Re: [Debconf-video] Training video: voctomix

On Sun, Sep 10, 2017 at 3:53 PM, Wouter Verhelst <w@uter.be> wrote:

On Fri, Sep 08, 2017 at 04:14:12PM -0500, Carl Karsten wrote:
> I like.
>
> I think we can/should avoid hardware specifics. I don't have the same
> hardware, makes it a show stopper for me for a few good reasons.
> So for now we can also avoid the two hardware subjects ;)
>
> Let's start with Voctomix.
>
> meta: soon this will live on a wiki, but I want more perspectives first. more
> cooks! Below is 1/2 to start an outline, and 1/2 to figure out the scope. like
> "mixed stream is saved (yes include) in 30 min chunks (doesn't matter?)"
>
>
> scope: What a person needs to operate it, not set it up.
> Show up 5 min before a talk is scheduled to start, walk out 5 min after it
> ends.
>
> items to cover:
>
> Each input stream is 1 video and 1 audio (too obvious?)

I don't think we should talk about the audio bit (vocto operators can't
change that anymore, anyway)

I mostly agree, but I am conflicted. I don't want people wondering "How does the audio get routed?" not that they need to know, but I don't want them being distracted wondering.

that's my thought - didn't say it was a good one. If no one says any more on this I'll leave it out.

> Voctomix gui has an audio meeter - for people that know audio, nothing.
> everyone else: "keep the peek between 1/2 and 3/4" or "...-20db to -2db" ?

> That's more for the audio operator rather than the voctomix operator,
though?

> (yes, you have both jobs be done by the same person, but we don't -- I
think they should be different videos, and you can always play both to
the same person if it matters)

The person watching voctogui will be the one to see those meters. I have never seen an audio operator monitor the video mixer screen. Maybe during a sound check, but not during a talk.

I didn't say what the video operator should do, they can throw wads of paper at the audio operator if that's what it takes.

> When the talk is starting, the Talk Master (sp?) should do this
>
> https://veyepar.nextdayvideo.com/main/talk_intro.pdf/394/
> pyohio_2017_talk_intro.pdf
> "Point at the Video Director, when they point back begin the introduction.
> (Video starts now.)"
>
> When a presenter puts up new slide, switch to slide, read the text on the
> slide, (twice?) switch back to presenter.
>
> Don't thrash - if you find yourself flipping between slides and presenter more
> than 2x a minute (er, no idea how often really?) switch to slides and hold
> there for a minute, even it is boring. that's better than making the vierwer
> sea sick.

On the other hand, make sure you do show the speaker occasionally, don't
"just" show slides all the time, even if that means you don't show the
speaker for very long. Try to show the speaker full-screen, but at least
in the B window of the PIP set.

If the speaker doesn't have that many slides and talks for a long time,
try to use the second camera (if there is one) to show "alternative"
shots of either the speaker or the audience and keep the video
interesting.

> meta: How do we reconcile the preferences of different team leads? Like Ryan
> doesn't like PnP, says vollies play with it too much, says "everything full
> screen, one stream at a time." I love PnP - part of my training includes
> "even though you can't read the text, the viewer will like knowing there isn't
> anything new on the screen."

That's a good point.

"Don't play with things too much" is something we can (should?) tell
people, at any rate. If you want to play with, they should do so in
between talks (or just before the talk they're about to record).

Beyond that, I'm not sure it makes much sense to try to accomodate to
opposing viewpoints. If you have a video with too much "but perhaps
people will tell you otherwise" in them, then you're not helping the
operators and you might as well not bother with a video at all.

--
Could you people please use IRC like normal people?!?

-- Amaya Rodrigo Sastre, trying to quiet down the buzz in the DebConf 2008
Hacklab

Carl K