Let’s compare livestreaming to a wedding video.
Your wedding video is generally done by one or two videographers who will capture key moments of your big day. They can be very agile as they can stop and start as they move around to get the best angle.
Following the wedding the video studio will edit all the captured video into a highlights movie that should be delivered about a week later.
Now you could just share that video with the people who could not attend – a week or so after your wedding.
But they will miss out on the immediacy of the event.
Live streaming is just like live television (without the commercial breaks). Vision and sound are captured from multiple cameras and microphones. These feeds are mixed live using a switcher and then sent to a streaming platform so your guests can watch it.
Standard live television involves a number of roles – even the most basic broadcast involves a producer, director, vision switcher, audio engineer, graphics operator and multiple camera operators.
Basic live streaming can be done with a single operator with a camera and on-board microphone. The camera output is fed directly into a streaming device. However, the camera operator will be stuck in one position from where they can zoom and pan and not much else. And they have no backup if anything goes wrong with the camera, audio or feed. But it is a cheap option.
The standard streaming setup used by the Our Live Wedding team involves two camera operators to get different angles, who, when not live, can reposition their camera to get a better angle. A static camera is used to get a wide shot, that camera can also be used as a fall-back if the other cameras are not available.
Audio is captured from the celebrant’s PA and/or via wireless microphones that are discreetly placed on the celebrant and the wedding couple. Additional microphones or line feeds are used to capture the live or pre-recorded music.
So compare that to a wedding video. In addition to the professional video cameras and microphones we need more gear on site (and more time to set up) including an audio mixer, vision switcher and monitor, laptop for control and to monitor the stream, and a 4G router to connect to the internet.
In addition to the camera operators, the onsite streaming team includes the vision switcher, who gives direction to the camera operators and mixes the vision from them, while the producer is responsible for mixing the audio, monitoring the up-stream to Vimeo and the live stream on the website.
Live streaming also enables your guests to interact via a live comment feed.
Another important difference between video recording and live streaming is the situation known as “dead air” when there is nothing happening. The ceremony itself has action most of the time and so dead air is not an issue. However, at the reception there is a lot of potential dead air, especially when guests are eating. This is a good time for your photographer and videographer to catch a bite to eat but the stream needs to continue to keep your online guests engaged. So it is up to the producer to find ways of filling that dead airtime.
This is just one of the issues we deal with when we talk to the couple in the lead up to your big day – usually on site.
If you want a truly professional coverage to share with your guests who cannot attend send us details of your wedding or call us now on 1300 850 021
