Stilgherrian » Stilgherrian Live

Episode 2 wasn’t recorded

Stilgherrian — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:18:27 +0000

Last night’s episode of Stilgherrian Live Alpha wasn’t recorded. I think my overloaded computer took too long to confirm that I’d pressed the “record” button and I pressed it a second time — turning off the recording. Oops. A shame: there was a solid improvement, but still lessons which could be learned from a review. Still, I’ll review the chat logs and other feedback and post something later.

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Episode 2 is recorded live tonight

Stilgherrian — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:50:23 +0000

Episode 2 of Stilgherrian Live Alpha is being “recorded live” tonight at 9.30pm Sydney time, though do feel free to arrive early. My good friend and colleague Zern Liew will be joining me from Singapore to talk about his recent visit to China’s three largest cities, amongst other things. I’ve also spoken to Ustream technical support and I think we’ve solved the talkback / co-host problem… fingers crossed!

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Stilgherrian Live Alpha: lessons from episode 1

Stilgherrian — Sat, 10 May 2008 04:31:40 +0000

If you missed the first episode of Stilgherrian Live Alpha, it’s over at Ustream. That’s the program exactly as it was broadcast on Thursday night.

(Yes, I could have embedded the Ustream player in this page, but I didn’t because of point 3 below.)

I’m chuffed that a 26-person audience generally found it “entertaining” and “enjoyable” even though it was screwed up technically and the main feature interview didn’t happen at all. It felt much worse from where I was sitting.

Traditional media runs technical trials behind closed doors. Only when everybody is happy that it “works” does the new technology get used “for real”.

However I chose to make this public. With bleeding edge technology it’s useful to share experiences. It feels like extreme programming: just start building it, knowing that you may change things along the way, and learn everything in parallel.

So even though our program didn’t fly well — heck, it’s a flaming wreck at the end of the runway! — the black box flight recorder tells us many things…

First, though, remember the aims of this 8-week Alpha: it’s to assemble the toolkit of hardware, software, services, procedures and mindsets that can be used after that. What does happen after that may or may not be a 30-minute weekly program.

I assembled a toolkit with whatever was at hand. This first program has certainly told us which items need replacing! I appreciate the people telling me that the “set” (whatever was behind me in my office), lighting and camera angles need fixing, or the audio needs equalisation. Keep that feedback coming!

With that in mind, here are our many learnings:

Ustream works quite nicely, in general. Good audio quality, and good image quality. (The low frame rate was happening on my old computer, so that can be fixed.)
There’s lots to learn about the audio side. I need a better understanding of how OS X sound routing works, and how Ustream’s “co-host” function works. Time to do some RTFMing.
The “grammar” of this medium is different. For example, a traditional pre-recorded TV program has 2 seconds of black before the program starts, so I did the same, and started recording during that black. However when Ustream generates the thumbnail image for the program website, it takes the first frame of the recording. That’s why the Stilgherrian’s video clips bin has a black rectangle. [I didn't want this page to have a black rectangle either, so I chose a frame grab instead.]
Trying to do everything new all at once is stressful. Even stuff I did know, like hosting a talkback show, I hadn’t done in 15+ years. When the audio screwed up and my guests weren’t available at the right time (not their fault), I was overwhelmed — and that’s why I was sounding so hesitant.
I am on TV, not radio. I must not fiddle with my nose, because people can see me.
I suspect I should resist the temptation to make things look slick. It doesn’t have to be “just like ‘real’ TV”. The aim is for immediate, salient content. That’s why people still found it entertaining when disaster struck: when I needed to fill time, I told stories and jokes. Narrative always wins out over fancy packaging. The time spent making graphics could have been better spent experimenting with audio routing.
Does it need to be at a set time each week? Some level of consistency is needed so people know how to fit the program into their lifestyles, sure. But with modern real-time notification systems people can be told when things are on — and it’s all recorded anyway, even if they can’t participate at the time.
Does it need to be a set duration or structure? Ditto lifestyle. But the program doesn’t need to fit into a slot in a TV channel’s rigid schedule. The Internet has an infinite number of channels! Programs can be broadcast whenever they choose. And if this program is about what’s happening in my world, then maybe the timing and content needs to adapt to that. Somehow.

For now, I’ll stay with the plan to do episode 2 this coming Thursday 15 May at 9.30pm Sydney time.

However the following week I’m at some tech conferences and maybe it’d be more appropriate to fit the timing around them. And then there’s Eurovision on Sunday 25 May…

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Well that was a strange little disaster!

Stilgherrian — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:08:59 +0000

The “live recording” of Stilgherrian Live Alpha Episode 1 didn’t exactly go according to plan. You can see the resulting video now, but I’ll write up some notes during the day.

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Stilgherrian Live Alpha: episode 1 tonight!

Stilgherrian — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:51:35 +0000

I’ve just organised by first guest(s) for tonight’s inaugural episode of Stilgherrian Live Alpha. And, as you can see, we’ve spent half the night playing with graphics too.

I’ll be speaking with Adam Purcell and/or Jared Madden from Emerge.tv about tune-out.com campaign — their counter-campaign to the music industry’s propaganda film, Australian Music In Tune, which I wrote about the other day.

How can the music industry respond to the dramatic changed happening around them? Is it actually too late for them to change? And it’s interesting to note that the film on their website right now isn’t quite the same as the one originally released…

Since it’s the first program, I’ll probably tell you a bit about myself and what’s been on my radar this week. If there’s anything you’ve wanted to ask me, now’s the time.

Stilgherrian Live Alpha is recorded live at stilgherrian.com/live at 9.30pm Sydney time (1130 UTC), and I’ll be talking “talkback” via audio and video.

If you turn up early, you’ll probably see us doing some last-minute technical tests. And once the program is recorded, I’ll turn it in a podcast — details later.

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Stilgherrian Live Alpha: a program brief

Stilgherrian — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:28:02 +0000

Decided! The first episode of Stilgherrian Live Alpha will be “recorded live” on the Internet this Thursday 8 May at 9.30pm Sydney time. Oh shit! That’s tomorrow!

I won’t repeat what I’ve already written about my plans [1, 2]. This post presents a Program Brief — so I can clarify my thinking as much as anything else — and gathers a few recent thoughts. I’m intending to make the entire process transparent in the immodest hope that someone might find it useful.

Aims

Continue my process of moving from doing hands-on technical work to media production, executive production and consulting.
Build upon the “Stilgherrian as a blogger” brand to establish the core personal media global microbrand of “Stilgherrian as a presenter”, around which I can gather other projects.
Establish a regular audience who can become the core of my 1000 True Fans.
Develop and document production workflows so that we can produce similar programs quickly and cheaply.
Experiment with and settle upon a suite of hardware, software and services which works for me in this context.

See, there is method to my madness!

Program Brief

Title: Stilgherrian Live Alpha. Stilgherrian Live is the primary name, and will continue to be used for my personal live programs. The Alpha emphasises that this is pilot material. It will be dropped as soon as we’re happy that we’re moving to a beta product, i.e. all of the components have been individually tested. This may or may not take more than the initial 8 episodes.

In a nutshell: The world from the perspective of a Sydney-based geek. The program will naturally reflect my worldview and interests. However talking to people who have different worldviews will help clarify my own and, with luck, create interesting dialog.

Target Audience: Anyone who’s curious about the world they live in, with a geeky slant. Eventually I’d like to present a general talk show. However I currently work on geek stuff, and the potential audience is primarily geeks. Since I want to build a strong audience initially I need to take that into account.

Format: 8 x 30-minute video programs. The exact format is still to be decided, but I’ve identified some possible elements which I’ll talk about later.

Schedule: Thursdays 9.30pm from 8 May 2008. Live streaming will begin before the program start time for technical tests, and to give the “true fans” a behind-the-scenes view. Recording will start at 9.30pm sharp. Streaming will continue after the live program recording ends so that we can discuss technical issues.

This schedule may change. Tuesday nights probably offer a better audience, and I may need to work around other commitments. Plus there’s our Eurovision thing on Sunday 25 May.

Technical Plan

Live Broadcast & Recording: This is the set-up I’ll be using for the first episode — pretty much what I have lying around. I may upgrade various elements as I go along.

Camera: Logitech Webcam Pro 4000 USB. It’s pretty crappy, sure, but my aim in the first episode is to assemble a broadcast chain, now win an award for cinematography. It will be replaced by the built-in iSight when I get my new Macbook Pro.
Microphone: Logitech ClearChat Pro headset.
Video Mix: CamTwist.
Audio Mix: Audio Hijack Pro?
Video Monitoring: On-screen.
Audio Monitoring: Logitech ClearChat Pro headset.
AV streaming: Ustream.tv.
Primary Recording: Ustream.tv.
Backup Recording: Snapz Pro X?

Podcasting: The program will be podcast as soon as possible after broadcast.

Ustream: Automatic after recording.
YouTube: Automatic cross-post from Ustream.
Stilgherrian.com: Download after broadcast, do a top & tail edit, and post using podPress.
iTunes: Automatic cross-post from podPress.

Talkback

Yes, I will be taking calls. Initially this will be via Ustream’s system, so you’ll need a Ustream account. However I plan to take voice calls via Skype — which in turn will allow be to use SkypeIn to take calls from any phone line.

So, how does all that sound?

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So how will this podcast actually work?

Stilgherrian — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:45:43 +0000

My podcast thoughts are rapidly congealing into a nice creamy chocolate custard pudding filled with cocaine: edgy and invigorating, but still appealing to traditionalists. And deeply, deeply satisfying.

Conversations on Twitter this morning helped provide focus for the evolving plan… and raised some questions. I’m determined to make this program “live”, or at least “recorded live”. But how will it actually work?

I have the technology and experience to produce full “broadcast quality” audio material — see the pretty Sennheiser microphone? However I really want to explore the program format(s) and production techniques needed to produce micro-radio and micro-TV using whatever can be carried in my backpack. While audio quality may not be perfect yet, it’ll eventually catch up. For the time being the novelty value means the audience will endure it. Especially if I can keep the content fresh.

As I said perhaps a little too cruelly this morning, podcasts sound either like ABC Radio National (people talking to themselves), or the worst of community radio (ditto). Being able to interact with people while the program is happening is important. I admit my opinion is coloured by having produced (endured?) 4000+ hours of live talk and talkback radio.

So, further to what I said yesterday…

It will be a general talk show. I was pleased that @deanlk said “You’ve hit the right mix of geekery and [Australian] news & politics.” If I have to write a tag line now, it’s “How the world works, from the perspective of an Australian geek.”
Weekly, 30-minute programs. I know, the Internet doesn’t have to be exact, but it’s still a good discipline.
Format: video. The video is going to be mostly me, sorry, but I’ll always find some imagery to match the conversation. CamTwist allows you to automatically create a live slideshow from a Flickr photo stream, so that shouldn’t be much work.
Schedule: a weekday evening, time TBA. The schedule is the tricky bit. It needs to happen when the audience is available, and that’s either weekday evenings or on weekends. Tuesday night is traditionally the busiest night on the Internet, and hence the biggest potential live audience, but Thursday works better for me. And what time? 9.30pm Sydney time, when it’s 7.30pm in Perth, giving them an opportunity to join too? Whaddyareckon?

I’ve also had some thoughts about what I might cover in early episodes.

It’s my birthday, so introduce me; talk about Baby Boomers vs Generation X vs Generation Y etc and what it means; is it OK to lie about your age? Who should be my first guest?
China (various angles); the Federal Budget.
CeBIT Australia and the current state of geekery. Lots of material there!

I’ll spend the rest of this week brainstorming the possibilities, then decide on Monday 5 May how it’ll actually proceed. Please, more comments!

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Podcasting seems supported

Stilgherrian — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:40:22 +0000

Well, the comments so far indicate this podcasting idea is a Good Thing. I’ll do some more technical tests later this week. Episode 1 will probably be 8 or 9 May.

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To podcast or not to podcast? Podcast!

Stilgherrian — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 06:03:29 +0000

You’d think that with more than a decade’s experience in radio I’d have started podcasting ages ago.

Three years ago I bought an iPod so I could listen to podcasts. It’s languished in a drawer ever since because, to tell the truth, I don’t like blocking out the world and living within a music bubble. Life does not need a soundtrack, but it does need more people paying attention to the reality around them.

I’d also resisted podcasting because as a (former) broadcast professional there was creeping perfectionism. I wanted any podcast o’mine to be really good, lest I be judged by my former peers. But no more.

This Internet thing looks like it’s actually going to catch on. The time has come to start using my production and presentation skills. So, a podcast… How and what, exactly?

Here’s my thinking so far. I’d like your comments.

Content: general talk show, I reckon. While I could focus on some special-interest topic, the bulk of my work with ABC Radio was in general daily talk programs. I’m thinking I’ll cover the same material as my blog.
Frequency and duration: weekly, with 15- or 30-minute program. In so many aspects of life, regularity is the key to success. Internet media needn’t follow a strict broadcast-style timetable, but you still need a reasonably predictable schedule so people incorporate your program into their lifestyle.
Format: I’m not sure. Certainly audio-only is easier to get going initially, but I reckon that it’s worth doing a video podcast for three reasons:

If I use Ustream or Justin.tv or whatever to allow a “live audience” to chat back as I record the show, then it’s trivial to add moving pictures.
Video allows me to show images or even short movies of what I’m talking about.
Many people expect video, and if nothing else it helps promote my image as a brand. People remember faces — even non-glamorous ones like mine.

Style: personal, somewhat sarcastic. Have a listen to The Bugle and you’ll get a feel for what I mean.
Schedule: TBA. I need to find a regular slot in my week for program preparation (pre-production), recording and post-production. Those slots can probably move around a bit, since in the Internet age we all live 24/7. However it does strike me that the Snarky Platypus and I generate so many script ideas after our gym sessions that we could well build the schedule around that.
Title: TBA. Does it need a title? Maybe “Stilgherrian Live” will do, eh?
Starting date: soon, very soon. I don’t want to build my production environment on my battered old PowerBook G4 because it’s being replaced with a shiny new Macbook Pro in a week or two and I don’t want to re-do that work. Or is that being perfectionist again?

Anyway, they’re my thoughts so far. What do you reckon? Are there any topics or styles of material you’d like me to cover? Anyone you’d like me to interview?

Meanwhile, what use is a 60GB 3rd-generation iPod that can’t play video?