Live streaming and video on demand on a budget

AV companies and venue AV departments are all offering webcasting and hybrid events – so why is EventPix now offering livestreaming and video on demand?

Simply – Because we can!

On Black Friday (13th March) we were in the middle of ADX20 – the expo for the dental industry at ICC Sydney. One of the services we were providing was shooting, editing and prepping short video pieces for social media with a turnaround under an hour.

By the following Monday our bookings for the next six months were cancelled or postponed.

A week later I made a quick visit to Adelaide for the funeral of my mother (95 – a good innings) where we allowed only 10 mourners. So I set up my phone to stream the service via Facebook to other family members who could not attend. A month later I attended another funeral that was also restricted to 10 mourners – this time I set up my DSLR camera for a better quality livestream. I realised then, that as long as these restrictions are going to be in place, this service would be valuable to many on so many levels. It is bringing real-time experiences to people that can’t be in attendance due to Covid-19 restrictions.

I purchased a Blackmagic ATEM switcher and a bit more gear to go with our DSLRs and now we have a compact kit that can be setup anywhere.

I also called on my friend Warren who has spent decades at the ABC as a cameraman, panel operator and director. Waz was impressed with the kit and was all in!

I quickly expanded the operation to include multiple camera operators. Alicia, who is well known among our community as one of our key photographers, has been focussed on video for over a year now. I also brought onto the team a final year student from AFTRS.

Everyone on the team shares the same level of enthusiasm when it comes to pushing the boundaries of this fast growing technology.

Our first live gig was with a start-up marketing business. Christina from Social Hills was keen to start a monthly webcast – so she sourced and coordinated the talent together along with a picturesque venue. We shot and recorded the session and uploaded that night. In the process we learned a great deal about how to improve production and processes. You can check it out here – the panel are really good – entertaining and informative.

A week later we secured our first paid gig – a funeral for a well-loved and respected member of the Australian Lebanese community. We were able to access the church the day before to get setup and check everything. Warren directed and operated the panel while Alicia and I were on camera. Flawless delivery. The church and adjoining hall (we set up a feed into there) accommodated 150 pax while over 200 watched online locally and around the world.