online streaming

This has been a new adventure for me. I don’t particularly like to be on camera. I was part of several plays in school, but never on stage. I always found myself backstage doing props, costuming, or even the curtain. If I wasn’t backstage, I was in the pit (remember, bard here).

Being on camera has its own issues. I have become quite aware of what may be showing in my background. I try hard not to have anything that could be personal sitting behind me or on my walls. I know a couple of us use backgrounds, but I just don’t like how it works with my camera. So, each week I clean off anything I don’t want seen before starting.

Another thing I’ve come to realize is the shakiness of my desk. One week it was particularly bad as I did a lot of leaning on it. My camera is attached to one of my monitors, and these sit on an adjustable desk (so I can stand if I want to). Unfortunately, when it is raised even one notch, it becomes quite wobbly. Though I can trust I will not knock it off my desk, nor will my monitors fall, it is just not as stable.

The biggest issue that can arise is bandwidth though. Having multiple people in the house using the internet while streaming can cause cameras to blur or even cut out for a while. Sometimes we can freeze up or our audio becomes choppy. Thankfully, we have not had that problem too much, but the possibility is always there.

Not being too tech savvy, I rely on others to get us set up and going. Thankfully we have a diverse group. Each of us have unique skills and abilities that we can utilize when we need anything. Having a network of people to aid in this is essential to keeping it going, week after week.