"I will be out running between 3 & 4. Check computer screen to see live feed. V."
A receiving computer was set up in my studio at the end of the morning for the live stream. Previously I been using Dominik’s computer for tests, so we had to install/configure everything again to make it work.
I would be relaying the live video feed from my camera through the recording PDR unit via the USB AV component to the small transmitting computer, all of which I would be wearing! Both computers had streaming software installed to do this and Dominik worked out that to get the best quality image on the receiving computer, we would have to build in a delay in the live stream of 1 minute.
I was unsure of what the implications of this would mean for the piece (I had intended an imperceptible delay -what I see, you see, at the same time), but I didn’t have a choice. It was either this and get an acceptable/good image, or have less delay and a very poor quality image. I figured the former would be a better compromise and that something quite interesting and unpredictable might happen in the event. Suddenly I felt this was finally going to work!
Dominik went through how I would need to set up each computer immediately prior to the event. I also wanted the receiving computer to be able to save the transmitting stream as a document. I was nervous of doing this on my own as I also knew that I would be nervous enough preparing to run. I also wanted to be able to try and do this independently so that I would have the confidence to continue post Banff. As a safe measure I asked Dominik if he could be around at the start in case I had any problems. It was lucky that I did, as in the heat of the moment I had forgotten a few things.
People started turning up to the studio as I was getting ready to go. Suddenly, this was really happening. I was off and then a minute later I was off on-screen. This added a strange/funny temporal dimension and sense of continuous anticipation to the event which was compounded by the live spoken relay I was having with Dominik using ‘walkie talkies’ to determine my presence in and out of ‘zone’. Heard in the room at the time, (“ We’ve lost you, over”/ “ Am I still there, over”) it would also be repeated on screen a minute later.
Apparently there was quite a presence in and out of the studio watching the proceedings. My only regret was not to have been able to experience this for myself.
I managed almost 10k before deciding I was exhausted enough. I returned to a cheering crowd in the home straight of the studio corridor. Thanks Dominik for being there and for making it happen!
