Live From Hampton Roads, It’s Jpixx!

Hey party people! Jpixx is breaking into our new digs just fine, thanks for asking. So fine, in fact, that we’re better than ever with new live streaming capabilities. You heard right: Jpixx can take you live!

We’ve all done some live streaming in the past, but as it’s become more popular, more clients have requested that we take it up a notch, so Jpixx invested in a Sling Studio. The SlingStudio allows for multi-cam live streaming so that the viewer can enjoy an event from several vantage points. Not to mention it allows for broadcast graphics and video support. Look out!

Our newest hire from the great state of New Hampshire, Caleb Chamberlain, spearheaded the trial run of the Sling Studio at the Access College Foundation 30th Anniversary Gala.

“At first glance Sling Studio was pretty daunting. The concept of having everything for a live stream in one tiny console is wild! So after figuring out how it worked, the rest was actually pretty easy. I watched a lot of YouTube videos that explained it thoroughly and soon I was well on my way to creating some professional-looking live streams!” -Caleb

Now, we’ve made the Sling Studio a regular member of our office fam and we’re already putting it to epic use. And when I say epic use, I mean THREE live streams in one week. That’s right! We had the awesome opportunity to facilitate live streams for the Nutrition as Medicine Conference with Sentara Health, the 10th Anniversary Telethon with RocSolid Foundation, and the 34th Annual Grand Illumination Parade with Downtown Norfolk Council. Phew! Here’s how it went:

The Sentara Health Nutrition as Medicine Conference took place at the Virginia Beach Convention Center and hosted five doctors who specialize in plant-based nutrition and using it to reverse diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The house was PACKED.

We used the Sling Studio to run a live feed of the event into the green room where the other doctors waited on deck. With each presentation running about an hour and a half, the doctors appreciated being able to enjoy the program without being mobbed by their adoring fans out in the ballroom. We’re not kidding. Dr. Esselstyn was surrounded before he could even make it off stage. Boy band status.

This event was the first of its kind on Virginia Beach, and we hope it continues! We’re so thankful to Sentara for inviting us to document their amazing community efforts. Our friend Naomi Hallum at Sentara celebrated her final week at the company before moving to the west coast and this event was her swan song. It’s been a joy to work with her over the year. She’s always there to provide a keen creative eye, a warm smile, plant-based lunch, and a Liverpool accent. We’ll miss you, Naomi! In honor of our favorite vegan, here is a photo of the Jpixx crew with Naomi, pretending to be our favorite vegetable:

Next up, we hit Waterside with RocSolid Foundation for their 10th Anniversary Forumla for Play Facebook Live-a-thon! The RocSolid Foundation is an awesome local organization that provides play sets, room makeovers, and ready bags for children suffering with pediatric cancer. We’ve had a blast working with them on past projects, and this 10th Anniversary Telethon was no exception.

The folks at RocSolid know how to have a good time. This live-a-thon ran from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., and the energy was through the roof the whole time with the help of some coffee and costume changes.

“The RocSolid Foundation brought us on for a 10-hour telethon that was presented on Facebook Live almost like a newscast you might see on Fox or CNN. This project was a lot of fun, and the Sling Studio made it simple to create with some prep work. By creating a few 5 minute countdowns, we were able to brand the stream before it started for an added emphasis. Sling Studio made this easy especially with the ability to queue the live feed in the preview window so that it would automatically switch when the countdown ended. Despite the long hours and constant live streaming, the Sling Studio never gave up!” -Caleb

As is common with most technologies, we did run into some minor technical difficulties during the RocSolid live-a-thon. Long story short, Facebook couldn’t handle how awesome Caleb’s Sling Studio skills were and it struggled to keep up. Here’s his “Come on, technology” stance.

Facebook: 0. Sling Studio: 1.

Eric Newman, RocSolid’s founder, kept everyone’s spirits high with his energy by reminding us that even with the worst technical difficulties, we’re in it for all those families fighting pediatric cancer. At the end of the live-a-thon, RocSolid raised $23,430 to go toward resources for families!!! WHAT?! Jpixx was honored to be part of such a phenomenal project.

Look at this cancer-fightin’ fam!

And finally, the big kahuna itself. The Grand Illumination Parade is a staple in the Hampton Roads area around the holidays. Jpixx is lucky to be invited back to broadcast the event and share it live world-wide. If you missed it, you can rewatch the live feed on Downtown Norfolk Council’s Facebook page, or you can watch on TV: WVEC on Saturday, December 8th at 7pm.

“Sling Studio sends out its own WiFi signal for cameras and phones to connect to. At the Grand Illumination Parade in Downtown Norfolk, I was really able to put the signal range to the test. With the tall buildings and the large number of people at the event, I was skeptical about the range. Sling Studio didn’t disappoint. From the ground I was able to connect to a Sling Studio Cameralink that was positioned on top of a 6-story parking garage and another in the crowd about 300ft away! This made for some really unique perspectives as this time we were sending the program video from Sling to the event live stream specialist.” -Caleb

Check out some never-before-seen behind the scenes moments from #GIP2018!

Karla out on the parade route getting that Woman on the Street action!

Sergio manned the main parade cam and caught all the Christmassy, candy cane goodness.

Glenn pretending not to freak out about the fact that the generator could run out of gas at any moment.

The hustle was real last week, but the Jpixx crew ran a tight ship and produced three epic live streams that are making waves in the Hampton Roads community. With all these live streams under out belts, Thanksgiving came at the perfect time. We were able to take a few days off to spend with our families and friends. We hope you have an amazing holiday season. While you’re planning some of your holiday shindigs, check our socials to watch some of these live streams!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM JPIXX!