1.
AN INTRODUCTION TO LIVE STREAMING
@ThatMuseumGuy
@LondonMusDev

2.
Introductions

3.
What is a live stream?
What do you think a live stream is?
Can you name some platforms?
and others…

4.
What platforms can you use?
• Generally easier to use
• Lower budget
• Broad audience
• Can use mobile phones, tablets, etc
• Lower boundary to entry
• May require less prep / planning
• Specialist audience
• Harder to use
• You’ll need to fit the platforms / the audience
• Higher boundary to entry
• Can be easier / harder to use
• Can be low budget / higher budget
• Broad audience
• Can use mobile phones, tablets, etc
• Can use more ‘specialist’ equipment
• Lower / higher boundary to entry
• May require less prep / planning
• May require more prep / planning

5.
Examples of museum live streams
Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust
Making Puppets, Family Activity
Royal Museums Greenwich
Lunar Eclipse Live
Won a Shorty Award for their live series

6.
Examples of museum live streams
Cambridge Museums
Titan Arum (Titus) at the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden
The National Gallery
Vincent Van Gogh Sunflowers Live, London

7.
Scales of live stream

8.
Small scale
Equipment
• Mobile phone or Tablet device
• Attachable mic
• Stabilising gimbal or tripod
• External battery for charging
Platforms
• Twitter (Periscope)
• Facebook Live
• YouTube Live (only if over 1000 subs)
• Instagram
Planning
• One – four members of staff
• A simple idea (object in focus?)
• A rough timeline of how it will unfold
• A small budget for equipment (£50 - £500)

9.
Small scale example – Archive Lottery

10.
Medium scale – Museum of London schools
• For a long time we did it with large
plastic video-conferencing kit like this:
The Museum of London has been streaming to schools for years in various guises.
• But in 2015, we got ACE funding to try
something new, as part of the 350th
anniversary of the Great Fire of London.

11.
Medium scale – Museum of London schools
Here are clips from our first live stream via YouTube, using pre-recorded video then a live Q&A.

12.
Medium scale – Museum of London schools
And here’s some of how we delivered the same content in November 2018:

13.
Medium scale – Museum of London schools
The setup was essentially the same both times:
Camera Microphone
Capture card Mixing desk
Computer
(running streaming software)
The internet
(streaming platform)
(not needed
for USB mic)

14.
Medium scale – Museum of London schools
The beauty is that you can upgrade any of the elements independently for better results:
Camera Microphone
Capture card Mixing desk
Computer
(running streaming software)
The internet
(streaming platform like YouTube)

15.
Medium scale – Museum of London schools
And it’s easy to build from there, til you end up with something more like this:
• Presenters can watch the stream on a
screen behind the camera, so they see
what the audience see and feel relaxed.
• Additional computers and staff make it
easier to check the quality of the
stream and moderate chat/questions.
• Borrowing portable lighting, wireless
lapel microphones and a better mixing
deck improve the quality.
• Props make the scene more engaging
and we can play pre-filmed videos
showing them up close when needed.

16.
Medium scale – Museum of London schools
The way we live stream for schools also involves a bit of admin:
• Participants must sign up in advance via
a simple web form. Only a small fraction
of sign-ups actually join the stream!
• A couple of weeks before, we send a
guide explaining what they need to
have and do to participate and what the
stream’s content is.
• This also includes a side on how to
troubleshoot basic issues.
• On the day of the stream, we email
them a URL that takes them straight to
the stream in YouTube.

17.
Large scale – New Museum Conversations

18.
Large scale – New Museum Conversations

19.
Large scale – Overview of the Rig

20.
Large scale – Audio Setup
Input Sources
• Presenters
• Audience
• Laptop
Processing
• Mixer
• EQ/Compression
• Audio Interface
Output
• OBS
• IEM
• Speakers

21.
Large scale – Video Setup
Input Sources
• Camera
• GoPro
• Laptop
Processing
• Switcher
• Transmitters
• Monitor
Output
• Video Card
• OBS > Platform
• Screen/Projector

22.
Large scale – Streaming Options

23.
Large scale – Progression

24.
Most importantly – content
Whatever the scale, the most important aspect is the content…
• Who is the live stream for?
• What will your live stream be about?
• How long will it be?
• What will you do?
o Q&A with a member of staff?
o Tour around an exhibition, store or building?
o Object in focus?

25.
Most importantly – content
• What do you want the audience to do?
o Comment
o Get involved?
• Who will be the presenter of the stream?
• What do you want to get out of the stream?
• What platform is best for the stream?
• What extra content do you need for the stream?

26.
Get hands on

27.
Hints and tips
• Often the most simple ideas are the best (start small, build on a solid base)
• Start where your audience is strongest
• Planning should be relative to budget and scope
• Focus on audio over video, where possible

28.
Useful resources