Livestreaming Enters a New Era

All the equipment in the booth is new, giving the students access to state-of-the-art technology while vastly improving the quality of the Chapel livestream that students have been operating for several years. The booth has seating for three people — one handling audio, one handling livestreaming, and one operating the switcher — with a fourth standing behind and directing the crew.

 

From an educational perspective, students will benefit from learning on industry-standard technology in a world where tech is increasingly vital. The knowledge gained on this equipment will open doors for the students.

 

“It touches so many different careers,” Mr. Logan comments, listing off producer, director, commentator, camera operator, and audio-visual technician as some of the occupations that relate to expertise earned in the livestreaming program.

 

Grade 11 student Harrison M. is excited about the opportunities presented by the new equipment.

 

“The best aspect of the new renovations to the streaming room is how much more collaborative the space is,” he said. “The new equipment and room make it so easy for us to teach and learn from each other. I hope the professional quality of what we can produce with this equipment will motivate more people to join the AV program, and we can establish a strong future of livestreaming at Shawnigan.”

 

C.A.S.E. — the Communications, Arts, Sciences and Entrepreneurship initiative — provided the funding for the vestry room revamp.

 

“None of this would have been made possible without C.A.S.E.,” Mr. Logan emphasizes. “Their quest to educate students on industry-standard tech is invaluable to helping students on a career path. The School wouldn’t be in this technological age without C.A.S.E.”

 

C.A.S.E.’s mission is to provide funding for applied arts programs that are experiential in nature.

Donations to C.A.S.E. are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Bradley Family Foundation up to a total of $100K each year.

 

“Every dollar goes to enhancing the student experience in applied arts,” Executive Director of Advancement & Community Engagement Mr. Greg Stevenson points out.

 

With so many students attending Shawnigan from far away, livestreaming — an area in which Shawnigan is leading the way among boarding schools — provides a key connection for families by allowing parents to see what their children are up to, whether that is singing a song in Chapel or listening to lessons from the Rev. Mr. Logan has plans to expand the School’s livestreaming capabilities extensively in the near future. He is looking forward to improving the livestreaming infrastructure in the Charlie Purdey Arena next, with plans in the works for other campus facilities.

 

Although a broadcasting and livestreaming 360 (arts and activities program) already exists, these technological investments have it poised to flourish in the coming years.

 

“It’s exciting because it’s just the beginning of the broadcasting and livestreaming,” he says. “Ideally, a parent would be able to turn on their TV and see any event going on at Shawnigan.”

 

Mr. Logan notes that he couldn’t have completed the renovation project without the help of the IT department, and that the Rev was closely involved in the process. Ms. Kathini Cameron played a vital role in selecting and acquiring the furnishings.

 

The next step is to install new cameras throughout the Chapel, which will improve the quality of the livestreaming feed.

 

Visit https://www.youtube.com/shawnigantube to follow livestreams from Shawnigan and see other videos created by the School.