Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - End-of-Year Survey

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, please take our short end-of-year survey designed to help ThinkTech improve in 2022: https://forms.gle/kvS2q5VemnP8tFqu5

The 5 questions will only take a few minutes. Please complete it by Sunday, January 2. The results will guide us to make things even better for you and our audience for next year.

To access past Host Bulletins and other ThinkTech Hosts resources, please visit https://thinktechhosts.blogspot.com.  These are searchable, so you can use this link to research what you want to know about.

Thank you for all your hard work this past year in contributing to our unique platform to raise public awareness and promote civic engagement.  We appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey to improve our content and increase our viewership.

If you have questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Happy Holidays, and a better New Year.  Every day better.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Advice, Announcement and Holiday Break

To our dear ThinkTech Hosts,

For this week's Host Bulletin, we have some important reminders to cover before winter break, and an announcement about our email advisories.

Eye Contact

Make sure to look at the camera during the show. Please avoid looking at another screen, down, or off to the side. If you have notes you need to read, place them near the camera for the illusion of eye contact.

Sitting

Find a comfortable position you can maintain for the duration of the show. Please avoid leaning/rocking back and forth or swiveling in your chair. If you find that difficult to avoid, try a different chair.

Email Advisories

Starting January 1, we will be renaming our Daily Email Advisory and Weekly Advisory to our ThinkTech Daily and our ThinkTech Weekly, respectively. We're maintaining an archive of all our advisories at thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

Holiday Break

As you know, we will be on our two-week holiday break for the next two weeks and through January 3, 2022.  Although we will not be doing live shows during that period, we and our staff will be catching up on administrative matters to prepare for the New Year.  We want to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for your hard work and dedication to our ThinkTech mission and our efforts at providing great content to the community. 

Thanks so much for your cooperation throughout the year. If you have questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

We wish you well in the Holidays and in the promise of a good 2022.  

 

Happy Christmas and a Better New Year.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Dates, Titles, Interruptions and Break

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, we have some important suggestions for the content of your show and a reminder about our winter break.

Dates

Don't state the date you're recording the show unless the content is date-sensitive. We want to avoid fixing a date on episodes so they remain timeless and don't appear outdated when we play them as encores.

Titles

Make sure your episode title matches the content of the show. Titles are what grab viewers' attention to watch your show, and we want to avoid misleading or disappointing them. Try to get to the topic of your title early on as well, so those viewers don't lose interest as they wait for the content.

Interruptions

Although it is important to interrupt guests if they need guidance, please be careful not to interrupt them too often. Too many interruptions prevent the guest from speaking their thoughts and make the show seem sloppy.

Winter Break

This is our last week of live shows for 2022. We will be taking a 2-week break starting Monday, Dec. 20, and will return to live broadcasting on Jan. 3. We will still be broadcasting during the break; we'll be playing encores of your 2021 shows.

Thanks so much for your cooperation on these things. If you have questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Questions, Devices and Important Dates

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, we have some important advice and dates you should keep in mind as we approach the holidays.

Questions

It's very important to keep your Zoom chat open so you can watch for notifications (eg, a 1-minute warning for the end of the show) and any questions that may come in. We want to encourage viewer engagement, it makes your show more topical. It also acknowledges and shows appreciation to those who submit questions. If you're watching a show and want to pose a question to your fellow hosts, you can send questions to questions@thinktechhawaii.com. It’s easy and gratifying to see your question answered on air.

Portable Devices

If you or your guest use a portable device to connect, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone -- though we discourage smartphones -- please make sure that it's in a stable position to avoid camera shaking/movement. It should be on a table or other flat surface, not in your hand or on your lap. It’s very helpful to find and use some tape to hold the device steady - a little piece of tape can be a lifesaver.

Fund Drive

We've decided to extend our Fall 2021 Fund Drive through December 8th, the date of our 2021 Holiday Party. If you haven't donated yet or if you want to make another donation, click here to Donate via PayPal. To send a donation by check, please send it to ThinkTech Hawaii, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Thanks for your help and support! We are very appreciative.

Holiday Party

Please join us at our virtual 2021 Holiday Party and Annual Awards Program this Wednesday, December 8 at 5:00 pm. Click here for free registration, and see our invitation below for more information. Thank you all for all your hard work and contribution this year, and congratulations to the awardees. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Thanks so much for your cooperation on these things. If you have questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

ThinkTechHawaii.com Join us at our THINKTECH  HAWAII  2021 VIRTUAL  HOLIDAY  PARTY and ANNUAL  AWARDS  PROGRAM Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 5:00 o’clock pm Guest Speaker Charles "Chip" Fletcher, PhD Well-known Climate Change Scientist at SOEST and Chair, Honolulu Climate Change Commission Community Service Awards Hawaii Agricultural Foundation Represented by Denise Yamaguchi Pacific Asian Management Institute Represented by Shirley Daniel Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii Represented by Trever Asam ThinkTech Family Awards Show of the Year "Looking to the East," hosted by Stephen Zurcher Hosts of the Year Katharine Nohr, host of "The Wide World of Esports" Mark Shklov, host of "Law Across the Sea" Underwriter of the Year Galen Ho of Immersive Worlds LLC Special Thanks Melody Mackenzie for her Oli Aloha The Karolers for their Christmas Music Click Here for Free Registration This event will be live streamed and recorded. Questions:  Carol at cml@thinktechhawaii.com Mahalo to our generous holiday party sponsor ©2021 ThinkTech Hawaii 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Graphics, Websites, Vocabulary, and Co-hosts

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, we have some important advice you should keep in mind while hosting your shows.

Graphics

When you send graphics, make sure to keep them simple. Too much text and too many images can make slides cluttered and hard to read/see. It's best to put up words and phrases instead of full sentences.

Websites

When you refer to a website, please state the url. We upload episodes as podcasts, which have no video. If you are going to refer to a website, let us know through your show information form so we can put it onscreen for those watching the video.

Vocabulary

When using acronyms or terms of art -- "collective bargaining” and “COLA” (cost of living adjustment), for example -- take a moment to explain it clearly to the viewer. Defining vocabulary for the average viewer helps us to make sure we don't lose them due to confusion from excessive jargon.

Co-hosts

If you have a co-host, make sure to bring them into the discussion so they don't sit idly and look like a wallflower. You can ask your co-host to introduce the guest or have them ask questions so there's more of a dialogue and they're more involved in the conversation. You may also want to call on them at the end to summarize the discussion and thank the guest for appearing on the show.

Thanks so much for your cooperation on these things. If you have questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Framing, Content, and Cancellations

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, we have some important advice and suggestions for your shows.

Framing

During the show, do not adjust the camera unless the camera falls somehow or you are instructed to adjust it by the engineer. The engineer is in charge of the framing and production values so please listen to them. If you make camera adjustments without the engineer's approval it will probably mess up the framing.

Intros

When you are beginning the show, have a concise introduction. If you are going to read it, put your notes as close as you can to the camera. Tell them it’s ThinkTech, give them the name of the series and the title of the episode, then briefly introduce your guests, the sooner the better. A long-winded introduction always loses viewers.  Our script suggestions for intros, breaks, and outtros are at https://thinktechhawaii.com/hosts-guests-2/script-suggestions/.

Content

Ask concise questions and if appropriate follow up on their answers. If there is more than one guest, address every question to a specific guest. You may need to interrupt when the guests repeat themselves or go off topic, then guide them back on track.  Successful hosts don’t just ask questions, they respond and add value to what guests are saying. This may shift the direction of the content, but with the host guiding it may lead to interesting, if unplanned, discussions.

Cancellations

If one of your guests or a co-host cannot make it to the show, let us know by all means (email at shows@thinktechhawaii.com, phone at 808-784-3426 and text message at 808-780-9254) as soon as possible so our staff does not waste time (a) preparing for a guest who isn’t going to show up and then (b) preparing again for a show without that guest.  If a guest, co-host or contributor drops out at the last minute or doesn’t join the meeting by showtime, the show must nevertheless go on without them.

Thanks so much for your cooperation on these things. If you have questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Important Dates and Phone Guide

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, we have some important reminders and announcements.

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time will end this Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. Hawaii time stays the same, but clocks for most other time zones will move an hour backward, so the time difference for them will be 1 hour less. Please keep this in mind when scheduling guests, and make sure they know the correct time they need to join the meeting.

Phones

Please be prepared to switch to your phone or tablet if we are having technical issues. Make sure you have a phone stand, books, and tape ready to make adjustments. Please practice turning your rotation lock off so you will appear in landscape view (horizontal) instead of portrait view (vertical). Let us know if you need any assistance.

Holiday Party

We will be hosting our 2021 Holiday Party and Annual Awards Program virtually. Click here for free registration, and see our invitation at the bottom for more information. We will be sending out invitations to the general public starting Monday, and we'll be posting about it in our Weekly Email Advisories. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Fund Drive

Our Fall 2021 Fund Drive: ThinkTech Gives Thanks has started! We've been writing about it in our advisories and sending out letters to members of our ThinkTech family such as yourselves. If you haven't donated yet or want to make another contribution, click here to Donate via PayPal. To send a donation by check, please send it to ThinkTech Hawaii, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Thanks for your help and support. We are very appreciative.

Thanks so much for your cooperation. If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

ThinkTechHawaii.com Join us at our ThinkTech Hawaii 2021 Virtual Holiday Party and Annual Awards Program Wednesday, December 8, 2021 5:00 o’clock pm Guest Speaker Charles “Chip” Fletcher, Ph.D. Well-known Climate Change Scientist at SOEST Chair, Honolulu Climate Change Commission Awards Program Community Service Winners Hosts of the Year Show of the Year Underwriter of the Year Click here for free registration Or copy and paste the link below https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kHe0KJ0WTZueom5u5xVzvA This event will be live streamed and recorded. Questions: Carol at cml@thinktechhawaii.com Mahalo to our generous holiday party sponsor ©2021 ThinkTech Hawaii 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603 Honolulu, HI 96813

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Interruptions, Guides and Fund Drive

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, we'd like to give you some important advice, remind you about our guides, and alert you to our fund drive.

Sound Interruptions

During the show, make sure to turn off your phones and set your computer and other devices to Do Not Disturb to avoid notification noises. Here are some instructions on how to do that: https://blog.rescuetime.com/do-not-disturb/

Non-Responsive Answers

If a guest is rambling during the show without answering your original question, interrupt them and remind them to answer the question you asked. You can thank them for their response and repeat your question.

Necessary Guides

As a ThinkTech host, please be familiar with what's on our ThinkTech Hawaii website and Host website. For our current format, our most useful guides on the TTH website are:

Appearance Guidelines https://thinktechhawaii.com/remote-shows/

Graphics Guidelines https://thinktechhawaii.com/graphics-guidelines/

Script Suggestions https://thinktechhawaii.com/hosts-guests-2/script-suggestions/

Host Guide https://thinktechhawaii.com/hosts-guests-2/host-guide/

Fund Drive

We are starting our Fall 2021 Fund Drive: ThinkTech Gives Thanks on Monday. Thank you to everyone who has recorded promos, promoted our drive thus far and made an early donation. We'll be posting about it in our Daily Email Advisories, so please continue to promote the fund drive. To make a donation through PayPal or with a credit card, please click on the Donate button on thinktechhawaii.com. To send a donation by check, please send it to ThinkTech Hawaii, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Thanks for your help and support. We are very appreciative.

Thanks so much for your cooperation as well. If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Promotion, Breaks, Guests and Zoom

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, we'd like to give you some tips for improving your shows.

Promotion

To reach a wider audience, try promoting your show before and after your scheduled episode through email and social media. Encourage people to sign up for our Daily Email Advisory on thinktechhawaii.com. After the show, share the YouTube and Vimeo links with your friends and associates. Mention us in your social media posts, too! 

facebook.com/ThinkTechHawaii

twitter.com/ThinkTechHI

instagram.com/ThinkTechNews

More information about promotion can be found on https://thinktechhosts.blogspot.com/search/label/Promotion

Breaks

Breaks are optional, but you and your guests can use them to gather your thoughts or fix any video or audio issues. If you plan to take a break during a show, it should be about halfway through the show.  Let the engineer know so he or she can be ready when you say “we’re going to take a short break now.” Breaks are around one minute long. Here's our script suggestion for breaks (which is found on our website):

Before taking the break:  “Ok, we’re going to take a short break now. I’m [NAME OF HOST]. This is [NAME OF SHOW] streaming live on ThinkTech Hawaii. We’re talking with [NAMES AND AFFILIATIONS OF GUESTS] about [TITLE OF EPISODE]. We’ll be back in a minute, so stay tuned for more of the story.”

After returning from the break:  “We’re back, we’re live, I’m [NAME OF HOST].  This is [NAME OF SHOW] streaming live on ThinkTech Hawaii. We’re talking with [NAMES AND AFFILIATIONS OF GUESTS] about [TITLE OF EPISODE].” 

Guests

Generally speaking, it is better to avoid having immediate family appear as guests of your shows unless they are directly linked to the subject you are discussing.

Zoom Updates

Please update Zoom regularly. You can do this by (a) clicking on your profile picture in the Zoom app and then clicking on Check for Updates or by (b) just going to zoom.us/download. Then during the show, please use the blur virtual background. It looks very professional with the blur depth-of-field, and it helps viewers focus on you instead of what's around you.

Thanks so much for your cooperation. If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Important Dates, Guidelines, and Website Announcement

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week’s Host Bulletin, we’d like to alert you to some important dates and guidelines.

Fund Drive

Our Fall 2021 Fund Drive, ThinkTech Gives Thanks, is starting on November 1. Please reach out to guests and friends, promote it on social media, and donate. We have promo scripts for you to record before/after your shows. View our Host Bulletin about it at https://thinktechhosts.blogspot.com/2021/10/bulletin-on-host-promos-for-fall-2021.html. 

More information will be found in our Daily Email Advisories. Here's our first post about it, which was included in Friday's Weekly Advisory: https://storiesofthinktech.blogspot.com/2021/10/thinktech-fund-drive-its-october-and.html

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time will end on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. Hawaii time stays the same, but clocks for most other time zones will move an hour backward, so the time difference for them will be 1 hour less. Please keep this in mind when scheduling guests.

Videos

If you want to use videos, they should be 3 minutes maximum. If you want to use a clip from a larger video, please provide the start and end timestamps. Send us the video as an mp4 or mov file by email or a file-sharing service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, or OneDrive. If you do not own the video, please make sure you have permission from the copyright owner to use it.  The permission form is in the email guide we send you and in the guide on the website: https://thinktechhawaii.com/graphics-guidelines/

New Host Website

We have created this new website for our esteemed ThinkTech Hosts. It contains many resources that will be helpful to you, including all Host Bulletins, Zoom Meetings, show information rules, and sources for graphics. We'll be adding pre-recording instructions to the website as well. Please let us know if you have any suggestions.

Thanks so much for your cooperation. If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin on Host Promos for Fall 2021 Fund Drive

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

As we ramp up to our Fall 2021 Fund Drive officially starting on November 1, we ask that you help by taping 3 short promos in the next few weeks after your show.  The engineer will guide you through the quick process. The short scripts will appear in your chat box. As a non-profit, we rely on donations to keep the lights on! 

Here are the three scripts we’ll ask you to read:

Sample 1

[I’m Jay Fidell, host of ____________ on ThinkTech Hawaii.]

[I’m Jay Fidell, and I’m a guest on the __________ on ThinkTech Hawaii.]

Please help support ThinkTech Hawaii during our Fall 2021 Fund Drive. 

It’s been a tough period for non-profits but ThinkTech is more dedicated than ever to provide the best free media platform around. 

In honor of its 20th anniversary, a donation of $20 or $200 or more is greatly appreciated.

Click the Donate button on thinktechhawaii.com or on our Daily Email Advisory.

Or send us a check at 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu 96813.

Thanks so much.  We are very grateful for your support!

Sample 2

Aloha,  [I’m Jay Fidell, host of ____________ on ThinkTech Hawaii.]

[I’m Jay Fidell, and I’m a guest on the __________ on ThinkTech Hawaii.]

As a viewer, we know you appreciate this ThinkTech Hawaii free platform of informative and valued content. ThinkTech is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a non-profit dedicated to raising public awareness and promoting civic engagement.

Please take a moment now to help us continue by making a donation during our Fall 2021 Fund Drive. 

Click the Donate button on thinktechhawaii.com or on our Daily Email Advisory.

Or send us a check at 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu 96813.

Thanks so much.  We are very grateful for your support!

Mahalo!

Sample 3

Thanks for watching ThinkTech Hawaii.

 [I’m Jay Fidell, host of ____________ on ThinkTech Hawaii.]

[I’m Jay Fidell, and I’m a guest on the __________ on ThinkTech Hawaii.]

Despite the pandemic, ThinkTech has never stopped presenting the best free platform for in depth interviews on a range of topics, including up-to-date issues of the day. 

Your donation during our Fall 2021 Fund Drive will keep ThinkTech as vital as ever. 

Click the Donate button on thinktechhawaii.com or on our Daily Email Advisory.

Or send us a check at 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu 96813.

Thanks so much.  We are very grateful for your support!

These promos are a part of a larger campaign during the month. Your promos will be played throughout our Fund Drive campaign during our Entr’acte and Overnight schedule.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this for ThinkTech.  Asking for money isn’t easy and we really appreciate it.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Graphics, Time Management and Framing

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week’s Host Bulletin, we’d like to address some issues and offer advice.

Graphics

If you are using graphics or audio you do not own or have a license for, please get permission from the owner of the copyright using the following language.  If we get a copyright claim from YouTube, we will dispute the claim on the basis of this permission and make the video private on YouTube until the dispute is resolved.

“I am the owner (or an authorized agent of [fill in the name of organization] as the owner) of the copyright of [fill in the nature of the material], and that as such I give permission to ThinkTech Hawaii, Inc., to use that material on a talk show to be streamed, broadcast, uploaded and otherwise distributed as it sees fit.

Very truly yours,

[signature]

[name]”

Brevity

During the show, you should be concise and avoid repeating yourself.  That will help you make good use of the time allotted for the show.  Repetition, of course, is a sure fire way to lose your audience. 

Everybody Plays

If you have more than one guest, make sure to call on each  guests regularly during the show and give them roughly equal time to speak.  Please also make sure to give your co-host time in the show, possibly to introduce your guests, follow up at the mid-point and summarize at the end.  That way everyone gets to participate and no one looks like a wall flower, and viewers like that much better.

Positioning

Don’t get too close to your camera. Keep your head 3/4 the way up in the frame and keep your shoulders visible. We can zoom in if you're further away from your camera than standard, but we there's no option to zoom out if you're too close. Get into a comfortable position and then adjust the camera so you can maintain that position through the show. Don’t rock or shift or swivel in your seat. 

Thanks so much for your cooperation. If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Phones, Titles, Intros, and Disparagement

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week's Host Bulletin, we'd like to review things you should do to improve your shows.

Phones

Be ready to get on your phone and call the Zoom audio connection numbers (these numbers are on the link email we sent you) if there are connectivity or audio issues. Also, make sure to send us the cell numbers for your guests.  They will be critical if there are connectivity tissues with your guests.

Episode Titles

Make sure your episode titles and tagline are clear and accurately describe the discussion you contemplate on the show.  Make them short and catchy, using the kinds of words that will attract viewers for the live show and later when they search for keywords on demand.

Starting the Show

After the engineer counts down, make sure you start speaking right away to engage and hold your viewers. You need to be energetic and accurately state your name, the name of the series, the episode, the guests and the topic right away. It helps to count in your head along with the engineer. We want to avoid "deer in the headlights" confusion moments when you start the show.

Disparagement

Avoid disparaging comments and invasions of privacy on your shows, and discourage your guests from going so. Don't make harmful statements about someone that you know or should know are false.  Stick to the facts.  If you are going to make an opinion, say that it’s your opinion. Don’t do name calling.  Err on the side of caution.  Note that public figures, to make a claim, have to show that you acted with malice and knew that your statements were false or that you spoke in reckless disregard for the truth.

Thank you so much for your cooperation. If you have any questions, you can contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Holidays, Graphics, Video Quality, and Ramp Up

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week’s Host Bulletin, we’d like to answer some questions and review some policies.

2021 Broadcast Schedule

Regular schedule: 

Monday, Oct. 11 - Columbus Day

Thursday, Nov. 11 - Veterans Day

Closed (building holiday):

Monday, May 31 - Memorial Day

Monday, July 5 - Independence Day

Monday, Sept. 6 - Labor Day 

Thursday, Nov. 25 - Thanksgiving

Closed (ThinkTech winter break) - no live shows

Monday, Dec. 20 - Thursday, Dec. 30

Regular schedule resumes:

Monday, January 3, 2022

Clips and Graphics

When you or your guest send in graphics, please follow https://thinktechhawaii.com/graphics-guidelines. If you did not create these graphics yourself, we expect they will be in the public domain, available under a Creative Commons License, or you will have the necessary permissions to use them.  If there is any question about a given graphic, please be sure to send it to us a full day in advance so we can check for copyright issues.  Please let us know how you got each graphic so we can list the owner in our credits page if necessary.

Tip - You can download free stock clips and graphics from the following sites:

• Pixabay
• Pexels
• Mixkit
• Coverr
• Unsplash
• Burst
• Kaboompics
• Stocksnap
• Canva

Tip - You can buy stock clips and graphics from the following sites:

• Depositphotos
• Pond5
• Adobe Stock
• Alamy
• iStock
• Shutterstock
• Getty Images

Video and Framing

Make sure that you and your guests are centered and keep your heads 3/4 the way up in the frame and maintain this position throughout the show. Don't lean back and forth or swivel on your chair - this affects the audio and looks unprofessional. Change chairs if necessary. Keep your camera steady at eye level and look directly into it. Please install the latest version of Zoom, restart Zoom and set the virtual background to “Blur." When you do, please wear something that distinguishes you from the background and avoid white or seersucker clothing.

Ramp Up

Covid-19 is still an ongoing issue, so we are not planning to have hosts and guests return to the studio for the balance of the year. We will let you know when we will be opening up the studio again. Stay safe.

Thanks so much for your cooperation. If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Underwriters, Reactions, and Equipment

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week’s Host Bulletin, we’d like to review some policies and recommend some essential equipment. 

“Sponsors” vs. “Underwriters”

We are supported by tax deductible donations from underwriters.  Sponsors more often pay for advertising time or space. We do not have any sponsors.

Reactions

When you react to your guest's comments during the show, avoid nodding and saying "I agree" too much. It's too repetitive, and it's more interesting if you vary your gestures and expressions.

Green Screens

If you use a green screen, please make sure that it's well-lit to avoid any artifacts. Choose a background with some contrast and color, but not too much where it becomes distracting. We can send you potential backgrounds to use, or blur your selected image as a background.

Equipment

Please get equipment that ensures that you will have clear audio and video. First try wiping your lens and lighting yourself better.  If your audio or video is still below standard you may want to get a separate USB camera and microphone.  Check out Logitech and similar brands at Best Buy, Amazon or B&H Photo. You can also call Jay 780-9254 and he will give you suggestions.

Thanks so much for your cooperation. If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Website Announcement and Show Prep

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For this week’s Host bulletin, we’d like to review some things you should do in preparing for our show. 

Websites

Some hosts have been providing websites for us to display.  To make this easier, we’ve added a new optional field for your organizational website URL. We can show the URL at the bottom of the screen, the full webpage, or both. Please specify which when you enter it in the form.

Backlighting

When you frame yourself for the show, make sure you do not have too much light behind you. It's distracting and will put shadows on your face.  Light sources should be above and in front of you.

Show Information

For the Titles and Tagline fields, we cannot accept the characters ;  ?  !  &  @  $  #  (  )  [  ]  {  }  <  >  /  \  ^  *  ~ Colons, commas, hyphens and dashes are acceptable. Periods must only be used for abbreviations, not punctuation. For the discussion contemplated, please use present-tense and refer to yourself in third-person. For the guest name fields, we do not allow special titles/honorifics such as "Esq", "Dr", or "Senator".  If you want to include them, please put them in the Affiliation field instead.

Question:  We’re always looking at ways we can improve the quality of our shows. Would you be willing to review other shows? Send us your thoughts at shows@thinktechhawaii.com.

Thanks so much for your cooperation. If you have questions, please contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Ticker Announcement and Show Prep

Dear ThinkTech Hosts,

For this week’s bulletin, we’d like to review some things you should do while preparing your show. We’re also adding a ticker to our broadcasts.

Graphics

If you or your guest are going to submit graphics, please review our ThinkTech Hawaii Graphics Guidelines, at thinktechhawaii.com/graphics-guidelines. You may submit up to 15 graphics per episode (including individual slides and pages). They should be in jpg, png, mov, mp4, ppt, mp3 or wav format. Please label images with a number and descriptive words/phrases. Please also avoid wordy graphics - these are hard to read on a small screen. If necessary, highlight the important language.

Video & Audio

Check the video and audio of you and your guests before the date of the show. You can go on the free version of Zoom, record a test show, and play the recording back. On the day of the show, you and your guests should join the Zoom meeting 15 minutes before show time so our engineer can address any audio or video issues.  Please prep your venue for video, framing and sound quality, and remind those around you to avoid noise or disruptions during the show.

Ticker

We’re adding a horizontal ticker at the bottom of the screen that scrolls the shows that are scheduled for that day along with other upcoming events and newsworthy items. It’ll be onscreen starting this Tuesday. Is there anything else you'd like to see us include on it?

Thank you so much for your cooperation. If you have any questions, you can contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Late Information and Cancellations

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

If you are running late on show information, please let us know so we can plan accordingly.

If you or your guest cannot make it, please consider and plan for these other options:

1. You can have other hosts and/or guests ready as backups.
2. You can do a solo show, preferably with slides or other graphics.
3. You can pre-record a show on your own Zoom account. Let us know if you are interested in this option, so we can send you instructions on how to do this.
4. You can ask other hosts to join you for a show. They are included in this email.

If you do end up cancelling, let us know ASAP. We will play an episode from our selection of encore presentations. It will not be a rerun of your show.

Please understand that (a) we much prefer to broadcast live shows, not reruns, and (b) if you cancel a show on short notice, it creates a problem for us because we can’t set up an alternative live show on short notice.

Thanks so much for your kokua on these things. If you have any questions, you can contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

For show scheduling purposes, please note the following:

1.  November 11 - we’re doing our regular broadcast schedule.

2.  November 25 - we’re not broadcasting.  If you want another time that week, please LMK.

3.  December 20-30 - we’re not broadcasting during these two weeks.  Enjoy the Holidays!

Thanks.  If questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com or jay@fidell.com.

ThinkTech Host Zoom Meeting on August 20, 2021

Aloha ThinkTech Hosts,

Here’s the video for August's Host Zoom Meeting.

This was the agenda:

• Show information - Hayley
• What do to if you can’t do the show - Hayley
• Copyright issues - Eric
• Be a host, not a guest - Eric
• Equal time for guests - Eric
• Handling graphics - Michael
• Handling questions - Michael
• Olelo series and specials - Michael
• Watch other shows, DEA, ask questions - Carol
• Look at meetings on HZM playlist - Jay
• Active Host Bulletins - Hayley
• Write Hayley with host questions - Hayley
• Fund Drive in November - Jay
• December 8th Holliday Party - Carol

Here are the links to our Spiraling Crisis movie (Spiraling Crisis:  The Alarming Convergence of Climate Change and Pandemics) and the movie trailer.  Feel free to circulate these links to your colleagues and friends.

1.  Here’s the link to the full version:  https://youtu.be/JpVhyOxcJ4c

2.  Here’s the link to the condensed version:  https://youtu.be/XCOfyU3QdBQ

3.  Here’s the link to the trailer:  https://youtu.be/iNHiFDeEMXI

Thanks for attending. Note this is our last one for a while. You can watch all Host Zoom Meetings on our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6ko6IqNxl6Mq7mQaq0KDcHl.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Episode Titles and Taglines

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

We'd like to further improve titles and taglines by decluttering them and making sure that they are written clearly on all of our platforms. So starting this week, we are no longer accepting periods (except for abbreviations) and the following characters in those fields.

;  ?  !  &  @  $  #  (  )  [  ]  {  }  <  >  /  \  ^  *  ~

Instead, you can use colons, commas, hyphens and dashes. You can still word your title or tagline as a question without punctuation. This new rule does not apply to affiliations, other host and guest information, the discussion contemplated and the takeaway contemplated.

Thank you so much for your cooperation. If you have any questions, you can contact Hayley at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

ThinkTech Host Zoom Meeting on July 23, 2021

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Here is the video of our July Host Zoom Meeting. 

This was the agenda:

• Show Information - Hayley
• Show scheduling, cancellations - Hayley
• Remote recording shows - Hayley
• Show values, backgrounds, blur - Eric
• Platforms, channels - Eric
• Submission of Graphics - Michael
• Subjects, guests - Jay
• Open and close - Jay
• Watching, referring to other shows - Jay
• Promotion efforts - Jay
• Ramp up schedule - Carol
• Holiday Party, awards - Carol

Note - we are working on a routine that will automatically address the concerns Katharine expressed at the meeting about capitalization of the title and tagline of your shows.

In any event, please be careful about the way your write your shows up - what you write gets promulgated and perpetuated not only in our database but also on YouTube, Video, the Daily Email Advisory and all our other platforms.  

Also, note that our next HZM is scheduled for 3pm on Friday, August 20.  We’ll send you a link.  Please try to attend; after the August meeting, we’ll probably take a breather for a few months.

Thanks.  Looking forward.