Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of March 26, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of March 26, 2023

Live Open Forum This Saturday

Join us! Point-Counterpoint Hawaii: Challenges to Public Transportation is this Saturday, April 1st from 12 to 1 pm. You can watch it live on ThinkTechHawaii.com, YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook. Actively participate with our panel of local host experts, let your voice be heard, and send your questions to questions@thinktechhawaii.com.

Show Cancellations

If ever you or your guest can't make it to your show, please plan alternatives:

1. Keep an updated list of other hosts and/or guests to step in as last-minute backups.
2. If host is unavailable but guest is ready, and you can't find a backup host in time, with some notice we may be able to find a substitute host
3. If guest is unavailable, and you can't find a backup guest in time, host can do a solo show, preferably with slides or other graphics.
4. Pre-record a show on your own Zoom account. You need approval for this option, because it doubles or triples the staff time and expenses for the show. Let us know a week in advance.

If you do end up cancelling, let us know ASAP so we have time to recover and set up an alternative show.

Show Information

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. Of course misinformation or misspellings appearing on the screen is embarrassing and not professional.  If errors caught after show is streamed, we can edit but with added time and cost. 

Zoom

Help us help you. Please familiarize yourself with Zoom's latest features and updates. Review this tutorial: https://youtu.be/LSUD5le5Y-w. If you need help with setup and troubleshooting, our engineers can assist you. You can read https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362623-Changing-settings-in-the-desktop-client-mobile-app for detailed descriptions. Virtual backgrounds without the use of a green screen are unacceptable. The one exception is the use of Blur, which we highly recommend.

Promotion Tip

Try to connect your episode to current events and popular subjects that people are following. For example, recent Global Connections episode "What Does Moldova Think of the Ukraine War" got over 1,500 views within the first 24 hours.

Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows. See our equipment suggestions at https://thinktechhawaii.com/equipment-suggestions-2/.

Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of March 19, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of March 19, 2023

Point-Counterpoint Hawai'i

Next month's Point-Counterpoint Hawai'i open forum is on Saturday, April 1st from 12 to 1 pm and will address Challenges to Public Transportation. Please spread the word and actively participate by watching it live and sending in questions and comments to questions@thinktechhawaii.com. We are always looking for ways to increase public involvement on timely issues.

Fund Drive

Reminder: we are taping short promos for our Spring 2023 Fund Drive, Discovering Our Future, before your shows. The engineer will guide you through the process. Preview the scripts at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EB5WZGeAaTRD49KZ5V7c55frXb_UPSKV8WAonpgsy7c/edit?usp=share_link.

Time Differences

Daylight Savings Time began last Sunday, which means the clocks in most time zones moved an hour forward. Hawaii time stays the same, so the time difference for us is 1 hour more. Keep this in mind when scheduling shows, and reconfirm times if you or your guests are on the mainland. You can double check with Time Zone Converter.

New Shows

Welcome to our newest hosts and their shows!

Leticia Sharp, host of "Holistic Wellness Revealed";

Carl Ackerman, co-host of "History is Here to Help";
Abe Lee, host of "Finding Your Piece of the Rock";
Brittany Zimmerman and Richard Ha, hosts of "Inventing our Future"; and
Barbara Salazar De Lucca and Marysol Ruiz, hosts of "Hola y Aloha".

If you have suggestions for more shows, let us know at shows@thinktechhawaii.com.

Promotion Tip

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!

Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows. See our equipment suggestions at https://thinktechhawaii.com/equipment-suggestions-2/.

Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.

Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of March 12, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of March 12, 2023

Staff Changes

Introducing Ash Obrero (right), our new studio engineer! He is a local musician and founder of Creative Natives Media Group. Our long-time senior engineer, Eric Kallander (left), will be moving to the mainland in April to work for CBS. We will miss him. Send him aloha at eak@thinktechhawaii.com.

Fund Drive

Our Spring 2023 Fund Drive, Discovering Our Future, will start in a couple months. We ask that you help by taping short promos in the next few weeks after your show. The engineer will guide you through the quick process. See the scripts at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EB5WZGeAaTRD49KZ5V7c55frXb_UPSKV8WAonpgsy7c/edit?usp=share_link

Eye Contact

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.

Lighting

Have a white light available to brighten up your face. Avoid lighting from behind you or directly above you - that will cast dark shadows on your face. You can use one of the attached images to make your monitor a ring light.  If you have a Mac, you can also download the iGlasses app, which is a great way to adjust, brighten and improve your video picture.  Of course, you can also get a real ring light at Best Buy; prices are coming down all the time.

Promotion Tip

After your show, 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. See our equipment suggestions at https://thinktechhawaii.com/equipment-suggestions-2/.

Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.