Why Use Face Book Live? [w/ Tip Update]

With the advent of channels that exist for us to broadcast ourselves, we have now been encouraged to say something in a live video. But, what do we say? How do we say it? And, as my father would always ask, what is our point?

I have seen friends broadcast well wishes, new products they are selling, and even concert snippets from local shows. If you have a following, or are in some way a celebrity, these videos can be interesting to someone just because of who you are. But, if you don't have a clear purpose, plan, and goal to these videos, they are akin to inviting friends over to your house to view vacation slide shows. (That used to be a thing that happened and was joked about because it was generally an unpleasant experience for guests). 'Why are you showing this to me?', I ask. Is it to show me how cool you are? Is it to invite me to experience something I am unable to do at that moment (like skydiving)? Is it to build a web series on a subject or series of subjects? You are now a TV show. You now have the concerns a TV show has.

We have to ask ourselves:

What am I presenting? Why am I presenting it? Who am I presenting it to? How am I presenting it? For how long will I present it? How will I build interest in it? How can people find it? Why am I doing this?

Beyond content, we also have to concern ourselves with production quality and story telling ability. Many videos consist of people holding their cameras at arms length and swinging it around them as they walk and talk. It becomes somewhat of a video selfie. How long do people want to see you swirl your camera around? After a while, the audience feels like they are your dance partner.

The other extreme is to just broadcast home video of an event without any story or reference. The audience just sees a band playing. There is no introduction. There is no conclusion. We see a fragment of a performance. You as the presenter say nothing and we as an audience never get to connect with the presenter because we never see them.

TV reporters frame a story and then show the story. They also have the camera make subtle and controlled movements so as to let the performance or event unfold in front of the lens. Documentary filmmakers may not have an on camera personality to frame the story, but they still produce a clear, complete, and coherent product. Face Book Live and Periscope have empowered everyone to be TV reporters and documentary filmmakers. I would encourage all of us to emulate the techniques used by these professions.

TIP: Your 'selfie' camera broadcasts a reverse image. If you are filming text, use the front facing camera on the phone.