This post talks about how to ensure a great broadcast when you decide to stream outdoor events whether a wedding, a concert, or a festival. It's part of our series on live streaming events.
You’ve got indoor live video streaming down. You’ve mastered the sound, established where to put the cameras for the best shots, and determined when to switch angles for the best effect.
But can you take it outdoors?
In the summer, your organization might host various outdoor activities you want to stream: a wedding, a concert, or a festival. This poses a whole new set of challenges for your crew. Pulling it off will require some planning and maybe even a rehearsal or two.
Below are the challenges you might face and tips on how to overcome them.
Internet Connection
A glade in the forest might be a beautiful setting for a wedding, but it’s probably got poor Wi-Fi (if any at all). To live video stream, you’ll need to be connected to the internet, wired or through Wi-Fi. Wired is preferable, as it provides a more reliable connection and can be done as easily as plugging a long Ethernet cable into your encoder (like the BoxCaster or BoxCaster Pro). If that’s not practical, you’ll need to go wireless with Wi-Fi.
Don’t trust whatever public Wi-Fi network you can access. Set up your own dedicated access point, which can be done a number of ways. Whichever setup you choose, it’s important to test upload and download speeds ahead of time to make sure they’re adequate. You can do this for free at here.
Read more: What Upload Speed do I Need to Live Stream?
Sunlight
Once you move outdoors, there are a number of things out of your control when. Direct sunlight and glare can ruin a stream and even damage equipment. Position the cameras so that you’re not shooting into the sun and be mindful of the natural light exposures.
Noise
Background noise you barely notice in person can absolutely ruin a live stream. Try to set up away from any noise sources and invest in windsocks, pieces of foam that cover a mic and reduce unwanted noise.
Power
Bring lots of long, weatherproof extension cords if you’re plugging into an outlet. If you’re relying on batteries, make sure everything (cameras, mics, laptops) is fully charged beforehand. And always bring extra batteries.
Final Thoughts + Further Reading
This has been just a quick summary of the problems posed by streaming outdoors.
Note: Even if you successfully navigate all these challenges before the stream starts, it's always smart to have someone watch the stream online as it's going and check in with you to report any problems. Here's more on live streaming events.
Image Source: Thai Chu via Flickr
