A lot of people hate it when I shake things up over at Spacevidcast. Why mess with a good thing? Well I believe that we must change and improve all the time else we become complacent and eventually die. Change is not always good (see Spacevidcast 2.01 for example) but it can lead to some pretty cool stuff (see STS-129 launch coverage from Spacevidcast). Besides, change can be fun!
Since 2010 is right around the corner I was looking at where we're at and where I think we should be. I love that Spacevidcast is HD, that we're live and interactive and that we're pretty consistent. I do think a few things should be reviewed and possibly modified to help the show continue to grow. Spacevidcast is a social community in which I like to solicit the feedback of our members to see what you guys want. So, in no particular order is my list of stuff I'm thinking of:
Change the day and time of the show. Remember that we are a worldwide show with 60% of our audience coming from the US. 8:00pm PST would be 11:00pm EST so I need to pick a day and time that will work for as many people as possible. What about Sundays at 21:00 UTC? That would be 1:00pm PST, 3:00pm CST or 4:00pm EST. I am open to thoughts and options here. I'm thinking of changing the day/time as we seem to keep butting up against other programs on at the same time and competing. This was not the case in 2005 when we started Technology Evangelist podcasts, but it is now.
Change the format of the show a bit. Keep the live audience and guest, but rather than just interview the guest bring them in as a guest host for the whole show! Think of a TWiT but for space. We would be more like a radio show that also does video, so maybe that's not quite the right fit. Space generates a lot of stunning pictures and video, would be a shame to lose that to a radio format. Besides, even TWiT is moving to video... Worth noodling it at least. Maybe keep the live show as is and add a podcast format that also has video... So a TWiTesq version once a week and the regular show once a week. Hmmm, where to find the time?
Change the opening video (keep the music for now) as well as the graphic overlays. I have yet to find graphics that I'm really satisfied with, other than the STS-129 launch graphics which I don't think lend themselves to the live show very well.
Add more Twitter and Facebook integration. How?
Should I keep the chat room burned on the screen the whole time? Why even put the chat room up anymore? Does anyone like that graphic up there?
Make the whole show as casual as the post show is now. Everyone seems to like the post show best anyhow.
Change the set a lot. I know, I know, y'all hate it when I do this, but work with me here. Check out this video: . Now imagine us sitting in a formation much like that (with me in a cool chair like what Ashton has), Cariann on the couch (co-hosting) and a HDTV set on the couch next to her (guest). Cheesy? Should be cheap and easy to do. We still get our computers, we're still sitting but I think it is more of a casual conversation, more true to the show.
No virtual sets.
I'm thinking that instead of streaming NASA TV when we're not on we would have our own TV channel. Stream past SVC shows, show some snippets of epic content, add in some commercials/PSAs, put in the calendar of events that week, etc., etc. Still offer live streaming of launches, but no more freaking children programming!
Should I bring back the 'Coming Up' portion at the beginning of the show? Did anyone care? It is a huge PITA to create those.
Then here is my list of things that I would like to improve but we don't have the cash for today:
I would like to get an AJA Ki Pro so that we can record a nice HQ version of the show and quickly/easily export it to every version we need to web and device distribution. $4,000 for this recorder (but it is uber cool and does exactly what we need).
I would like to make sure our iTunes and RSS feeds have all of our videos available to them. To this end we either need more time, more encoders or that AJA Ki Pro.
I want TWO new audio boards. One to replace the dead M-Audio ProjectMix I/O that we used for Podcasts (notice we no longer do Podcasts?) Another for the studio (replace the working DFX-12) so we can have more Aux outputs allowing for more live guests! I really like the PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 which has everything we need built in. Alas they are $2,000 each. I would get one and move it from location to location but they are decievingly heavy and large. I'm pretty sure I would break it and then we would be *really* SOL!
I would like four new Podcasting mics (I really want to bring back our Podcasts, I miss doing them). I'm stuck between the Heil PR40 and the ElectroVoice RE27N/D. Either model is around $400.00 each. Both are fantastic!
I need to buy a bunch of headsets for guests in bulk and just mail them out to each person. No idea what to get, but we have to fix the guest audio once and for all!
I would like Spacevidcast to buy its own MacPro. Right now we're using the CRCC MacPro and every time we need to do a show I have to utilize Cafn8ed's equipment. If he was editing a project (which he makes money at) I have to stop whatever he is doing. I hate doing that. In addition it would allow us to stream higher quality 24x7 NASA coverage (although I think I want to stop that). While you're over there clicking on links, go buy some Blastoff Blend!
3 new HD cameras for the show. Something that can do 720p really, really well. I'm thinking of using the Canon EOS 5D Mark II but I don't think it can do live video as well as a traditional camera (it can record great looking video though). Maybe an HPX170 or an HMC150.
1 new HD camera for the dailies. Since this doesn't need to be live I think a Canon EOS 5D Mark II would work perfect here!
A 3Play would be kinda nice if we're going to do remote shoots for things like NGLLC and other space contests. Of course we would need that satellite truck first.
A LiveStream Pro subscription so we can stream ad free! I believe that came out to something like $1,600 a month for our viewership.
Fiber Optic bandwidth to the CRCC studio. We need more upstream bandwidth so we can provide you with more live channels! Around $1,500 a month for anything substantial (10Mbps up and down).
I want a team of 3d animatiors and a team of music composers who can create stunning elements for use in shows. Imagine a Meteorwatch quality trailer for absolutely everything we do, every week. Basically a staff of 4 people, 2 on each side, to create amazing media the likes of which the world has never seen. Probably around $250,000 or more a year to bring on staff like that.
Not that we'll be able to buy ANY of that in the near future, but the bigger success epic becomes, the more funds we will have to do some cooler things. I hope epic turns in to something great. If not that's OK it won't be the end of Spacevidcast, but it sure will delay my plans for world domination!
