Bulletin to ThinkTech Hosts - Week of February 26, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of February 26, 2023

Point-Counterpoint Hawai'i

We're starting a monthly series of live open forum webinars discussing public issues in Hawaii. The first program is on Saturday, March 4th from 12 to 1 pm and will address Public Safety in Hawaii. Please spread the word, register for the program (here or on thinktechhawaii.com) and actively participate by sending in questions and comments.  It’s an opportunity for everyone to express their views, and for us to achieve greater public involvement and awareness for the months and years to come.

The Bigger Picture

Our mission is to raise public awareness, and to do that we need the public to watch your shows. Think about the bigger picture. Ask yourself "Why should Hawai'i care?" as you plan your episodes. We've added this question to the Show Information Form, because people should watch the content you put so much work into sharing. We want to boost interest in your shows.

Microphones

Audio is the most important aspect of production. People watch shows without video (e.g., multitasking, overhearing from somewhere else), but most don't watch video without sound. It's important to invest in a quality microphone so you can communicate better. See our equipment recommendations at https://thinktechhawaii.com/equipment-suggestions-2/ and/or contact us at shows@thinktechhawaii.com if you have any questions.

Commentaries

Want to express your opinion on a community issue? Write up a commentary on something you care about and send it to us at shows@thinktechhawaii.com and we'll publish it in the ThinkTech Weekly, and if you like we’ll also record a video of it with you or animate it and include it in our entr'acte and on demand. For an example, see this commentary from host Cynthia Lee Sinclair: https://youtu.be/aHwaoFlRCsU.

Promotion Tip

Participate in online communities like forums and groups related to your shows. They can help you promote your content and connect with potential viewers and guests.  When you engage with them, don’t be shy; talk up ThinkTech and your show.

Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources at https://thinktechhosts.blogspot.com - 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 February 19, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of February 19, 2023

Deadlines

Reminder: all graphics, permission forms, and show information (including your guests' info) should be submitted by 10:00 pm HST the night before your show at the latest. Last-minute submissions and guests are a problem because they create significant burdens for our staff. We and your guests really do need sufficient time to review what you are submitting and to prepare for your show.

Dates

Reminder: Don't identify the date during your show unless the date is essential to the content. Usually, you should make your shows dateless. For example, don’t say that it’s Valentine's Day when  you know the show will be played later. Don’t make references to the day of the week or the date of the month in your intros and closings.  Your show will be played the following day, and it will confuse viewers if you give them some other day.

Relevance

Please try to stay on your subject and on the takeaway message of your shows; that’s much better than wandering off from one free association to another.  Of course, you can and should drill down on details, examples, comparisons and anecdotes that come to mind; that enriches the conversation.  But viewers like it best if you generally stay in and around the topic and within sight of your chosen subject.

Introductions

Get to the heart of the matter as soon as possible. People will watch your show expecting the discussion to cover the subject in your title. They will lose interest quickly if you make them wait too long for that.  Don’t spend a lot of time introducing your guests; get to the crux of the discussion early in the show, and weave their bios into the conversation as you go. Don’t start out with a general question like “Tell us about yourself”. Try a more focused question like “How did you get into real estate development?”

Promotion Tip

Your views will depend in large part on how well you describe your show in your show information, especially in the keywords.  Put yourself in the shoes of the person who will be searching for your show on YouTube or thinktechhawaii.com, and take a moment to choose words and short phrases they are mostly likely to search for.  This is very important for initial and encore viewership.

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 February 12, 2023

Dear ThinkTech Hosts:

Host Bulletin, Week of February 12, 2023

Distinguished Guest Election/Survey

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 Neal Barnard, nominated by host Grace Chen O'Neil of "Healthy Planet". We also appreciate your response to our Current Events Survey. Voting closes Friday, February 17, and we'll announce the results in our email advisories on the 20th.

Preparing Your Guests

When you recruit your guests for a show, take the time to talk with them to make sure they will be ready to do the show, i.e., that they have an appropriate computer, broadband, camera, mic and lighting, and a separate, quiet, and presentable indoor space.  If our engineers have to take a lot of time to coach an unprepared guest, delays are inevitable, and we may have to exclude that guest from the show. 

Opening Cue

To cue the engineer to cut to the stinger, say "We'll be back in a moment" at the end of your opening. It helps them know that your monologue is over. See our script suggestions for openings at https://thinktechhawaii.com/hosts-guests-2/script-suggestions/.

Live to Playlist

Reminder: with our LTP (Live to Playlist) system, your episodes become public on our platforms (including YouTube playlists) after they premiere on ThinkTech Hawaii. So, people can watch your show: (a) as a special screening before it premieres, by viewing the YouTube or Vimeo links we’ve sent you; 
(b) as it premieres on our stream (ThinkTechHawaii.com, YouTube, Vimeo);
(c) after it premieres, on any of our platforms.

Promotion Tip

Want help with episode topics and guests? Create a public email address for people to contact you, and put it in the "Website/Email to show" field on your Show Information Form. Let us know if you'd like to add your contact information or website to your bio on our Hosts page. We never share anyone's contact information unless you permit it.

Please regularly review past Host Bulletins and other resources - it leads to better shows.

Questions, contact hayley@thinktechhawaii.com.