A   S t r e a m i n g   M e d i a   P r i m e r :  

H O W   D O   I   M A K E   ( G O O D )   S T R E A M I N G   M E D I A ?

 I think we'll defi nitely be moving to more VOD [video on demand],  states Paulson.  If 

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS:

you think about it, how much of the TV that you watch is live, besides the news? There's 

A TRUE STORY

a reason for that, and the reason is quality control. [Unless it's] breaking news  you 

want to take time to promote the event, you want to take time to optimize the encoding. 

NASA (the U.S. National Aeronautics and 

That way, when you deliver it, you're delivering the best quality product, and you can 

Space Administration) is incorporating 

defi nitely remove some of the uncertainty that goes along with the live Webcast. 

25 

streaming media into its communication 

strategy. With 15 separate centers across 

Manage expectations

the country, reports Streaming Media 

Magazine, the agency hopes to use stream 

Perhaps the most important difference in planning for streaming media vs. traditional 

ing media to help weave together the 

media productions is in the area of  managing expectations.  Make sure everyone has 

efforts of its far fl ung staff, while adhering 

the same objective to put a specifi c video and/or audio production on the Web, for 

to the fallout of post Cold War budget cuts 

reasons that make sense e.g., the Web is really the best way to distribute the production 

that mandates fi nding ways to do every 

to your intended audience. Make sure everyone with a vested interest in the success 

thing  faster, better, cheaper. 

of your streaming media venture knows what to expect in terms of the quality of the 

 On January 11, 2001, NASA chief admin 

fi nished production, as it is likely to be seen by your intended audience.

istrator Daniel Goldin and chief engineer 

Brian Keegan entered the auditorium of 

Know your audience; know your limitations

the government agency's Washington, D.C. 

Before you pick up your camcorder to shoot, establish at what data rate your video 

headquarters for a streaming videoconfer 

will be streamed. If you are targeting a broad range of Internet users, the overwhelming 

ence. After screening a pre recorded inter 

view segment, the webcast went live, and 

majority of whom, in 2001, are still connecting with 56K or 28.8K modems, then you 

Goldin and Keegan responded directly to 

should defi nitely stick to a very simple video design plan. If your audience is comprised 

staff questions about a failed Mars mis 

solely of viewers on a corporate intranet, or only those with high bandwidth connec 

sion and a report highlighting NASA's 

tions, you can plan to take a little bit more license with motion and transitions. But even 

communications problems. 

high speed connections sometimes suffer from network congestion, so you should still 

 Agency engineers encoded the video 

plan your streaming production to be comprised of just a few, fairly static, shots. 

feed from NASA's Betacams and sent it 

through the agency's wide area network 

PRODUCTION

to more than 300 employees in 13 facili 

ties throughout the United States  This 

The next phase in the workfl ow is  Creating and Gathering Raw Material.  This phase 

was the fi rst time Goldin had used web 

casting to discuss a controversial agency 

may involve selecting pre recorded footage to incorporate into your streaming project 

wide report with his staff. It was a test 

or shooting original material. Creating or selecting video can be very exciting, but it's 

case for NASA's use of streaming media. 

extremely important to remember that when it comes to streaming media, not all  good  

video is going to shine temper your enthusiasm and your creative impulses with an 

The Streaming Media Magazine article 

recounts how NASA Webmaster Charlie 

understanding of what will and won't work well.

Redmond and a NASA computer engineer, 

It's a balancing act:  complexity vs. quality

Alan Federman, got the agency on track for 

streaming.  Managing the expectations of 

Minimalism is a an artistic style or technique that is characterized by extreme spareness 

the  head honcho  was a critical part of 

and simplicity. A minimalist approach most often makes the best streaming media. 

their planning process.

In other words, keep it simple! 

  In December, Redmond and Federman 

One reason is the small size at which most streaming media will appear on the end 

showed Goldin streaming video at several 

user's computer monitor. Lots of busy detail simply won't be seen. 

different bandwidths. When he spoke on 

camera about the Mars report, Goldin 

The other big reason has, at its core, compression a full discussion of which we'll 

wanted staff to `see his eyes move.'  

reserve for a later section. But, in order to understand some of the whys and wherefores 

Clearly, 56Kbps would not achieve the 

of shooting good video for the Web, you need to understand some basic principles of 

desired result. `When you're talking to 

compression. Succinctly worded by Logan Kelsey and Jim Feeley in their article for DV 

someone about a crucial aspect of their 

Web Video Magazine,  Shooting Video for the Web,  the following two statements are all 

job, gestures like frowns and squints 

are signifi cant,' says Redmond. 'Dan likes 

you really need to know about compression in order to shoot good video for streaming:

namic Medianamic Media

meeting small groups of staff in person, 

yy

    The simpler the information is within an image, and the more each frame in a 

face to face, and he wasn't happy with 

sequence resembles the frames before and after it, the easier the image and the 

jerky, low bandwidth video '  

sequence are to compress and the better the resulting compressed video will look.

 Jason Thomson

    The more complex the information is within an image and the less each frame 

obe Dobe D

 2001: A Streaming Odyssey 

in a sequence resembles the frames before and after it, the harder the image and 

dd

Streaming Media Magazine26

AA

sequence are to compress and the worse the resulting compressed video will look.

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25   Webcasting Live Events,  by Kevin Seal, DV Web Video Magazine, November 2000

26    2001: A Streaming Odyssey,  by Jason Thomson, Streaming Media Magazine, May 14, 2001, http://www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=7315

27   Shooting Video for the Web,  by Logan Kelsey and Jim Feeley, DV Web Video Magazine, May 2000