel and technology is a must and equipment failure should be expected. Back up to you back ups really saves the day in a pinch.
• Make every room a broadcast studio.
• Site surveys at least a good 8 weeks ahead to inspect data and A/V ports, power requirements for lighting, ceiling height for rigging, windows and doors for light and noise, bring a digital camera, measuring tape and a continuity tester as part of your arsenal.
• Complete all pre-web cast equipment and connectivity testing well in advance and conduct it on-site for higher reliability.
• Prepare a production summary that includes every last bit of detail that covers the entire production. Give everyone on the crew a copy for reference and lead a production meeting before the works so that all teams are synched up.
• Be prepared for last minute changes and if there’s time just roll with them – update your script, rehearse if possible, but say “No, we’re out of time” when you have to. Really, there’s nothing worse than a major on-air blunder. But as they, “It’s live television.”

Also, be sure to have back up equipment and crew in case of technical or physical problems, and don't forget to test your webcast on location. I'll share more tips following my session next week.


For more information, go to: www.streamingmedia.com/Conferences/West2011/

Resources:
Larry Kless' Weblog: Best Practices For Webcasting Production
Larry Kless' Weblog: Streamingmedia.com: How to Execute a Successful Webcast
Larry Kless' Weblog: Streamingmedia.com Featured Article: Lessons Learned from Live Events

Quickly and Easily Master Online Video Promotions and Watch Your Sales Skyrocket - Eastbay LocalPreneurs Meetup Group, May 18, 2010

Last week on Tuesday, May 18th, 2010, I spoke at the Eastbay LocalPreneurs Meetup Group about how you can use low cost video tools and creative techniques to boost your business. The title of the session was, Quickly and Easily Master Online Video Promotions and Watch Your Sales Skyrocket, and covered the online video industry and trends, tips for producing online video for business, specific platform you can use to broadcast yourself and, some of my favorite online video resources. This Meetup group is organized by my friend and local entrepreneur, Jonathan Fleming, and was held at Tech Liminal in downtown Oakland. About 15 of us gathered in the friendly salon atmosphere of Tech Liminal, and the energy was high and the group really engaged on the topic of online video. Just about everyone who attended used video in some way either for personal or business use, and shared their tips and experiences.

We were also treated to an impromptu demo of a new online video editing tool called Minimash, from our local entrepreneurs Claudia Ward and Mark Gartland. Minimash is a self-funded startup ready to come out of stealth mode and looking for an angel investor. The software is really intuitive and fun to use and takes a similar approach to online video mashups like Animoto, but to all whole new level. Look for more on Minimash in the near future. Jonathan wrote a great summary of the event on the Meetup site which I've included below.

Quickly and Easily Master Online Video Promotions and Watch Your Sales Skyrocket

View more presentations from Online Video Publishing [dot] com.

Jonathan Fleming wrote:

"If you missed it, Larry Kless gave an awesome presentation on the many powerful uses of “Online Video” to help promote, make sales happen and brand your business!

For those that attended, you felt his passion, talent and skills towards helping you get started in online video! I know he has helped me to elevate my real estate business to the next level! He’s really a cool guy that loves helping people get their video marketing improved. You can read his blog at klessblog.blogspot.com or catch his informative posts on twitter.com/klessblog

Rodil San Mateo (Eastbayloantips.com) opened up discussing the various ways he uses video to help Realtors showcase properties better; improve their search engine rankings; and get sales results from their marketing. Rodil showcased some of the tools he uses daily to help run his mortgage business.

To close it out, a very creative, innovative startup named Minimash.com dropped in to give an awesome presentation on their upcoming product which I think will be awesome! An Oakland based company at www.minimash.com for more info. It was very inspiring to meet the founders and I felt as if I was meeting an early stage superstar company!

Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities. If you're in the Bay Area and a local entrepreneur, it's crucial to understand how to make the right connections, get the tools and inspirational education in order to grow your business. Eastbay Localprenuers Meetup brings you fresh speakers, monthly training and networking to jump-start your projects and dreams.  Join this Meetup group here or sign up using Facebook.  

Many thanks to Jonathan for organizing for the event and to Anca Mosoiu for hosting it at Tech Liminal. Also thanks to Rodil for kicking it off and proving some context for how businesses can use video to engage customers. Most of all, my thanks to all who attended and contributed to the conversation. I look forward to seeing you at another upcoming Meetup.

Links:

• Eastbay LocalPreneurs Meetup Group  
• Tech Liminal (techliminal) on Twitter
• MiniMash (MiniMashR) on Twitter

How to Produce Flip Videos that Inform, Engage and Entertain Your Employees - Update from Ragan Communications Webinar, May 14, 2010

Last week, I was a featured speaker on a webinar hosted by Ragan Communications on, "How to produce Flip videos that inform, engage and entertain your employees." I wore my day job hat for this event, as a multimedia professional for Kaiser Permanente, and was joined by my colleague Elizabeth Schainbaum, a staff writer in our Corporate Communications department. We discussed how we're using Flip and Kodak pocket video cameras to capture important employee news to post on our company's Intranet portal. Liz shared her experience as a writer turned video producer, who really hadn't used a Flip camera before but was charged to produce a short video, rather than write a story about how one of our medical team's from South Sacramento were conducting a trauma response training at our Sidney Garfield Health Care Innovation Center. The medical team ran a series of simulations on how to respond to gun shot wound victims and other severe injuries to prepare for the opening of Kaiser Permanente’s first Level II trauma center. Liz's manager thought it would be a great opportunity to use video to tell the story.

In preparation for the video shoot, Liz asked me for a few pointers on how to capture the story using a Flip camera. Her boss handed her a Flip without any instructions and only about a day or so to prepare. I had previously led a Flip 101 training session for some of her colleagues in Media Relations and Corporate Communications, who also were given Flip cameras as part of KP's growing use of social media within internal and external communications.

Liz and I had a brief hallway conversation, and I shared a few important tips that I thought would help her produce a better end product - such as,  use a tripod or hold the camera steady, interview a few people, make sure they introduce themselves and keep their answers concise, also have them include your question in their answer for context, try to have an interesting background, stay close since the microphone is built in, shoot some B-roll so you can edit in some cut-aways, just to name a few.

After her video shoot, Liz worked with one of our Sr. Web Developers to both edit the video and post it to our Intranet website. The completed video got rave reviews and she went on to produce several videos which were even better the first as she learned more and got more comfortable with the medium.

It turned out to be a great case study for using video in corporate communications and a perfect fit for the Ragan webinar audience. The webinar itself was very well attended with over 200 paid attendees. You can buy the CD from Ragan for $99 here, but below you'll find our webinar slides for free.

How to produce Flip videos that inform, engage and entertain your employees

View more presentations from Online Video Publishing [dot] com.

The topics we covered included: 

Shooting tips:

• How to frame an interview to give your speaker enough head room
• When to use a tripod and why you should avoid zooming
• How to select the best background for your interview
• Tricks to make sure your video is always sharp and in focus

Lighting:

• What kind of lighting conditions you need for good picture quality
• How to avoid producing grainy video
• Ways to light your subject, without buying expensive equipment

Audio:

• How to avoid distracting background noise
• Why you need to stay close to your interview subject
• When to use an external microphone

Editing:

• Why shorter is always better
• Types of free software you can use to create your video vignettes—and optional equipment you can buy if you want to kick it up a notch
• A step-by-step process to edit your Flip video, including transferring the video, creating a timeline and uploading it to your intranet or YouTube

How to produce stellar employee videos:

• What types of stories are best told with a Flip camera
• How to produce videos that your audience will want to watch—over and over again
• Why clips produced on a Flip can be more engaging that polished, professional videos

We were also joined by CEO Mark Ragan during the Q&A, who shared some tips of his own on how you can use a Flip camera at events to record simple "man (or woman) on the street" interviews. At a recent conference in London, he shot an number interviews with attendees ad asked them all the same question, "What British communicators hate about jargon?". He was able to get a range of spontaneous and often humorous answers. He also recorded a brief introduction of himself to give it some context, by handing the camera to the last person he interviewed, then edited it all together in Windows Movie Maker on the plane ride home.

Some of they take-aways from the webinar to keep in mind are that you really have to consider have to consider your audience when you produce a video. Is your audience online or on mobile devices? Will the video play a big screen or little screen? Do you need a broadcast quality video production or will a $200 pocket video camera do the trick for you? Flip, Kodak or any other pocket video camera and cell phone cameras provide an immediacy of your subject matter. With the evolution of the UGC-generation we've accepted a lower quality threshold. Things that are little rough around the edges are seen as more authentic.

A Few Parting Tips

• When you're shooting your video don't forget to get a variety of shots as good B-roll.
• Anticipate any action, take charge and remove any obstructions that are in your way, rehearse your interviewees and do a couple takes. 
• Don't be afraid to ask them to start over if you need a shorter take or if they say too many "Umms". 
• If you're using a Flip, try to use a back up audio recorder that has an external microphone. There's a slide in the presentation with a few makes and model numbers you can try, or if you have more than one Flip, set one closer to your subject and splice the audio together when you're editing. 
• What's important though, is to have a compelling story that can be told in 90 seconds or less, good audio and lighting, and a steady camera. That will help not only hold your audiences attention, but also as the title of the webinar says, inform, engage and even entertain them.

Online Video Platform Summit: Best Practices Roundtable - Online Video Publishing Strategies and Tools,

A best practice is a technique, process or tried and true method that can evolve over time through the process of discovery, trial and error or other process and is recognized as the most effective way to yield successful results. What may start as a good idea can develop in a standard practice that can be adopted by any group, organization or industry. When it comes to online video, best practices are commonly shared as advise or tips on how to produce, deliver and measure the effectiveness of your communications efforts. In this panel session from the Online Video Platform Summit, presenters from both online video platform providers and enterprise customers share their own best practices for online video publishing. Some of the topics include content creation, distribution, audience engagement, measurement, call-to-actions and conversion as well as both the opportunities and challenges for enterprise content creators.

Best Practices Round Table: Online Video Publishing Strategies and Tools

Moderator: Paul Riismandel, Director of Curriculum Support, School of Communication, Northwestern University Matt DeLoca, SVP Sales and Marketing, KIT digital Wayne Kao, VP Product Engineering, VMIX Ken Kaplan, Broadcast and New Media Manager, Intel Global Communications Group Linda Crowe, Digital Multimedia Communications -- Group Manager at Sun Microsystems The opportunities have never been greater for businesses to promote their brands, products, and services with compelling online video content. The barriers to creating and distributing professional-quality video have been eroded with the development of affordable content creation tools and the solutions available from online video platforms. Still, if video is not one of your core competencies, it can become a costly and time-consuming effort. This session brings together leading industry professionals to discuss and demonstrate cost-effective tools, techniques, and best practices for online video publishing.

A Few Highlights from the Panel

According to Matt DeLoca, the things that companies should take into consideration when developing an online video solution are: content creation, management and distribution and recording. He noted that a few years ago, many companies didn't have the content or know how to create it, he said:

"It's amazing how things have transformed in the last few years, the presence of content is not the issue, the issue is how quickly they can get that content transformed and tagged. The evolution over the next few years is about distributing that content around multiple sections of the website as well as partner sites. And now it's gone a step further, it's really about socializing that content and making it available on lots of sites based on user preferences and the way they interact with the content. So, the most important thing I talk about with customers is, make sure you have good content and you've encoded it in the most appropriate ways for distribution, but really maximize the ways that you can leverage that distribution."

Matt added that there are two main principles to distribute you content. The first is to "push" that content under your own preferences where your audience is going to be - your web site, a press room, product pages other an Internet or Intranet site. The second piece is about making the content sociable for your viewers, which is more of a "pull" mentality, where they see the value for an extended audience to share it on blogs, Facebook pages and to apply their own distribution methods using their own preferences.

Wayne Kao said that for his customers, they start with the overall objectives to formulate an online solution. Their key is to create an efficient process and workflow so customers can focus on content creation and easy upload. Flip cameras have become very popular for many of VMIX's customers in the news and radio business since most can't afford the big expensive HD cameras. This form of instant online video publishing has really taken off and content creators can always go back later and refine the video with additional editing.

Both Ken Kaplan and Linda Crowe also talked about the "need for speed" in corporate video, and while there are clients and customers that still ask for content on videotape or DVD, most are happy to receive an online video version rather than a physical media asset.

The key is less focus on the technology and more focus on flexibility.


Related @ovpsummit Tweets

RT @dboyll: Check out Sun's viral "Shouting in the Datacenter" Geeks FTW! @llcrowe http://ow.ly/Dx30 #ovps09 6:08 PM Nov 18th, 2009 from TweetDeck

RT @dboyll: @llcrowe advice for those building/buying OVP: focus on automation and flexibility to change w/standards & user needs #ovps09 4:40 PM Nov 18th, 2009 from TweetDeck

OVP Summit Best Practices panel rounds out day one w/ @deloca @kenekaplan @llcrowe and Wayne Kao @vmix (didn't get his Twitter name) #ovps09 4:36 PM Nov 18th, 2009 from web

RT @dboyll: Linda Crowe is @llcrowe of Sun: check out their industry-leading enterprise OVP implementation, ChannelSun http://ow.ly/DwLb 4:26 PM Nov 18th, 2009 from TweetDeck

Related

• See my related post for detailed bios on each of the panel - Online Video Platform Summit Best Practices Round Table - Online Video Publishing Strategies and Tools
• Also, see these related interviews with Ken Kaplan, Linda Crowe and Paul Rissmandel.

Videoconferencing Best Practices: 12 Tips for Moderating a Panel Discussion

I recently posted two articles, 10 Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Tips and 7 Presentation Tips for Speakers, as part of a series of Videoconferencing Best Practices. This post expands on the role of the moderator of a panel discussion. The moderator facilitates the discussion on the program topic(s) between several speakers, provides order and continuity and acts as an advocate for the audience. The tips below were developed for moderators participating in a live videoconference broadcast and can be applied to any presentation or webcast.

1. The Intro/Setting the Tone

The moderator sets the tone for the program. The moderator is the host and opens the program, introduces the topic(s), states the main ideas, reviews the agenda, objectives, key points, format of program (i.e. panel discussion with time for Q&A or clinical presentation) and share any ground rules (i.e. how questions will be handled, feedback loop, etc.) Most panelists will not be seasoned television personalities, and will be nervous. Even if you are also nervous, as moderator you need to project that you are calm, confident and prepared. This will help the panelists to be the same, and will allow the audience to concentrate on the material rather than your nervousness. It is important to smile and be animated (which isn’t always easy when talking to an unresponsive camera.)

The intro should be brief so be sure not to drone on, stutter, be plagued with “ums” or “uhs” or have any uncomfortable pauses in your delivery. It is important for the moderator to speak clearly, be concise with the information, and move through it at a comfortable pace. The general concept of “tell them what you’re going to tell them” applies here. Overcome jitters by focusing on positive thoughts and take a few deep cleansing breaths before you go live. After the open the moderator introduces the panel and launches into the discussion, usually by pitching a question to a panel member, presenting a case or simply handing off the program to the panel. During the rehearsal, reminding the panelists of their expertise, the program outline, and the nature of the interaction will help them relax.

2. Managing the Program
Cover your objectives. Use the objectives you developed as your guide to stay on track with the subject matter. Content planning meetings and script/outline should have prepared the groundwork; your speakers should know the material, the focus and how the information is to build and lead the audience to the key points that were pre-determined by you and your panel. Nerves may cause them to forget, so you have to be the conductor who brings them back to where they need to be in the discussion.

Ask your panelists a question to get them to address the issue. You may have to ask another question to snap them back to the focus of the discussion. A good strategy is to provide a copy of the script/outline for each guest to have with them on hand. Make it very clear that the script/outline is a reference only, a form of prompting. It is not to be read or stared at during the broadcast. Encourage your guests to arrive early, especially if you sense they are apprehensive. This will give them time before the show goes live to work through some of the nerves.

3. Managing the Time
Be aware of time. It’s your responsibility to make sure you cover the material you and the

panelists have decided in advance is the most important. Allow equal time for participation and if you are running out of time, you need to make a quick decision on what to cover. Give plenty of time for Q&A and if you have more time left than material, you need to decide whether to close or ask more questions of

the panelists. You can end early if you have covered the material, but that is very rare.

4. Facilitating the Discussion
You need to make sure that there is interaction between the panelists. Content/planning meetings and conversations are the pre-cursor to the discussion on broadcast day. You’ve already had these discussions with each other and can re-visit them during the program. If you feel one of your panelists is being too quiet, ask the panelist a question to get him/her engaged. Remember that you are not a panelist, even if you are an expert in the field; you need to facilitate your panelists’ presentations, not give one yourself. By interacting with the panelists, looking at both of them, involving them in the discussion, you are role-modeling the behavior you want them to emulate.

5. Representing the Audience

Again, your role isn’t subject expert, you are there as the surrogate for the audience, asking the

questions that they would ask, making sure the information is usable to them (as defined by the objectives). Although the audience can usually interact with you by calling in with questions and sending in chat messages – but if you can anticipate and ask first, it saves them the trouble of finding a phone – and spares you from handling unpredictable phone calls.

6. Direct Address
The goal of the moderator is to establish rapport with the audience. You can do this by looking into the camera lens, which makes "eye contact" with your audience. They really are out there, even though you may not see them. So remember to smile when you can. This gives the feeling of direct address with the audience. Maintain steady eye contact with the camera and your panelists. Avoid darting your eyes and only glance at your notes, don’t study them. Stay engaged with the discussion by keeping your focus on the panel and include the audience when possible.

7. Body Language

Body language is very important. Maintain a comfortable posture so you don’t look rigid or stiff. You will be seated, so be sure not to hunch over, slouch, or rest on your elbows. Don’t swivel in your chair or lean back in it. When you’re nervous it’s easy to fidget. Don’t shuffle papers around or fiddle with any object like pencils, glasses, buttons, microphones, paper clips, etc. Avoid any distracting mannerisms like head bobbing, scratching, sniffling or coughing. This is can be all picked up and exaggerated on camera.

Your facial expressions reflect the mood you want to create in your audience. You won’t motivate them to be interested or enthused by looking deadpan. You may cover the range from smiling, serious, laughing, inquiring, to doubtful. Keep it lively and varied and appropriate to the situation.

Put your hands in a natural position. Don’t fold your arms across your chest. It looks defensive. Don’t be too conscious about hand gestures, but don’t wave your arms around - try to keep these broad movements to a minimum. Stay engaged with your panel, look directly at them and listen attentively while they speak. Keep a close comfortable distance with them. Big gaps between panel members along with leaning back may non-verbally say, “I don’t want to be

here.”

8. Vocal Technique

The pitch or tone of your voice should be natural and varied so you don’t

sound monotone. Your voice pitch changes when you’re nervous and the audience usually can tell. A high voice pitch may sound nervous and rushed and a low voice pitch may sound slow and bored. Try to maintain an even pitch and speak clearly so you don’t sound nasally, breathy, thin or harsh. Unless you’re speaking in front of a live audience, you should not have to raise the intensity of your voice. The audio technicians will adjust your sound to a comfortable listening level.

9. Cues
In some studio settings, moderators are fitted with an earpiece called an IFB (Interuptable Full Band) which they wear during the broadcast just like the newscasters. The producer communicates with the moderator and gives him/her cues via the IFB. These cues are simple time cues, content cues and various quick bursts of information to coach and keep the moderator on track and looking good ! Always assume the microphone or camera is “ON” unless the producer tells you that you’re off the air. Always follow your producer or director’s cues. Remember, they want you to look good. When you're not using an IFP you can establish your own cues with your panelists through phrases or specific actions.


10. Transitions
Transitions are passages that take us from one place to another and are used to thread sequences together. Transitional elements link themes and subject matter by moving from one to the other. You need to manage the transitions -- from one section of the discussion to the next, to and from Q&A, and to and from any videos or slides. You should practice these during the rehearsal so you can do it smoothly. They should flow logically and easily as an integral part of the program. After a video, your panelists should address the issues from the video or expand upon it. Determine in advance who will get the initial question after a transition. You should also practice how to use the slides during the discussion.

Sports terms like “hand off,” “pitch” or “toss,” are used to describe transitions between to and from each presenter and the moderator. The timing each of each transition should reflect a balance between the live action and the rehearsed content. Sometimes a presenter can miss a cue or you may run out of time for an allotted segment, and it’s the role of the moderator to be ready for a quick “save.”

11. Q&A
Usually in the last 10 minutes of the discussion is saved for Q&A. If you're in front of a live audience you can open it up for questions in the room and remind your remote viewers that questions can be called into the broadcast. Keep the discussion going and make sure there's no dead air space. Talk radio is a good example of how the host or moderator keeps the program in motion. There is never any long pauses or dead silence, unless there are technical difficulties. When you are ready for Q&A, you can say something like, “Questions can be called in now by dialing XXX-XXX-XXXX, but while we’re waiting for questions, let’s move on to…” Or you can move into a discussion of frequently asked questions, but you must keep things moving along. You will be cued if questions come in or not.

You will need to direct questions to the appropriate panel member(s). Sometimes it will be clear to you who will answer a question, and sometimes a caller may direct their question to a specific panel member. The most important thing is to get the question answered. You may need to cut in if a panel member or caller is going too long, but don’t cut them off. You can help by transitioning to the next call or the next topic of discussion. Keep answers simple and succinct, don’t speculate or guess, if the question can’t be answered it can followed up offline after the broadcast.

12. The Close
Let the audience know that the program is coming to an end by saying something like, “We’re almost of time...” This helps everyone know that you are wrapping things up. Give the panel an opportunity to review the key messages and closing comments. Thank the guests and viewing audience and draw their attention to upcoming events, future programs, and remind them to complete their evaluation forms. This feedback is very important and comments from the audience helps in the planning of future programs.

Lastly
Above all, have fun! Moderating can be a quite enjoyable experience for all concerned. If you are enjoying yourself, your panelists will too – and that will make the discussion more enjoyable for the audience as well.