The technology keeps moving forward, which makes it easier for the artists to tell their stories and paint the pictures they want. — George Lucas
The tools in my public relations toolbox in late 2015 and beyond look quite different than they ever have. Later this year, I will travel with clients domestically and abroad, live-stream many client events, and do live Q & A. Tools like the GoPro camera and Twitter’s new livestream app, Periscope, become regular staples in my day-to-day work life. I love it.
Scroll down to see my experiences with the GoPro camera in Grand Central Terminal and my experience using Twitter’s live streaming app, Periscope. In this piece, The New York Times classifies Periscope as this: “Capture video of yourself doing anything from exploring a new city to playing with your dog, all using nothing more than your smartphone camera. The apps notify others that you are streaming live video of yourself, and you can share it with your friends and followers.”
My GoPro is first up, goodness, I really want to use this camera more often! You can see why below. I have friends in high places and had an opportunity to get up UP UP HIGH in Grand Central Terminal to take some photographs. I took my GoPro to Africa in September and have great footage of the elephants in Amboseli National Park and the hot air balloon ride over the giraffe in the Masai Mara.
My GoPro photograph from the top of Grand Central Terminal
My GoPro overlooking backyard
Periscope, my new favorite social platform (came out March 26), will let me broadcast live video to the world, right from my mobile phone. I took live footage when the #IvoryCrush was recently in Times Square. I need much more practice (!) before I lifestream on a regular basis. Right now I’m doing a good bit of research before I go live at some of my upcoming PR events. For example, I’m seeing if the periscopers in Havana are getting a signal to broadcast (up to this point it has been random). I’ll be traveling back to Cuba with a ballet troupe in November.
I am watching live video from all over the world. I tap the iPhone screen to send hearts when I like something, ask questions, get answers. I downloaded the iOS App to my iPhone (Periscope on Android is live too), I follow friends and fun strangers from all over the world and am notified if they are live streaming anything interesting in their lives. There is a map to go to so I can purposely see who is streaming live in Africa or Cuba.
Please don’t ask how much time I spend watching live streaming from all over the world. Active periscoper and singer John Mayer says that tuning into Periscope is like being on a magic carpet ride around the world. Today on Periscope I saw Elephants in Africa, a New York Times photo editing session, as well as bike rides in Paris. And, as you can see below…I tuned into a few rock concerts that were sold out, watched the awards ceremony after Wimbeldon and listened to John Mayer recite his favorite quotes from recent books he has read.
There are downsides, of course. Folks periscoping expensive fights from pay-per-view and streaming Game of Thrones is a sticky piracy issue that will get settled in court. Wimbeldon won’t allow you to live stream from the tennis matches, but instead they opened their own Periscope account and show up-close-and-personal things like you will see below. A Periscope video will stay live for 24 hours and then poof — it is gone.
Wimbledon spectators were able to see behind-the-scenes streaming from the black tie dinner that follows the big day of tennis. Here you see the engraver putting in Serena’s name, and the dinner honoring the winners. All LIVE. This is from Wimbeldon’s own Periscope livestream.
I watched a bit of U2 concert from Boston. Here is tennis player Roger Federer taking a tour of the grounds before he played (and sadly lost).
Wembley in London for the much anticipated Ed Sheeran concert. And John Mayer for his fun evening livestream performing bits from everyone’s favorite songs.
And last but not least, The Grateful Dead Fare Thee Well concert. I had this on pay-per-view but this sound quality was excellent. And, John Mayer reading his favorite quotes from books he reads.
Most images in this post are taken with the iPhone 6-plus. One photograph is captured on the GoPro.
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