As election cycles seem to occur with more frequency, we’re excited to share how candidates for public office and elected officials can utilize live streaming to promote campaign messages or proposed legislation. Recently, we had the opportunity to interview State Sen. Daylin Leach, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania’s 17th district who is proposing a bill to legalize the adult use of cannabis.
Traditional broadcast outlets, including television and radio, usually demand high advertising rates to reach intended audiences. Live streaming offers a sought-after alternative that’s both cost-effective and engaging for online audiences on channels such as Facebook and YouTube. To get started with a live stream, a professional-level studio is essential. We recommend setting up a small studio with several LED lighting sources and cameras to capture your host and interviewee in a flattering light. Set up two chairs for both your host and interviewee to create a relaxed, engaging feel for your live stream. For the cameras, the PTZOptics Producer Kits are the perfect option to live stream and record professional, high-quality video.The kits allow for live streaming and recording with up to two cameras. PTZOptics cameras provide high-quality pan-tilt-zoom shots, which are easily controlled through the kit’s accompanying joysticks. We used both front and side-angle shots to capture both speakers while making the live stream interesting for our audiences.
In addition to the studio portion, our interview included an IRL(In Real Life) component, where our interviewer and state senator took the stream outside to the streets of West Chester, Pa. This offered another way for the state senator to engage viewers in the live stream and also garner participation from those in the community. Our producer carried a LiveU backpack for the mobile stream. LiveU offers portable cellular backpack solutions for high-quality, reliable video streaming that make incorporating an IRL stream easy.
Accompanying the LiveU, we used a PTZOptics 12xZcam broadcast camera on a tripod. The Zcam’s lens allows for extremely wide shots, which was perfect for capturing our host, the State Senator and the views from the streets as the pair interviewed people along the streets. The 12x optical zoom gave us the ability to capture close shots, too, even when our camera was at a farther distance.
Our experience illustrated what a valuable tool a live stream can be for engaging audiences and promoting civic engagement. With election cycles being a frequent event for municipalities, school boards, and other community groups, live streaming candidate interviews will be a logical choice to attract voters.
Live streams provide immediate audience feedback and engagement while being cost-effective methods of reaching voters and constituents.
