Live streaming is a great way to generate business and connect with consumers. But we’ve already written a blog on that. Today we want to talk about passive live streaming—the kind with cameras that act like a fly on the wall. These 24/7 observers are an unobtrusive means of letting a viewer watch scenes unfold from around the world.
Why Use a Passive Camera?
There are a bunch of reasons to set up a camera, turn it on and let it go. One compelling reason is the ability to observe a scene without disturbing it. Through wildlife cams, we’re privy to all sorts of interactions and events we wouldn’t see otherwise. Also, cameras mounted in one place give people a point of reference for things like the weather, changing landscape or traffic. Other applications include an event promoter setting up a wide shot to try and generate interest and a retreat showcasing a beautiful view to entice people to visit. Regardless of the reason, a live stream makes the viewer feel connected to whatever it is they’re seeing, placing them in that exact moment.
Personal vs. Public
It’s more and more common to see private residences with cameras mounted on the property. You can live stream for any number of personal reasons: for security, to check on the babysitter, to see what your dog is up to while you’re at work. The appeal has to do with the immediacy. You may not be at home, but you can see what’s going on.
A live stream that’s open to the public capitalizes on shared experience. Those nesting eagles you’re watching may be hanging out in Alaska while you’re sitting in Toronto, but you’re still connected to what they’re doing at that very moment. And so is that person in Florida. And that person in Rome. A live stream makes our world smaller and more relatable. The same way a popular tv show can be discussed by colleagues the day after it’s aired, live streams can be discussed online in a comments section or on a forum.
Animals
Okay, let’s be honest. Animals are the real reason we have 24/7 streaming videos. Live streams of wildlife can be mesmerizing. Zoos sometimes have feeds of their most entertaining animals to generate business or raise money. Then there are the baby animals. Remember April the giraffe? An online audience of more than one million viewers watched April give birth to son Tajiri at her New York zoo in 2017. Leading up to the birth, people checked in for weeks and waited with ever-growing fervor. Adventure Park started streaming footage of April on February 10. By the time the calf was born on April 15, the live feed was sponsored by Toys R Us and Babies R Us. A related GoFundMe campaign also raised more than $170,000 for the small zoo.
Reality TV
Reality shows were made for live streaming! The whole concept is based on the idea that the audience is observing real life. But the truth is that these shows are highly produced. However, series like Big Brother promote live feeds for those moments when the audience needs to check in, but the show isn’t being filmed.
In a dream team combo of reality tv meets cat videos, Keeping Up with the Kattarshians has been a hit in Iceland and around the world since early 2017. It’s a 24/7 live stream video of kittens living in an over-sized dollhouse. Yep. When it began, the show featured four abandoned kittens and the idea was to find homes for all of the felines and raise awareness about stray animals. The first version was such a success, the project kept going and nine cats have been adopted to date. Why don’t we let the cats tell you more?
Nature
It’s not just animals that make for a great live stream. Nature is also pretty captivating. Check out a landscape completely different from what’s outside your back door or look in on the site of that awesome trip you took last year. You can watch a storm rolling in from a vantage point high on a hill, enjoy a sunset form a camera mounted in Venice Beach or look at the Earth from space on NASA’s live feed from the ISS.
Video is Inclusive
Live streams are a great way to promote a shared experience. They’re a good example of how video holds us in a moment. If you’d like to discuss how video can make your customer feel included, give us a call today.
