To our intrepid ThinkTech Hosts,
For the last two years our annual holiday party and awards ceremony has been virtual. This year we tried a hybrid event, a slimmed down awards program with a limited guest list but simultaneously streamed it on Zoom. Thanks to all who participated in the Awards Ceremony! It was a good reminder of what we do and why it matters. If you couldn't make it, you can watch the ceremony at youtu.be/ZwiaWG71L7U.
Congratulations to award winning hosts Chang Wang, Christine Lynders and Chuck Crumpton; award winning underwriter Mike Sklarz; distinguished guests Alan Brennert, Anthony Chrisco, Theresa Wee, Colin Moore, Khendum Gyabak, David Larson, J.K. Lin, Cyber Bunny and Brandon Lorezco; and Community Award winners CompuGirls Hawaii, Project Expedite Justice, and Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald.
Our two-week year end holiday break begins today, so we will not be recording any shows until next year, January 2, 2022. We will be broadcasting encores of your shows, however, and our staff will be working on projects to prepare for 2023. We recommend watching ThinkTech over the break so we can all grow and improve.
Thanks so much for your dedication to providing informative, thoughtful and inspiring content throughout the year. If you have questions about anything at all, please contact hayley@
Happy Holidays, of course, and a Better New Year.
All our Best,
ThinkTech Hawaii
Every Day Better
Voting is open! Thanks to everyone who made nominations. Click here to cast your ballot for ThinkTech Distinguished Guest. Vote only once, but feel free to share the link. Last month's winner was Brandon Lorezco, nominated by host Chanda Park of "Money Talks". We also appreciate your response to our Current Events Survey. Voting closes Saturday, December 17, and we'll announce the results in our email advisories on the 20th.
If you have more than one guest, make sure to call on each guest regularly during the show and give them roughly equal time to speak. Encourage them to engage with each other instead of going around the table with the same question - it creates more interesting discussions.
We've gained new shows over the past couple of months! Welcome to Will Tanaka, Leonie Lam, and Steve Guttman. Will and Leonie host "Inside Hawaii Real Estate", an examination of real estate professional practice, real estate market, and the place real estate plays in our economy and future. Steve Guttman is host of "Guttman's Garage," a series with movie reviews. If you have ideas for more shows, let us know at shows@thinktechhawaii.com.
Have you heard of the Elgato Facecam? It's a great webcam in the $100-200 price range, and in our opinion better than the Logitech webcams in that price range. The quality is much better and it’s worth the price. The software is also much better and lets you adjust your camera for the perfect shot. Jay Fidell recently replaced his Logitech Brio with the Elgato Facecam.
Popular guests make for more popular shows, so reach out and try to get them on your show. Well-known guests tend to have larger followings. You can use the ThinkTech image (see below) and the link to your YouTube Playlist in your email signature to impress those you want to recruit for your show.
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Only three days left to raise the last $7,000 towards our goal! Please help. All of our staff and directors have contributed, and we ask that you join them to help us keep your shows on the air. 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. Please spread the word about our fund drive to your networks as well. Thanks for your help and support! We are very appreciative.
Our Annual Awards Ceremony is on the last day of our Fund Drive, Dec. 8, at 6:00 pm. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TWm1nclyTkKARXa8bsafaw to join us in celebrating our Community Service and ThinkTech Hawaii award winners. The following week will be the last of our 2022 shows, since we are closed and not operating during our ThinkTech winter break from Monday, Dec. 19 through Thursday, Dec. 29. Our regular operating schedule resumes on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023.
When guests confirm they can appear on your show, help them prepare by sending them the Appearance Guidelines and Graphics Guidelines. Last-minute emails from uninformed guests can be stressful to you, your guests, and our staff. Sending the guidelines before you complete your show information gives them more time to ready everything they need for the show and ask questions if necessary.
Reach new audiences through cross-promotion! If ThinkTech Hosts from other shows are on your episode, or if your episode is related to another show's theme, mention that show. Promoting each other will expand both of your audiences.
November 29 is Giving Tuesday, and it's a great opportunity to inspire generosity. We are in the final weeks of our Fall Fund Drive, and everyone's donations on this special day are more important than ever. If you haven't already, please donate through the button below, or send a check to ThinkTech Hawaii, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. We appreciate your help and support.
There's still time to upgrade your equipment! Cyber Monday is tomorrow, and there are many great deals. Our staff has given more recommendations for equipment on sale:
A good episode title can greatly affect your views. Use words that are expressive, to the point, concise, and most of all, catchy and memorable. Include popular searchable words relating to your topic. Avoid long phrases and proofread, and then proofread again. Here are some examples from recent shows with over 1,000 views:
Is Coronavirus Just Another Hoax
Who is Shohei Otani
Military Accountability: You're Fired
The World is Plugging into Hydrogen
Why Ukraine Matters Taiwan Talks Today
Please avoid fidgeting or touching your face or hair while you're onscreen during a show. It can be distracting and hard to watch. Also, look at yourself. The engineer's Zoom window shows you what's being recorded. If your face is not there, it means you’re offscreen.
Use our resources! ThinkTechHawaii.com is our most valuable resource and is full of information about our platforms and productions. You can send prospective guests a link to our Hosts page, Press Kit, ThinkTech Stats, About ThinkTech, and A Brief History of ThinkTech to let them know more about you and about ThinkTech.
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of November 20, 2022
Thank you to everyone who has made donations, recorded promos, and otherwise promoted our Fall 2022 Fund Drive. We're at the midpoint, but we still have a way to go to reach our goal, and at this point we need to speed it up. If you haven't already, please donate through this link or send a check to ThinkTech Hawaii, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Your financial support enables our platform, and each host's show to exist.
Reminder: Thanksgiving is this Thursday and it's a building holiday, so we will not record any shows that day. If you'd like to schedule your show for another day that week, email hayley@thinktechhawaii.com. The next holiday is our winter break, which is from Monday Dec. 19 through Thursday, Dec. 29.
You need to look at yourself on Zoom, and if you’re blurred or fuzzy you need to consider some new hardware. A new laptop will certainly help, but a new USB camera will cost less. Black Friday is this week and there are great deals. Google Black Friday webcams and you’ll see. Picking one up cheap will make you look better and will make our staff happier, too. Here are our recommendations:
If you or your guest can't make it to the show, please plan alternatives:
Help us help you! Help us help you! Remember to tag and mention ThinkTech Hawaii in your social media posts so we can share them with our viewers and followers. Type the “@” symbol and then start typing our page's name:
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
P.S. You're all invited to our Virtual Awards Ceremony on Dec. 8 at 6:00 pm, honoring Community Service and ThinkTech Hawaii award winners. Register at
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TWm1nclyTkKARXa8bsafaw.
Voting is open! Thanks to everyone who made nominations. Click here to cast your ballot for ThinkTech Distinguished Guest. Vote only once, but feel free to share the link. Last month's winner was Cyber Bunny, nominated by host Wendy Loh of "Taking Your Health Back". We also appreciate your response to our Current Events Survey. Voting closes Thursday, November 17, and we'll announce the results in our email advisories on the 20th.
Reminder: we cannot accept any last-minute guests to your shows. They create problems for our staff. Your full list of guests and their information should be on your Show Information Form by the 10:00 pm HST deadline. This ensures that our staff and your guests have enough time to prepare for the episode.
Keep your Zoom chat box open throughout the show so you can watch for notifications. The engineer may message you about show timing (e.g., "5 minutes to close") or issues that need to be fixed during the show or a break.
Blurred backgrounds create a special depth-of-field effect, and they help viewers focus on you instead of what's in the room around you. Please use the blur function in Zoom. If you have a green screen, you can use one of the blurred backgrounds we have prepared (see https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12f2IAFFdYX-lS7JMoq5RIaaa5ZnMHg80?usp=share_link). You can also send us a picture of a background you like and we can blur it for you.
Have you shared the link to your last show? You can text and email the YouTube and Vimeo links to your network - family, friends, coworkers, colleagues, and anyone else who would be interested. Feel free to use our template for sharing show links: https://thinktechhosts.blogspot.com/p/email-template-for-sharing-links.html
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Click here to nominate a guest from one of your October shows to be selected a Distinguished Guest! Only the first 10 nominations will make the ballot. Nominations close tomorrow, November 7 and voting will begin on the 10th. Distinguished Guest Election results will be posted in our email advisories on November 20. The winning candidate will be profiled in a short video for our livestreams and social media. Last month's winner was Cyber Bunny, nominated by host Wendy Loh of "Taking Your Health Back".
Single words or short phrases are not enough for testing audio before the show, so make sure to talk with your guests and our engineers so they can get enough sound to check the audio. The engineer may ask you a question (e.g., "How's the weather?") to help you along. Please answer in some detail, and keep on talking until the engineer asks you to stop.
Clothes that are white, striped, seersucker or have small patterns like checkers or dots can create distracting video artifacts around your head and shoulders, so please avoid them. Instead, wear clothing that distinguishes you from the background.
Try to keep guest introductions to 1-2 sentences each. A long, detailed introduction is always boring and loses viewers. Tell your viewers who you are, connect your episode to your series, and then briefly introduce your guests and get to the point asap with your first question. See our script suggestions at https://thinktechhawaii.com/hosts-guests-2/script-suggestions/. Then, as the show unfolds, weave the guest's background into the conversation.
Use business cards to create a good impression as a ThinkTech Host. You can visit or email Professional Image to print 100 cards in one day. The current price is $27. VistaPrint.com prints 100 cards for a current price of $18. You can use the design from host Peter Rosegg's presentation as a template. Make the suite number 603 if you include the address. If you ask them to overlay a “PRESS” watermark, that will be even better.
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Our Fall 2022 Fund Drive, Video with Vision: Always Learning, starts Tuesday! Please spread the word amongst your networks. Thank you to everyone who has recorded promos, promoted our drive thus far and made an early donation. You can donate through the button below, or send a check to ThinkTech Hawaii, 1164 Bishop Street, Suite 603, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. We appreciate your help and support.
Daylight Savings Time will end next Sunday, Nov. 6, 2021. Hawaii time stays the same, but clocks for most other time zones will move an hour back, so the time difference for them will be 1 hour less. Reminder to reconfirm times for your shows if you or your guests are on the mainland.
As a ThinkTech Host, you are more familiar with our Graphics Guidelines and resources than any guest. For that reason, you are responsible for completing the permission form and ensuring that all graphics for your show follow the guidelines. If you have questions or need help, please let me know at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Have you checked your playlist views? As host Martin Despang pointed out during this year's Host Meeting, you can see them when you click the link to your show's YouTube playlist. use your show playlist see the number of times people viewed your show playlist. Please note that this is different from total video views: https://tubefluence.com/how-does-youtube-count-playlist-views/
Submit your episodes to online media platforms, such as local news sites and organization newsletters. For example, you can write an article for Civil Beat's Community Voices and include related information from your shows. This tip comes from Peter Rosegg, who presented on this topic during the Host Meeting. See his article at https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/09/a-two-wheel-revolution-is-happening-on-oahu/
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Thanks to all who joined this year's Host Zoom Meeting! In case you missed it or want to see it again, watch the video below.
This was the agenda:
The presentations are available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19FPuf63Ql2OuWEiH6LJuBxOJL1TJRa-Q?usp=sharing.
If you have any questions about the discussion, please let us know.
Note that our 2022 Fall Fund Drive is about to begin. Please contribute as much as you can to keep us going.
Thanks so much, everybody. Great to see so many of you. Looking forward to “meeting" again next year.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of October 16, 2022
This year's All Host Zoom Meeting is this Friday, October 12 at 9:00 am HST. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qf-mrqTwtE9R60n3yWFAQR8T6G7Yf7E0T to get your Zoom link. Our staff and some of our hosts are preparing presentations for this invaluable get-together. We'll send you the agenda before the meeting. This should be very helpful to everyone. Please plan to attend.
Voting is open! Thanks to everyone who made nominations. Click here to cast your ballot for ThinkTech Distinguished Guest. Vote only once, but feel free to share the link. Last month's winner was J.K. Lin, nominated by host Mark Shklov of "Law Across the Sea". We also appreciate your response to our Current Events Survey. Voting closes tomorrow, October 17 and we'll announce the results in our email advisories on the 20th.
We want you to look your best on your shows, and we have found that external USB cameras provide better video than the ones built into your computers. Consider using Logitech (or similar) USB cameras given their price, video quality, portability and adjustability: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=logitech+usb+camera&crid=2MBT0NSSQKWLS&sprefix=logitech+usb+camer%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_noss_2. If you'd like to discuss any particular camera, please let me know.
Solo shows should be the exception. Alternatives to consider:
- Contact other hosts and/or shows@thinktechhawaii.com for guest recommendations.
- Contact us at shows@thinktechhawaii.com to reschedule the show at a time more convenient for a possible guest.
- Pre-record the show with a guest at a time that will be more convenient for a possible guest, using your own Zoom account. Tell us about this in advance, since it will involve additional staff time and expense.
If you do the show solo, use slides and other graphics to break it up and add visual interest. Please follow our Graphics Guidelines at thinktechhawaii.com/graphics-guidelines.
Need further help finding guests? One other way to connect with new guests is by posting your show to related Facebook and LinkedIn groups, and making connections there.
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of October 9, 2022
Save the date! Register for our All Host Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qf-mrqTwtE9R60n3yWFAQR8T6G7Yf7E0T. This is your opportunity to get together and compare notes with long-time and newer hosts, as well as our staff. We look forward to seeing everyone there.
All graphics must be submitted by 10 pm HST the night before the show. Screen sharing those graphics on Zoom reduces the video quality, so please do not display graphics that way. Review our Graphics Guidelines before submitting your graphics. We cannot accept graphics without a permission form and proper labels. This is, of course, to avoid claims by copyright owners and problems with upload platforms.
Be ready to get on your phone and call the Zoom telephone numbers (listed with the Zoom link we send you) if there are connectivity issues. Have a phone stand, books, and/or some tape ready to get your device into the proper position. Also, make sure to send us up-to-date cell numbers for your guests. They will be critical if there are connectivity issues.
Want easier control over your camera video? We recommend iGlasses for Mac: https://www.ecamm.com/mac/iglasses/. The free trial lasts seven days and the full program costs $19.95.
Express your pride as a ThinkTech Host! You work hard to make your shows great. Tell colleagues and people you meet that you're a talk show host on ThinkTech Hawaii, a nonprofit that has produced over 12,000 talk shows and short movies, and streams 30 new live talk shows every week. Send them to your shows and a link to your playlist when you can.
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of October 2, 2022
Click here to nominate a guest from one of your September shows to be selected a Distinguished Guest! Only the first 10 nominations will make the ballot. Nominations close this Friday, October 7 and voting will begin on the 10th. Election results will be posted in our email advisories on October 20. The winning candidate for Distinguished Guest will be profiled in a short video for our livestreams and social media. Last month's winner was J.K. Lin, nominated by host Mark Shklov of "Law Across the Sea".
Our first virtual host meeting since last year!! All ThinkTech Hosts are invited to a 45-minute Zoom meeting Friday, October 21, 9 am HST, to review productions and plans, share information and tips and get together with long-time and newer hosts. Please save the date. You’ll receive a link and agenda before the meeting. We look forward to seeing you (virtually)!
Permission forms are required when submitting graphics (except for the exemptions listed on the form), so make sure to send them in the same email or at the same time. We may not be able to accept late graphics or permission forms; they are due 10 pm HST the night before the show. If you need any help figuring out the form, let me know at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Please familiarize yourself with the audio settings in Zoom. The most important ones are speaker and microphone selections, volume sliders, background noise suppression, and echo cancellation. Do not shout or yell during the show - it creates inconsistent and uneven audio.
Need help with potential guests, topics, and questions? Create an email address for your show and include it in the Website to Display field on your Show Information Form so we can promote it in your episodes and other platforms. Peter Rosegg made thetwowheelrevolution@gmail.com for his new show "The Two-Wheel Revolution".
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of September 25, 2022
Last week to register! Please spread the word and register for "Burning National Issues: Legal Chicken, Legal Egg" this Friday. If you can't attend, register anyway and we'll send you a link to the recording. Learn more about our panelists Kimi Ide-Foster, Chris Marvin, Richard Wallsgrove, Sylvia Albert, Jeffrey Portnoy, and Avi Soifer through their interviews and bios below. Thank you for supporting our projects to increase public awareness and promote community engagement.
Don't state the date during the show unless the content is date-sensitive. Avoid announcing a date so your episodes will remain timeless. Also avoid announcing the day or the week during your intros and closings, since your shows are aired the following day and it may confuse viewers when we play them as encores.
Look directly at the camera throughout the show. Avoid looking at another screen, or down at your table or desk, or off to the side. Place the Zoom window on your screen as near as possible to your camera so you can maintain continuing eye contact with the audience. If you have notes, put them in a small word-processing or notepad window also as near as possible to your camera. You’ll look so much better that way.
As we ramp up to our Fall 2022 Fund Drive (which starts on November 1), we will ask that you record short promos after your show. The engineer will guide you through the process. Click here to view the short scripts, which we will put in your chat box. Your promos will be streamed through the Fund Drive on all our platforms. Thanks for helping us promote the Drive, and thanks also for contributing to the Drive to help us stay on the air.
Have trouble getting views on social media? Try collaborating with and inviting guests with large social media followings - they'll share your show among their many followers. This tip comes from Kuhio Ave. Food Hall owner Mike Palmer, on an episode of Restaurants of Hawaii: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifiLw6Z2jIM&t=811s
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of September 18, 2022
Hosts, please register for our important webinar on Sept. 30! If you can’t attend, you will receive a link to the program after the event. "Burning National Issues: Legal Chicken, Legal Egg” analyzes and connects critical topics in a thought-provoking way. Help us increase registration by sharing the links below with your networks and social media following. Thank you!
Make sure you and your guests are centered and keep your head 3/4 the way up in the frame throughout the show. Find a comfortable position and hold it though the show. Don't lean back and forth or swivel in your chair - this creates video artifacts, causes framing issues, and deteriorates your audio. Change chairs if necessary.
Welcome our two new ThinkTech Hosts! Erica Muller is host of "Vacation Rentals are the Future", a study of vacation rentals, real estate activity, regulation and investment around the U.S. and overseas. Peter Rosegg hosts "The Two-Wheel Revolution", a look into opportunities, benefits and controversies of advances in two-wheel transportation. See their bios at https://thinktechhawaii.com/thinktech-hosts/.
We are looking to hire a part-time studio engineer. If you know anyone who might be interested, please send them our ad, which is at https://storiesofthinktech.blogspot.com/2022/09/is-recruiting-yes-were-looking-for-new.html. The new studio engineer will join our current team including Michael Pangilinan, our Station Manager who records and edits some of your shows, Eric Kallander our chief studio engineer and Hayley Ikeda, our Program Manager - you get a lot of emails from her. You can contact us about this by emailing shows@thinktechhawaii.com.
Join local and national community groups to expand your network and thus your viewership and potential guests. If your show is about surfing, for example, you can join and post to the world surfing community on Facebook. This tip comes from esports professional Adam Donarski, a guest on The Wide World of Esports: https://youtu.be/hGK-HtrGhq4
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of September 11, 2022
Voting is open! Thanks to everyone who made nominations. Click here to cast your ballot for ThinkTech Distinguished Guest. Vote only once, but feel free to share the link. Last month's winner was David Larson, nominated by host Chuck Crumpton of "It's Time for Responsible Change". We also appreciate your response to our Current Events Survey. Voting closes on September 17 and we'll announce the results in our email advisories on the 20th.
Join us for a timely ThinkTech Hawaii webinar on Friday, September 30. "Burning National Issues: Legal Chicken, Legal Egg" will examine critical national issues: abortion, gun violence, climate change, voting rights, and the insurrection. Featuring panelists Kimi Ide-Foster, Chris Marvin, Richard Wallsgrove, Sylvia Albert, Jeffrey Portnoy and moderator Avi Soifer. Please spread the word and register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qIlgPBHrQMW_vKtOIGbUxg.
It may seem obvious, but it is dangerous to do a show in a car. Make sure you and your guests pre-select quiet, indoor spaces to record the show. Ask others around you to keep quiet and set all devices to Do Not Disturb. You may need to move to a more isolated space if there is too much noise.
It's best to join Zoom from a computer/laptop instead of a phone or tablet. The former have more functionality, stability, and better video and audio quality. For more Appearance Guidelines: https://thinktechhawaii.com/remote-shows/
Before your show airs, promote your upcoming episode through email, phone and social media. We stream your shows on ThinkTechHawaii.com, YouTube.com/ThinkTechHawaii and Vimeo.com/ThinkTechHawaii. Encourage people to sign up for our email advisories at https://bit.ly/join-thinktech to view the shows of the day. They can also subscribe and click the bell on YouTube.com/ThinkTechHawaii so they receive a link whenever your show is published.
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Click here to nominate a guest from one of your August shows to be selected a Distinguished Guest! Only the first 10 nominations will make the ballot. Nominations close this Wednesday, September 7 and voting will begin on the 10th. Election results will be posted in our email advisories on September 20. The winning candidate for Distinguished Guest will be profiled in a short video for our livestreams and social media. Last month's winner was David Larson, nominated by host Chuck Crumpton of "It's Time for Responsible Change".
Tom Cooney of General Motors will join Jay Fidell next Friday, September 16 to talk about exciting innovations in the auto industry. "Transformations in Transportation," is this year's Dr. N.H. Paul Chung Memorial Lecture sponsored by PAMI at UH's Shidler School of Business and starts at 10 am HST. Please register for this informative webinar and circulate this promo among your network.
Unless you're presenting a slide deck, please label each graphic with descriptive words as requested in our Graphics Guidelines. This helps our engineers know when to put them onscreen. Note that we will display graphics only when they're relevant to the discussion -- otherwise, they will confuse and distract the viewer. Also note that if you don’t properly label your graphics (e.g. IMG_9821) we won't be able to accept them.
Some graphics do not need permission forms. Please send shows@thinktechhawaii.com book covers, album covers, DVD covers, and movie posters for the media you'll discuss so we can display them during your episode. Permission forms are not necessary for these graphics.
Do your colleagues know you host your own show? Send your favorite episodes, and even the link to your show playlist, to your friends and associates! Our content is meant to be shared as widely as possible. They may be very impressed with your work, and may share the videos of your shows with their own networking communities.
Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
You're invited! Please join us for a special live screening of our documentary "Scaling Up: Hawaii's Food Future" on September 8 at 6:30 pm. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, local farmers, and agriculture advocates. Register for free at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/399769008867. Click here to view our flyer.
We upload the audio of your episodes as podcasts (without the video) to Spotify and Apple Podcasts, so please keep that in mind when you do your shows, like by reading and describing the websites and graphics you refer to so that listeners will know what you’re talking about even when only audio is playing.
Email us sooner rather than later if you're having trouble with deliverables such as show information, graphics, and permission forms. They are all due 10 pm HST the night before your show. If you submit them after that time, we may not be able to produce your show or use your graphics. The links to our Show Information Form and Graphics Guidelines (which includes the permission form) are always the same, so we recommend bookmarking them and submitting as soon as you can, even before the deadline.
ThinkTech’s mission is to raise public awareness through civic engagement. We value all of our citizen journalist hosts, and we greatly appreciate when you engage and educate your viewership by posing compelling questions, addressing difficult topics, and evoking unique perspectives on local, national and global issues and events. Our hosts are the heart of our content. Let’s make every day, every show, better.
Now that we're using the LTP (Live to Playlist) system, you’ll have more time to promote your episode before it airs the next day. For example, you can take a clip from the links we send you the night before and share it as a preview for the upcoming show. You can also share those links as a private screening for your family, friends and associates before the episode premieres the next day on thinktechhawaii.com.
Please make sure to review these Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.
Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Don't state the date during the show unless the content is date-sensitive. We want to avoid fixing a date on episodes so they remain timeless. Avoid stating the weekday during your intros and outros too, since your shows are aired the following day and it may confuse viewers when we play them again as encores.
Use the Takeaway in your Show Information Form to express the message viewers should remember from your episode. We'll display it on our stream before your episode airs, so please summarize it in 1-2 sentences. See the example below.
If you're covering a gloomy or distressing topic, make sure to offer advice and resources such as links to educational material, helplines, and supportive organizations. Please add such resources in the Website to Display field on your Show Information Form. It's important to end the episode on a high note so viewers are gratified and interested in watching your next show.
We'd like to keep our productions professional, so if you need to sip your beverage during the show, please wait until you're offscreen. The engineer's Zoom window shows you what's being recorded. If your face is not there, it means you’re offscreen and thus free to sip your beverage.
Have you tried using QR codes to promote your show? You can use them in emails, flyers, business cards, etc. for quick and easy access to your shows. (For example, see the QR code for Community Matters below.) You can generate them for free at https://qr-code-generator.com.
Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Voting is open! Thanks to everyone who made nominations. Click here to cast your ballot for our ThinkTech Distinguished Guest. Vote only once, but feel free to share the link. Our Distinguished Guest for last month was Khendum Gyabak who appeared on "A Nation of Immigrants," hosted by Chang Wang. We also appreciate your response to our Current Events Survey. Voting closes on August 17 and we will announce the results in our email advisories on August 20.
Ask guests concise questions and follow up on their answers. If there is more than one guest, address every question to a specific guest. You may need to interrupt if 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 discussions.
If you see one of the following messages when you join the Zoom call, leave the window open and wait for the engineer (the meeting host) to let you in. You can email shows@thinktechhawaii.com or call (808) 784-3426 if you have any trouble connecting.
Having connection issues? Try rebooting your router and modem once a month to keep them running smoothly: https://www.allconnect.com/blog/reboot-your-modem. You can also try:
Digital flyers can be helpful tools in promoting your show. See examples below from fellow ThinkTech Hosts. You can create them for free on Canva, which is available on the Web, Android and iPhone.
Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of August 7, 2022
Only a couple spots left! Click here to nominate a guest from one of your July shows to be a Distinguished Guest! Only the first ten nominations will make the ballot. Nominations close today, August 7 and voting will begin on August 10. The results of the election will be posted in our email advisory on August 20. The winning candidate will be profiled in a short video for our livestreams and social media. Last month's winner, Khendum Gyabak, was nominated by host Chang Wang of "A Nation of Immigrants.”
Episode titles should be more specific than a series title; your episode titles should convey the precise topic of the episode (show content can be broader than the title). Including a "news hook" (something connecting the topic or guests to something in the news) should encourage viewers to watch your show. Questions, contact Jay at jay@fidell.com.
Avoid reading lengthy resources (articles, statistics, biographies, etc.) on air. That will bore and turn off viewers. Instead, quote the most important points (NMT three sentences) or summarize the resource. Slides with bullet points about the resource can be helpful visual aids. In any event, never read more than 90 seconds.
Make sure your camera is at eye level and that your light source is in front of you. Avoid lighting from behind you or directly above you - that will cast dark shadows on your face.
Engage with your fellow hosts! Watch, like, share, and comment on their videos and social media posts. If you enjoyed a particular episode, share the link with your network through social media, email, and/or text messages. If you have suggestions on how they can improve their shows, please let them (or shows@thinktechhawaii.com) know!
Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of July 31, 2022
Starting Sunday, July 17, ThinkTech introduced its new binge-worthy event “Our Special Sunday Collection” featuring shows covering a unique topic of the week. Shows are selected from our videos over the past nine years (including our very first videos), airing 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Last week's theme was the crisis in Ukraine, and this week's theme is gun violence and policy. See our Stories of ThinkTech post for more information. Enjoy!
Our Weekly Advisories are now published on Mondays, the same day that we broadcast the Top Five and Staff Pick of the week. The broadcast times are listed in the ThinkTech Daily. We strive to celebrate the Top Five and Staff Pick winners and showcase their shows through the broadcast day on Mondays.
When you don't have a green screen, virtual backgrounds don't work at all - they result in distracting artifacts around your head and shoulders. If you do have a green screen, you should wear clothing that distinguishes you from the background, and avoid white or seersucker clothing. Ideally, please use the Blur function in the Virtual Backgrounds video settings in Zoom. Blur will help us achieve better and more consistent video quality. In any event, please refrain from leaning back and forth or swiveling in your chair during the show - this also creates distracting artifacts. Note that changing your proximity to the mic will mess up your audio signal.
When using acronyms, terms of art, or important names -- "collective bargaining”, “HPU” (Hawaii Pacific University) and "Sidney Powell", for example -- take a moment to define and explain them to your viewers, or ask your guest to do so. The host should represent and address the curiosity of the average viewer, who may not be familiar with your subject. Make sure we don't lose or confuse them with jargon. Science@SOEST excelled in this.
Use our resources! ThinkTechHawaii.com is our most valuable resource and is full of information about our platforms and productions. You can send prospective guests a link to our Hosts page, Press Kit, About ThinkTech, and A Brief History of ThinkTech to let them know more about you and about ThinkTech. You might also let them know that if they appear on your show, they may be eligible to run for Distinguished Guest.
Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of July 24, 2022
Thanks for making our transition to the Live to Playlist system a big success! With this system, we will improve production values and provide more punctual starting times. And now it's easier to see yourself on the air - just watch your episode when it premieres the next day. This will help you review and improve your style. Note also that with LTP you should avoid referencing the day or date during your show, because the episode is aired the following day.
If you want viewers to be able to contact you after a show, we can display your email address and/or phone number on screen. This could be helpful since we no longer accept questions on air. Just add the contact info in the Website to Display field on our Show Information Form.
After a brief introduction of the subject and guests in the show, you should ask your first question. This question should include a "news hook," that is, a reference connecting the scope or guests to something in the news. You only have a few seconds to grab the viewer's attention, so get to it right away. Also, make sure to include the subject of your show in your episode title, and include words that viewers are likely to search for. An episode about the Ukraine invasion should have "Ukraine" in the title. To stimulate out-of-the-box discussions, ask thought-provoking, hard-hitting questions. For example, "why would X union want to endorse you," is more interesting than "did X union endorse you." Ask yourself, if you are only asking soft-ball questions, are you actually "raising public awareness"?
Remind your guests that they can help promote the shows you do with them. Ask them to share the links we send them after the show, using their email, text messages and social media. The best result is when you promote them, and they promote you.
Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of July 17, 2022
Reminder: our Live to Playlist (LTP) system starts tomorrow, June 18. Talk shows we used to play live as they were being taped will instead be played the following day and so on through the week. This will give our engineers time to edit every show for technical issues before they're viewed by the public. As a result, viewers will have a better viewing experience with improved production values and prompt starting times. Click here for more information. Hosts will tape new promos for your shows with updated airdates.
Last chance to vote! This month's Distinguished Guest election and Current Events Survey ends tomorrow, July 17. Click here to cast your ballot. Vote only once, but feel free to share the link. The results will be announced in our email advisories on July 20.
Please be sure to include a completed permission form when submitting graphics, so make sure to send them in the same email or at the same time. We will not be able to accept late graphics or permission forms; they are due 10 pm HST the night before the show. If you need any help figuring out the form, let me know at hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Include popular but relevant search keywords in your show information. These draw viewers to your videos by increasing the chances that your video will show up when people search on Google or YouTube. For example, effective keywords for the episode "Covid is Surging in India" would be covid, India, pandemic, variant, mutation, masks, vaccines, surge.
Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Announcing New Live to Playlist System
Starting Monday July 18, your shows will be produced on their scheduled show dates and times, but they will no longer be streamed live the same day. Instead, they will be streamed from a smart playlist the day after, so shows produced on a Monday will be played at the same time on Tuesday, and so on through the week.
This will give our staff time to edit each show to correct production issues, improve the video and audio, graphics placements, and program exact start times. This will make you, your guests and ThinkTech look and sound better on the shows uploaded that day and played the day after.
The new system will have no effect on the daily schedule for the production and uploading of your shows, but only the dates they are streamed on ThinkTechHawaii.com and our other streaming platforms. We will, of course, create new promos to promote these new air dates. You should likewise advise your guests accordingly.
Thanks to you all as we move to this new "Live to Playlist" system. This will give our staff time to edit each show to correct production issues, improve the video and audio, fix graphics placements, and schedule exact start times.
Please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com if you have any questions.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of July 10, 2022
Voting is open! Thanks to everyone who made nominations. Click here to cast your ballot for our ThinkTech Distinguished Guest. Vote only once, but feel free to share the link. Our Distinguished Guest for last month was Colin Moore who appeared on "Talk Story with John Waihe'e", hosted by John Waihe'e. We also appreciate your response to our Current Events Survey. Voting closes on July 17 and we will announce the results in our email advisories on July 20.
Make sure to triple check your show information before submitting it to us -- especially the title, tagline, and guest names and affiliations. This information is sent to thousands of people and is included in the video itself, so it's a real hassle to correct spelling and other errors from your show information.
Try to keep guest introductions to 1-2 sentences each. A long, detailed introduction is always boring and loses viewers. Tell your viewers who you are, connect your episode to your series, and then briefly introduce your guests and get to the point asap with your first question. See our script suggestions at https://thinktechhawaii.com/hosts-guests-2/script-suggestions/. Then, as the show unfolds, weave the guest's background into the conversation.
Look directly at the camera throughout the show. Avoid looking down, off to the side or at another person offscreen. If you have notes, put them in a word-processing document or notepad window on your screen as near as possible to the camera so you can maintain continuing eye contact with the audience.
Try hard to connect your episode to current events and popular subjects that people are following. For example, ThinkTech Host Dan "Fig" Leaf connected a recent show to the new Top Gun: Maverick movie, and got 1,700 views within the first three days.
We are developing a new Live to Playlist broadcasting system. Stand by for a special bulletin on it later this week.
Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.
Dear ThinkTech Hosts:
Host Bulletin, Week of July 3, 2022
Click here to nominate one of your guests from one of your June shows to be a Distinguished Guest! Only the first 10 nominations will make the ballot. Nominations close next Thursday, July 7 and voting will begin on July 10. The results of the election will be posted in our email advisories on July 20. The winning candidate for Distinguished Guest will be profiled in a short video for our livestreams and social media. Last month's winner was Colin Moore, nominated by host John Waihe'e of "Talk Story with John Waihe'e".
Reminder: Independence Day, or Fourth of July, is tomorrow and itʻs a building holiday, so there will be no live shows. The next building holiday is Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. See the broadcast schedule at https://thinktechhosts.blogspot.com/p/faq.html.
We will no longer be accepting any last-minute guests to your shows. Your full list of guests and their information should be on your Show Information Form by the 10 pm HST deadline. This ensures that our staff and your guests have enough time to prepare for the episode.
Starting this week, we're taking a break from requesting live questions from viewers during shows. We’ve removed requests from our show information form, website, email advisories and other platforms. We'll continue to send you any questions that come in, but you can answer them directly, rather than on the air. We were hoping that viewers would participate in active engagement in shows but it has not been the case. Thanks to those hosts who have contributed questions when asked.
Before your next show, promote your upcoming guest and topic on your website(s) and social media. After your show, share the link and tag ThinkTech so we can share your posts. We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Help us build a community that will engage with your content by sharing our posts as well.
Questions, please contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.