Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2020 - 27

is actually being streamed out via OBS.
Another good idea is to have people
monitoring the streams remotely (for example, YouTube Live or Twitch). 
It is also important to note that
one can bypass Isadora or other video
processing software entirely and do a
remarkable amount of live video production using just OBS. Within OBS, users
can crop feeds, play media files, and create multiple scenes that allow users to
switch inputs. OBS has even more functionality on a PC because it can capture a
display or a specific program output. 
For the original Bard production of
Mad Forest, we used Vimeo (embedded
on the Fisher Center at Bard's website),
Facebook, and YouTube. For the TFANA
remount, we first used password-protected Vimeo Live, but the end-user experience proved very problematic on our
opening night so we switched over to a
password-protected stream on the very
stable but somewhat pricey IBM Video
platform. 
The options for streaming platforms
and how they function change on an almost daily basis, and any production
team should research all the current
options before choosing a streaming
platform. One can also stream to multiple platforms simultaneously using a
restreaming service such as Restream.
io or Castr.io. Twitch is an excellent free
streaming platform, and users can embed a fairly clean Twitch player with the
chat into an https web page. Designers
also may value having control over the
aesthetics of the visuals surrounding the
player. When considering a streaming
platform, think of the platform as the venue for the production and factor in how
its look and feel will shape the audience's
experience of the work.

Evolving Technologies

Obviously, all of the technologies involved in streaming are rapidly evolving,
particularly when it comes to streaming
live performance. Andy Carluccio, the
now-graduated UVA student who coded
ZoomOSC, is currently developing a
new platform from the ground up called
Streamweaver. This new technology will
be specifically designed for the creation
of live, decentralized, online performance
and will include built-in feed switching,
communications, audio mixing, video
processing, and user interfaces specific

to each user's role in the production. I've
recently started looking into the browserbased LiveLab as well and it is remarkably easy to use. 
By the time this article comes out,
many of the very current techniques detailed here may be outdated, but the approaches, concepts, and technologies
will still help readers who are navigating
streaming for the first time. When I teach
live media design, the first thing I tell my
students is that most of what I teach them
will be obsolete within five years, and so
I emphasize the importance of learning how to learn. The beauty of working
with emerging technologies is the spirit
of communal knowledge-sharing that
inevitably already exists for that technology on the Internet. If you need to know
how to achieve a specific task with some
combination of software and hardware,
chances are that someone has posted the
solution you need in a forum or perhaps
even made a YouTube video demonstrating it. I frequently find myself in rehearsal
with the rehearsal feed in one ear and
a tutorial in the other as I try to get the

director an answer to her question, "Is it
possible to _________?" And eventually,
the answer is usually "Yes."

Not Just Another
Virtual Graduation

fourth wall will mean something, even if
it is simply a moment of true human connection. Livestreaming will never replace
that in-person event, but it can be a wonderful way for many companies to continue creating art and experiences during
times of great flux.
Obviously, streaming and livestreaming are nothing new. Experimental
groups and colleges have been working
with streaming technology for years. Past
USITT sessions have showcased various
projects, including Alice (Experiments) in
Wonderland, a simultaneous live theatre
event staged collaboratively in 2008 by
Bradley University (United States) and
University of Waterloo (Canada) using a
massive broadband pipeline and a huge
amount of coordination. Luckily, userfriendly software and inexpensive processing power make it easier than ever to

By Eben Patrick Alguire
Once the purview of high-budget live
productions like NBC's series of live
musicals or niche entertainment such
as Twitch streaming, livestreaming is
quickly becoming an attractive option for
theatre companies and college performances as the COVID-19 pandemic eliminates our ability to have audiences in
our spaces or even work in our shops. As
an art form and as an industry, we thrive
on creating something live in front of an
audience, so they can experience and
even be a part of the creative endeavor
where every little bit of spontaneity, every
mistake, and every glance through the

Eamonn Farrell is a
Virginia-based theatre maker
and video designer. His work
is focused on investigating
how innovative technologies
can support and elevate the work of live
performers to create unforgettable experiences.
With his Brooklyn-based theatre company,
Anonymous Ensemble, he has created dozens
of original, media-infused shows,
installations, and live webcasts, such as The
Best (Ice Factory Festival, Brisbane
International Festival), Wanderlust
(Edinburgh Fringe, UK Tour, Norway
Tour), The Return (Theatro Chora, Theatro
Roes), The Turing Opera (Greek National
Opera, National Sawdust), and LIEBE
LOVE AMOUR! (HERE, Prelude, Duke,
Wesleyan, The New Ohio), among others.
Farrell has taught projections design at
Princeton University, City College of New
York, and UVA. Visit www.eamonnsgarden.
com for more information.

Production Team
University of Pittsburgh Theatre Arts
Streaming Graduation Team:
Annmarie Duggan - Chair and Producer
Ashley Martin - Operations Manager and Stage/Production Manager
Eben Alguire - Technical Director and Show Runner
Kyle Cameron - Master Electrician/Scene Shop Foreman and Backup Show Runner
Maggie Bupp - Department Admin and stream monitoring
Ceremony viewable on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQUG7Pq9M3I

SUMMER 2020 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

| 27
http://www.eamonnsgarden.com http://www.eamonnsgarden.com http://www.Castr.io https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQUG7Pq9M3I
Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2020
