The Tech & Teaching Podcast: Episode 2
Eric Allgood and Jordan Hiebner come to the studio to talk about a piece of equipment that is vital to every student broadcast team… the fluid-head tripod!
Throughout this episode Eric and Jordan will tackle the following three main questions:
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- What does a fluid-head tripod mean?
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- Why does your live stream need one?
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- What happens when you don’t have a good fluid-head tripod or don’t use it correctly?
Why do YOU need to invest in Fluid-Head Tripods?
Before jumping in, it is important to understand the difference between a photo tripod and a video tripod.
A photo tripod doesn’t allow for seamless panning and tilting, but a video tripod has those features. That is why video tripods are what we recommended to anyone looking to live stream events.
A fluid-head tripod is exactly what it sounds like, it is a tripod with fluid in its head that creates smooth panning and tilting. It is a tripod that is built for video production.
Now that we know what it is and why your streaming team needs one, it is now time to talk about what happens when you stream without a good tripod.
There is a wide variety of things that can go wrong during a live stream if you are using a photo tripod. The first is something that we refer to as a sprinkler, which is when a stream is violently shaking due to the tripod not panning smoothly.
Leveling is also an issue that comes with using a photo tripod, when panning back and forth it is easy for your view to go sideways. Or as Eric calls it, “cattywampus”.
But having the right tripod won’t improve your stream unless you know how to use it. In the second half of this episode, Eric and Jordan talk through six tips to help you use your fluid-head tripod:
- Practice camera movements before a stream
- Finding the “sweet spot” for your camera
- Use your pan and tilt locks effectively
- Resistance dials create even smoother panning
- Keep tripod legs on a smooth flat surface
- Level your tripod
Want to buy the miliboo MTT606A Video Tripod Kit with Fluid Head that Striv uses for their productions? Click here!
Want to learn more about how the right tripod can level up your podcast? Be sure to watch our latest Tech & Teaching Podcast Episode here:
“The Tech and Teaching Podcast” with Eric Allgood and Jordan Hiebner comes out each Wednesday. Be sure to listen to all episodes wherever you get your podcasts!
