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 ?

Sometimes a word is worth a thousand pictures

SOME GUIDELINES FOR SELECTING OR 

You will be forgiven for bad video but you will be abandoned for 

SHOOTING GOOD STREAMING VIDEO 

bad audio. While those reasonably priced DV camcorders do yield 

fi ne imagery for streaming, remember that consumer cameras have 

Minimize movement

 The less subject movement, the 

consumer microphones built in. Poor quality mics tend to pick up 

better. Avoid scenes with lots of activity or motion.

lots of background noise, which can be virtually impossible to fi lter 

Use a tripod

 The less camera movement the better. 

out later. Don't use a mic intended for rock and roll. Do use a remote 

If you really need to pan, a tripod with a fl uid head will 

reduce motion to just one dimension. 

lapel, handheld, or boom microphone with either a strong proximity 

effect or a directional pick up pattern. If you are shooting DV, record 

Keep the background simple

 Within a small frame, 

16 bit (not 12 bit) audio the more information you start with, the 

subjects moving on a simple background are easier to distin 

guish than subjects on a complex or moving background. 

better result you are likely to get when you encode your audio. Keep 

the audio level as loud as possible without driving the meter into the 

Avoid complex textures and stripes

 Patterned 

red with DV, too much level can result in distortion. Be sure to test 

clothing or scenic elements can cause distortion effects. 

your audio levels prior to recording. Better yet, get an experienced 

Avoid trees or foliage with moving leaves

 Very 

audio engineer to help. If feasible, record as much audio as possible 

small details in continuous motion compress horribly, 

in post production, rather than live. A voice over recorded in a 

even at high data rates.

studio will always produce much better audio than sound recorded 

Avoid  hot  colors

 Bright whites, blues, reds and 

on location.

yellows glare under video lights, and will look even worse 

on the Web than they do on NTSC tape; darker colors and 

Shooting for live Webcasting

earthtones will work better. If you can control what the 

subject is wearing, recommend dark, solid colors.

The operative word here is  live.  Make sure your subjects, and 

the audience if there is one, know that your are Webcasting live. 

Avoid harsh contrast

 Typically, video that is well lit 

and does not have a lot of contrast will compress better for 

Because what your cameras  see  and what your microphones pick 

streaming. Brightly lit subjects shot at a constant exposure 

up is exactly what is being sent to the audience at large on your 

will help keep the foreground detail crisp. 

corporate intranet or on the Internet. 

Tight shots are best

 Streaming video is seen on a 

miniature screen.  To your Web audience, a telescopic shot 

POST PRODUCTION

of a cast of thousands storming a hill will look like  chaos 

on an anthill.  Close ups work best, allowing Web viewers 

In the digital video workfl ow, post production includes everything 

to recognize faces and expressions, or to distinguish objects 

from capturing through outputting. However, for the purposes of 

and their details. People engaged in conversation should 

be positioned very close together, and be prompted to 

this primer, we will address only capturing through editing in this 

remain that way.

 Post Production  section, in order to cover the critical topic of 

outputting more thoroughly in a section of its own.

Keep your subjects within the frame

 Be sure your 

subjects or actors understand the boundaries within which 

they can move and still remain within the frame.  

Capturing video for streaming

Create plenty of background space for titles

 The 

Once you've shot or otherwise collected your video clips, you need 

small image size means you'll need a larger percentage of 

to get them into your computer, in digital format, so that you can 

the frame as a background for readable titles than you 

edit and/or encode your streaming production. Adobe Premiere 

would for a production with a larger image size. 

software, with native DV support for dozens of DV devices, as well 

Stick to hard cuts

 Pans and zooms add movement that 

as support for most analog capture cards, is an excellent choice for 

will not compress well.

controlling and automating the capture process. If you are planning 

Slow your shutter speed 

 A slow shutter speed causes 

to use Adobe Premiere or other non linear video editing software to 

moving objects to blur, but leaves still objects in focus, 

craft your production for VOD (video on demand), you'll follow the 

making your video easier to compress. Try using a shutter 

same basic capture procedures that you would for any type of digital 

speed that's about half your frame rate:  shoot 24 fps fi lm 

video project. You'll fi nd a description of how to confi gure your 

at 1/48 second; shoot 30 fps video at 1/60 second. 

system and what capturing your clips entails, in the Adobe Digital 

Don't neglect the audio

 Don't rely on a built in micro 

Video Primer.

33

namic Medianamic Media

phone use wireless remote mics or boom mics. Pre test 

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audio levels. Get a sound expert, if possible.

Test whenever possible

 Shoot some test video, encode 

 If you shot DV, it's as easy as `plug 'n play' just connect your 

it, and stream it across the system you plan to employ. If you 

have had trouble managing expectations, showing an early 

DV camcorder to your computer via an IEEE 1394 connection 

obe Dobe D

test can convince clients that compromises or concessions 

and you're ready to edit. 

dd

may need to be made.

 Adobe Digital Video Primer

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33  Adobe Digital Video Primer, PDF available for download at http://www.adobe.com/motion/main.html