Graduation Day, plus a rant about the history of live streaming.

By Joe Peterson 5/16/24

Last night was a blast from the past (with way better picture quality)! It was graduation night for Pima Highschool, right here in my stomping grounds of Pima, Arizona. As I set up my camera to live stream the ceremony, I couldn't help but reminisce about my own graduation back in the day - a glorious member of the Mesa Highschool Class of 1999. We had a graduating class of over 350 students, a far cry from the more intimate ceremony last night with less than 60 graduates.

Let's just say, back in the 90s, our camera technology was stuck in the era of chunky flip phones and grainy disposable cameras. My mom, bless her heart, brought her trusty camcorder to capture the event. We're talking pixelated memories with that special "home video" charm.  Knowing the ceremony would be a marathon (mine stretched from 7 pm to almost 9 pm!), I worried if the camcorder battery would even last.

Handing out diplomas was an eternity in itself. Picture 350 impatient teenagers shuffling through a human centipede line. Last night's ceremony was refreshingly concise in comparison.

Here's where things get interesting. According to a quick Google search that nearly sent me down a historical rabbit hole (blame Wikipedia!), live streaming apparently started in the early 1990s.  Must have been ahead of its time because I, for one, never heard of it back then. The first inklings of online video sharing I can recall was the arrival of Youtube in 2005. Their debut video? A guy at the zoo talking about elephants. Not exactly a blockbuster, but hey, they had to start somewhere, right? My first foray into the world of online video wasn't exactly award-winning either, but hey, that's a story for another day.

Fast forward to 2011, and enter Twitch, the live streaming platform that stole my gamer heart.  This is where things got real for me. Inspired by other streamers, I decided to live stream myself playing Minecraft, my game of choice at the time (and still a top contender in my book). Let's just say, my "Need4Joe" persona became somewhat infamous (in a good way, I promise)  among the Call of Duty Infinite Warfare Zombies community. I had a knack for cracking those Easter eggs and conquering the game's toughest challenges.

I'd skillfully navigate these challenges live, then open up my game to viewers so they could snag the achievements alongside me. The attention? I won't lie, it was pretty addicting. I even set up a "tip jar" in my profile, and let's just say those virtual coins kept me fueled (and motivated) to keep slaying zombies.

But then, the inevitable happened. Mixer, the platform I called home, got gobbled up by another company. Forced to migrate to Youtube,  I discovered the harsh reality that live streaming wasn't quite as seamless there. Unlike Mixer's Xbox-friendly setup, Youtube demanded some extra equipment to get those glorious gameplays flowing.

Live streaming from the living room with a house full of rambunctious teenagers proved to be...an interesting challenge. Any parent who's ever attempted a video call with their kids in the background, or attempted to play games where you're depended on by teammates, knows exactly what I'm talking about.

So, I pivoted my Youtube channel to a broader gaming focus, showcasing a wider variety of titles. After all, "Need4Gaming" wasn't just about one game, it was about the entire gaming experience!  Maybe someday I'll revisit those gaming reviews, but that's a project for future-me.

Graduation ceremonies: a beautiful blend of pomp, circumstance, and, in my case this year, some few technical hurdles. Let me tell you, Pima High's graduation was an adventure from the get-go. I woke up at dawn, fueled by caffeine and determination, to set up my camera equipment. Everything seemed perfect...until the second camera decided to rebel. My grand vision of capturing close-up diploma moments with my phone fizzled out, the footage resembling a strobe light malfunction more than an actual recording. So, with a sigh, I embraced the single-camera life.

The plot thickened when the rain gods decided to intervene.  Just hours before the ceremony, a storm threatened to relocate everything indoors, sending shivers down my spine at the thought of another sardine-can graduation in the gym, like it was last year. Thankfully, the weather gods intervened, parting the clouds and allowing us to stay on the glorious football field.

However, the wind chose to stick around, howling like a banshee and threatening to turn my camera into a drunken giraffe. Not to mention the wind's notorious ability to transform broadcasts into earache-inducing noise fests. Thankfully, the audio company that was covering the event's sound, invited me to use their audio feed from their equipment. Turns out, my laptop and their system just weren't compatible. Disaster averted? Yes, my trusty wireless mic, complete with its glorious "dead cat" (yes, that's a real thing – a fuzzy mic cover!), became my hero. The sound? Crystal clear. Like, did-I-accidentally-plug-into-their-expensive-equipment clear.

Now, let's talk about my camera placement. It turns out, I unknowingly stumbled upon the holy grail of camera spots. As the ceremony unfolded, the students marched right in front of me, giving me the perfect angle to capture their triumphant walk towards the stage. It felt like the graduation gods were finally smiling down on me (or maybe it was just the caffeine).

The rest of the ceremony went off without a hitch (well, minus the missing close-ups – a two-camera problem, I tell ya!). The audio boomed, the music soared, and the video, while not quite high-definition (blame my computer, not my skills!), captured the essence of the night beautifully. The highlight? As the graduates walked off the stage, their beaming faces filled my camera lens, a testament to their hard work and accomplishment. I even managed to snag a slow-mo shot of them tossing their caps in the air – a graduation staple, wouldn't you agree?

The ceremony ended with a heartwarming display of families and friends rushing to congratulate the graduates. I zoomed out to capture the joyous chaos, then panned across the field, ending with a shot of the American flag and the Roughrider logo – a symbolic nod to Pima High pride. So, there you have it. A one-camera warrior's tale of triumph (and a few near misses). It wasn't always easy, but hey, sometimes the best adventures are the ones that throw you a curveball (or two, or three). 

Graduation is a milestone etched not just in diplomas, but in hearts. It's a culmination of years of hard work, late nights, and triumphs both big and small. As a videographer, I'm not just capturing an event; I'm capturing a memory. A memory that will be cherished by graduates and families for years to come. It's a chance to relive the nervous anticipation before their names are called, the pride etched on their parents' faces, and the pure joy of tossing their caps into the air. These moments, once fleeting, become a permanent reminder of their achievements, a digital scrapbook they can revisit with their own children someday, igniting the spark of inspiration for future generations. It's a privilege to be a part of that journey, a storyteller through the lens, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

All and all... Not too bad. It'll forever be a great experience and addition to my portfolio.