Aloha,
we would like to thank all who tuned in to watch our live-feed from the helicopter. Thanks for all the patience and sorry for the confusion when we went off-air to refuel mid-race - People watching it on Ustream.tv got the chat updates, while the Twitter updates on the Molokai website were delayed for some reason.
This was the first time a live feed from a helicopter over the channel was attempted and there will be much room for improvement in the future - for now, we know its possible and that even the start outside of Lono was broadcasted.
We at Ocean Paddler TV (production company) would like to thank OHCRA and especially Nazarene Anderson (Event Director) for insisting on and supporting us all the way with this logistical challenge :)
We hope that all who watched enjoyed the bird's eye perspective!
Ocean Paddler TV
Submitted by HawaiianX on Tue, 10/13/2009 - 3:09pm
I loved the live feed thank you sooo much for putting in the time!
I really enjoyed the chat, /w people in Tahiti & Canada, etc. chiming in.
The knee idea is a good one, or better yet a dry erase board.
#1 Tue, 10/13/2009 - 3:14pm
We rocked it! Some issues, but like Alex said, it can only get better. Now we can offer this as part of our event coverage packages..If you have a event you want us to cover email me at terry@oceanpaddler.tv
Mahalo everyone for all your support! You know we love ya!
Terry
#2 Tue, 10/13/2009 - 3:41pm
I would love to see some of the coastal races early in the season and the one man races this winter. Heck, I'd even pay a couple bucks to watch them if it helps offset production costs since I won't be paddling again till April (winter, snow, and lack of a canoe for now). The best shots from the channel were when the camera was steady enough you could watch a crew for 10-20 seconds and really study them. I know that's hard from a helicopter, but trying to plan shots so you get something like this more often would be great. It might be more work on land, but even quick editing buffered footage so its higher quality would make the online experience a little more pleasant. My two cents as a non-fan of shaky cam footage…
#3 Tue, 10/13/2009 - 4:06pm
Anowara,
thanks for the comment. Please keep in mind that the main purpose of the heli cam is to capture the images for the television special - the live webstream was an added bonus on a shoestring budget. To do it right (meaning a full production geared towards the live web audience - multi cam with live-switching) it would take an enormous budget.
It would take a significant sponsor for the webstreaming alone, and a couple of bucks per viewer will probably only get you a 'super shaky cam - jet ski angle', as most viewers will be too cheap to pay even a couple of bucks. Let's remember that this is paddling and not the NFL :)
We did our best to find a medium between our two goals of filming for the television broadcast and keeping the camera at least pointed at the water while in between shots (...and not at my knee...). Out of any other video production company, we fly the most hours per year in Hawaii, , and holding a shot for 15 to 20 seconds without the support of a full sized bird with a Tyler mount (hollywood style) is no easy feat. As for planning ahead for shots - yes we do - in fact we have over 15 years of experience doing this. The challenge lies in the dynamic environment such as flying a helicopter, over a ocean filled with waves, with wind, and with over 100 canoes spread over a field that's 10s of square miles wide.
We are happy that the 10s of thousands of viewers online were able to jump onboard with us in the helicopter and experience the ride (this webcasting technology would have been impossible without our pre-event test flight, measurement of broadband signals and some equipment development). We hope to make it more spectator friendly in the future, so that viewers don't get as shaken as we get in the field ;)
I hope everyone understands the challenges we were faced with. This would not have been possible without OHCRA's support and Nazarene pushing for us to do it!
Thanks for helping us make it better.
Alex
#4 Tue, 10/13/2009 - 8:59pm
Alex, what kind of dollars do you need? I recognize we get used to NFL-type coverage, so just to get to the next level of coverage makes sense, and also requires a few bucks. What number of thousands in sponsor dough are we talking about? I don't know, and unless someone is in your profession, these readers may not either. But people know people who know people..., and can help make this happen.
anowara, right on about the OC-1, SKI, and other coverage. In 2010, will have to practice this coverage and can do so on the OC1 series, etc.
#5 Tue, 10/13/2009 - 11:35pm
Alex,
I definitely understand the challenges you guys faced and I am super thankful for everything you and Ocean Paddler TV have done to allow people inside and outside of Hawai'i to see these races. I think you all are one of the best things to happen to paddling ever!
I apologize if my comments seemed too critical and not supportive enough of your superb efforts on race day. I absolutely enjoyed the webcast and have no complaints because it was awesome. My comment about image quality was in regards to what we saw on the website (i.e. sort of grainy and smaller) and not the specific framing of the footage. So, let me rephrase my comment into a question. Is it easier/cheaper/better to just send a continuous stream versus buffer the footage on land for simple editing (e.g. get rid of the footage as you move from location to location for your TV special shots) and intersperse something else (like the GPS tracking discussed in one of the other threads, commercials, pre race footage, etc) with the better/more interesting shots?
I know you guys are the professionals when it comes to filming any type of ocean activity and it definitely shows in all of your work. Please keep up the good work and again apologies if I came across as unappreciative of your alls work to make the webcast happen. Please keep it up!
#6 Wed, 10/14/2009 - 3:50am
Thanks Anowara,
I didn't take offense at all - we know that there is much room to improve. I just wanted everyone to know how complex such a webcast is - and all the variables involved. Thanks again
#7 Wed, 10/14/2009 - 12:52pm
Was the video saved anywhere?
i maybe being an idiot, but I can't find any video or photos from the race... anyone?
#8 Wed, 10/14/2009 - 2:47pm
http://www.vaatahiti.com/index.php?option=com_datsogallery&Itemid=40&fun...
http://www.maoliwaa.com/Maoli_Waa/Maoli_Waa_International_Paddling_Scene...
#9 Wed, 10/14/2009 - 8:59pm
yeah, i've seen pictures of the winners. anyone bother with the remaining thousand or so people that also ran.... ?
#10 Thu, 10/15/2009 - 8:49am