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Meet the producer, the guy behind the camera.
Meet the producer, the guy behind the camera.
"Behind the scenes with your Average Joe"
Get a glimpse at what goes on behind the camera during all these sporting events. Learn what happens and what is involved when it comes to recording games.
Learn about the different types of equipment Joe uses to help him record games, his thoughts and opinions about everything when it comes to delivering the best quality content under a limited budget.
Starting Up
Starting Up
I began with virtually no experience in videography, technical applications, software, or anything else you can think of. I was as much of a beginner as you could get.
Local football games were previously recorded by a well-known figure in the valley named Mr. Skiba. He inspired me to start recording and live streaming sports games, having done a remarkable job not only with recording and live streaming but also with game announcing. He was a jack-of-all-trades in that regard.
Later on, when Mr. Skiba moved on to other opportunities, a position opened up for someone to live stream the football games. I thought to myself, "Hey, I can do that. How hard could it be?" So, armed with my tripod, phone, and YouTube's live stream feature, I embarked on recording my first football game.
Prior to the game, I conducted extensive research to learn about live streaming and suitable software. I already had some experience with OBS, which is an excellent starting point for novices in live streaming. It's user-friendly and doesn't require a high-end computer. However, there's a caveat which I'll explain later.
In addition to OBS, after much trial and error with different apps, I installed an app called Droidcam on my phone along with a plugin for OBS. The setup wasn't too difficult, but I encountered issues with connecting and recognizing my phone's camera on OBS. Eventually, I realized that wireless mode wasn't feasible for my setup, so I connected my phone to my laptop via USB. After configuring the settings on both the phone and OBS, I was ready to go.
For recording, I used a basic tripod from Walmart, a phone mount, and my Surface Pro 7 laptop. Although not top-of-the-line, the tripod served its purpose well. Initially, I used a Samsung Note 20 Ultra, later switching to a Samsung S24 Ultra. I had to use a 6' USB cable to connect the camera to my laptop, as a shorter cable proved to be too limiting.
Instead of recording the game and uploading it later, I decided to live stream it on my existing YouTube channel, which primarily featured gaming videos. I believed it would help increase my subscribers. While I considered live streaming on Facebook, I opted for YouTube due to the convenience of using my existing channel.
On the day of the game at Pima High, I chose to sit with the fans in the bleachers to stream from on my tripod. The other option I considered was to sit inside the hot press box or on top of it. However, due to discomfort or accessibility issues with arthritis and climging up a ladder, that option was not viable for me. However, I encountered shaking and noise issues from the bleachers during the live stream, highlighting the challenges of recording in that location. I stuck with that location though throughout the rest of the football season that year.
During the game, I experienced occasional lag due to the limitations of my Surface Pro laptop, which isn't designed for high-end streaming. To mitigate this, I brought an extension cable for power supply. Additionally, using my phone's data plan for streaming caused some network issues, leading to blurry footage. I later switched to the school's Wi-Fi, which improved the quality, albeit with occasional drops.
After several successful live streams, I aimed to enhance the professionalism by adding a scoreboard overlay. This proved more challenging than anticipated, but I eventually learned to use Telescore software to create a scoreboard overlay in OBS. This was done by doing a search for Telescore on Google and installing it to my laptop. After opening the executable file for Telescore, I had to learn about the different features and buttons it had. It took a few days for me to fully grasp everything involving that program. I made several adjustments and finally built a very nice looking overlay for the game as seen in the image below this article.
To apply the scoreboard to OBS as an overlay, in addition to my camera, I added a window capture overlay and selected my Telescore application which showed my scoreboard as well as the controls. This overlay showed everything including the scoreboard and the controls on the screen. Since I didn't want the controls visible, I used a keyboard command to crop out everything else but the scoreboard. I had made the scoreboard background bright green as to apply a greenscreen filter on OBS that would remove the green background and replace it with my camera image instead. The result was just my scoreboard and the camera showing in the image. An example is provided below as well of this. During the games, my brother operated the scoreboard controls from my laptop, while I managed the camera tripod.
In conclusion, OBS is a valuable tool for live streaming, but a decent computer with more than 8GB of RAM is recommended for smoother performance. Adding a scoreboard overlay can enhance the quality of streams, although it may slightly affect performance. Having an assistant to manage the scoreboard is beneficial, and investing in a good computer is advisable for handling multiple scenes and content. Overall, I rate my experience with live streaming football games as 3 out of 5 stars, based on my personal perspective.
Upgrade 1: Jan 2024
Upgrade 1: Jan 2024
As time went on, I've learned a lot about live streaming the football games. Not only that, but I've grown a passion for doing it. It made me happy to provide a means for fans to watch the games. I've learned there were so many families who had loved ones on the teams or disabled that couldn't make it to the games and to find out someone else had taken over Mr. Skiba's live streams, was great news to many.
I've made various posts on Facebook before live streaming games to make everyone aware and to provide them with a link. This was very helpful to them and gave them something to look forward to. I've even noticed an increase in my subscribers on Youtube after having done that.
For me it wasn't about subscribers so much as it was giving families and fans a way to watch the game, that I really wanted. Yeah don't get me wrong, having people subscribe is nice and all, but I've pretty much given up hope on increasing my subscribers and even my Youtube channel in general. I've learned that owning a Youtube channel and getting subscribers is a lot harder than it seems for someone like me that is a family man and has limited time and income to run a Youtube channel. So I've given up hope of building up my gaming channel.
I've noticed though that many fans that had subscribed specifically for the sports streams, may have been getting annoyed by the constant alerts every time I went live while playing video games. I'd go live when I decide to play a game like Grand Theft Auto and some subscribers were not interested in those kinds of videos for obvious reasons. So I decided to move all my sports streams to a new channel that I created called Need4Sports instead. Something more central and sports related only. They'd get notified for pertinent and important live streaming events and not various video games and things.
In addition to creating a new Youtube channel, I also created a new website (this website) as well for viewers to navigate to when they watch my live streams. The website would be a great addition. I've always felt that having a website with a Youtube channel helps since many subscribers are not fluent in navigating Youtube to search for specific videos and such. Plus I've added a schedule, photos, reading material and other helpful pages to the website for people to enjoy such as this article.
At the time of writing this article, my last upgrade and addition I've made was new camera equipment. As previously menitioned, I did not really enjoy using a basic tripod and sitting up in the bleachers with the loud noises and everything. I wanted something more professional like what you see on tv and other places.
So I purchased new equipment from a place called SVT Advantage. But unfortunately they are closing shop and they will soon not be selling their equipment anymore. Needless to say, I was fortunate enough to get their equipment before they closed down.
The new equipment is very convenient for reaching a good height for optimal viewing of the field and players. The camera that is at the top of the tripod post is controlled by a remote control and a handle, allowing me to pan, tilt and zoom.
It comes with a battery pak to run the camera, monitors and screen for more than a couple hours which is plenty enough for streaming a game or two.
In addition to the equipment, I use a app installed on my tablet called Camerafi Live. Unfortunate for them it doesn't have any good ratings, but I aim to change that. I've used it and love the quality it provides. Plus it allows me to use a scoreboard overlay, which means I wouldn't have to use my laptop or Telescore software.
SVT Advantage suggested other adapters and cables to purchase to live stream and so I purchased a few other things that I did not have in order to live stream.
The very first time I set up the camera equipment, it took me roughly 40 min to unwrap everything and to figure out what gets plugged in where, etc. If there's anything bad to say about SVT advantage, it's the fact they didn't have an instruction manual included with the bundle. It took me about 10 min of my time just to figure out how to attach the camera to the clipped cables. After a lot of reviewing their Youtube video, pausing and even zooming in, I finally figured it out. It was a "duh" moment, but I could've easily found the solution quicker if they included instructions with photos. I can't really complain though since the price for everything without instructions is a good deal in my opinion. They may increase the price if they were to invest more time, money and everything into making an instruction manual.
Another issue I encountered where a instruction manual would've helped would be the LCD monitor and how to position that onto the frame. I screwed it in like I'm supposed to, but the screen would constantly flip over, etc, no matter how tight I had it screwed on there. After a lot of expletives and frustration, I finally figured it out.
All and all, it's not too hard to set up and get everything ready to go. I was really pleased with everything after getting it all put together and connected.
I had used a wifi hotspot to do a test stream for about 15 min. Surprisingly it did a lot better than the school's wifi. This is a huge win for me since the school didn't want to password protect their wifi and allow everyone to use it, thus lowering the quality of my stream.
After getting home and reviewing the footage, I noticed an issue that I'd have to solve some how. I set up everything on a very windy day. Which, by the way, I didn't have to use the included sand bags that it came with. Not saying you don't need to use them. But the tripod and equipment was able to hold up to the 18 mph winds that day without any tipping over or problems standing. But the problem I encountered was with the sound quality. The cheap handycam that comes with it has no wind buffer or noise filtration at all. I could barely make out any sounds other than the wind blowing in the mic. So to fix this problem, I purchased some furry looking wind blocking adheisive strips to put over the mics. It doesn't cancel out 100% of the wind noise, but it helps a LOT. I am considering using another mic or something plugged into the tablet instead.
That about concludes everything. From where I started and to where I'm currently at now. From noob to not so noobish.
Upgrade 2-September 2024
Upgrade 2-September 2024
With the addition of the SVT Advantage equipment, I was well on my way to improving the quality of my live streams. The equipment has held up great over the months since I last wrote "Upgrade 1" in January of 2024. Since then, I've made even more improvements that have significantly enhanced my live streams.
From May through August, I reevaluated the equipment I wanted to use. I spent the summer researching and studying ways to live stream sports games, focusing on features like scoreboard overlays. I decided to stop relying on my laptop for the upcoming season and explore alternative options.
The previous season revealed several flaws that needed improvement. My Surface Pro 7 would overheat in the heat, and, most importantly, it would lag significantly. It wasn't designed for the demands of live streaming and recording; it's intended for basic, everyday office use. So, I was determined to find an alternative.
This meant giving up the scoreboard overlay I used previously. I hit a roadblock—finding alternative scoreboard systems with attractive overlays proved challenging. Websites like keepthescore.com and Uno Overlays offered options, but they weren't as visually appealing as my previous one. Additionally, these services often require a subscription for customization features. While KeeptheScore offers a free service, it lacks customization options and displays ads. Essentially, I had to pay for a subscription to achieve a decent-looking scoreboard, unlike the free, customizable program I used on my Surface Pro.
I understand that KeeptheScore is a business, and they've found a way to monetize a service with high demand. I decided to subscribe to KeeptheScore and use their URL overlays for my scoreboard, but I still needed an alternative to my laptop. I realized I might have to use my phone or tablet for streaming.
I had used my phone the previous season, and I didn't want to return to sitting in the bleachers. Mounting my phone on the SVT Advantage tripod wouldn't allow for zooming. I thought I was stuck—either sacrificing my new tripod or finding a way to zoom with my phone mounted on it.
I found a few apps that allowed URL overlays but not external cameras like my Sony Handycam. Others allowed external cameras but not URL overlays. Finally, I came across CameraFi Live, which I'll discuss in detail in another article. CameraFi Live supported both URL overlays and external cameras.
I purchased a decent Samsung tablet and a USB capture card to connect my camera. CameraFi Live had its pros and cons (which I'll cover in the other article), but it worked! I got a tablet mount and, after what felt like an entire semester of research and trial and error, figured out how to live stream to YouTube.
The sports season began in August, and I was ready to live stream another season, thanks to the encouragement of my mother and friends. I also decided to seek sponsorships from local businesses, which allowed me to purchase a YoloBox. I'd had my eye on this device since the previous season when a friend who live streams softball games showed it to me. I was instantly impressed.
The YoloBox has drastically improved my video quality and overall live stream experience. It's like a Lamborghini compared to CameraFi Live! Now, all I have to do is set up my tripod, attach the YoloBox, turn on my Wi-Fi hotspot (another upgrade), and press "Go Live."
The only downside to my current setup is its lack of weatherproofing. Rainy days mean resorting to my trusty old phone and tripod. Waterproof equipment will be the focus of my next "Upgrades" article. Stay tuned for "Upgrade 3" coming soon!
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