A History of WebCasting

Elle Kyle is a producer at American Movie Company

WebCasting is so easily accessible that most of us experience it on a regular basis in some format.  We can watch large events streamed worldwide such as the Olympics, or we can watch a friend zipline thousands of miles away thanks to Facebook’s live video feature.  Though we’re now quite familiar with WebCasting in its many formats, it is a technology that has only been around for the past two decades.

The Macintosh New York Music Festival was the first event to be streamed online.  The festival was held in June of 1995 after financial trouble forced the New Music Seminar to stop running.  Michael Dorf, who own The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, convinced 15 nightclubs from around the city to open their doors to the 350 bands booked for the six-day festival.

Recognizing the potential to reach audiences outside the New York area, Dorf collaborated with Apple to webcast the festival.  Streaming video feeds from all 15 venues would have been a massive undertaking, so Dorf and Apple decided to stream the audio only.

The technology to stream video online was not far behind, however.  The first events to stream video also took place in 1995.  One of the first was a concert featuring popular LA acts, including Buck Page of the Riders of the Purple Sage, Greg Harris of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and John York of the Byrds.  The show was produced by Benford Earl Standley and took place in the Trabadour.

As webcasting became more popular, other industries began to make use of the technology.  Nebraska Public Television was the first network to live stream highlights from Cornhuskers football games, as well as press conferences with coaches and players after games.

Outside the entertainment industry, churches also began to make use of webcasting.  On October 22, 1998, Evangelical preacher Billy Graham live streamed his first “Crusade.”  This broadcast was dedicated to prayer and inviting people to join his religion.  The Mormon church also began making use of webcasting to stream their bi-annual church-wide meetings in the late ‘90s.

Individuals began to use webcasting for personal events in 1998 when the first weddings were webcast.  Live streaming became particularly popular for couples who had destination weddings, as they were able to share their special day with remote guests.

In the past two decades, WebCasting has become increasingly more accessible.  The invention of the TriCaster allowed for more complex live programing to be streamed online.  We can now stream events with multiple camera feeds and can insert prerecorded content into the show.  We can also build a virtual set on the TriCaster that keys onto the physical set live.  This allows for a simple build with an upgraded finish for the show.

Today, we continue to find new uses for WebCasting.  From annual corporate reports to awards shows like the Grammys, WebCasting has many professional applications.  Anyone can live stream events from their everyday lives thanks to social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.  Last month, Woody Harrelson’s Lost in London became the first feature film to be streamed live to audiences.  The film was shot in one continuous take and webcast to theaters in London.  With its versatility, WebCasting has become an integral part of the way we consume media and share time with each other.

The American Movie Company has over 10 years of experience with webcasting various events, including the Fifth Annual Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy, The Epiphone Revolver Music Awards Show, and Chi Zhang’s Fashion Week debut aboard the Intrepid.

For more information about our WebCasting services, visit our website or call Bill Milling at (917) 414-5489.

One thought on “A History of WebCasting

  1. What’s up?

    I found this article very interesting…please read!

    Do you remember the blockbuster hit film The Matrix that was released in 1999? You may not know this, but it has deep spiritual implications concerning the times we are living in and Bible prophecy.

    It tells a story of how these “agents” are trying to turn us into machines. We are closer then ever before for this to become a reality when they cause us to receive an implantable microchip in our body during a time when physical money will be no more.

    You may have seen on NBC news concerning the implantable RFID microchip that some people are getting put in their hand to make purchases, but did you know this microchip matches perfectly with prophecy in the Bible?

    “He (the false prophet who deceives many by his miracles) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name…

    You also may have heard of the legendary number “666” that people have been speculating for possibly thousands of years on what it actually means. This article shares something I haven’t seen before, and I don’t think there could be any better explanation for what it means to calculate 666. This is no hoax. Very fascinating stuff!

    …Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666″ (Revelation 13:16-18 NKJV).

    To see all the details showing why the Bible foretold of all these things, check out this article!

    Article: https://biblewoke.com/rfid-mark-of-the-beast-666-revealed

    GOD is sending out His end time warning:

    “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9-11).

    In the Islamic religion they have man called the Mahdi who is known as their messiah of whom they are waiting to take the stage. There are many testimonies from people online who believe this man will be Barack Obama who is to be the biblical Antichrist based off dreams they have received. I myself have had strange dreams about him like no other person. So much so that I decided to share this information.

    He came on stage claiming to be a Christian with no affiliation to the Muslim faith…

    “In our lives, Michelle and I have been strengthened by our Christian faith. But there have been times where my faith has been questioned — by people who don’t know me — or they’ve said that I adhere to a different religion, as if that were somehow a bad thing,” – Barack Obama

    …but was later revealed by his own family members that he indeed is a devout Muslim.

    So what’s in the name? The meaning of someones name can say a lot about a person. God throughout history has given names to people that have a specific meaning tied to their lives. How about the name Barack Obama? Let us take a look at what may be hiding beneath the surface…

    “And He (Jesus) said to them (His disciples), ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven'” (Luke 10:18).

    In the Hebrew language we can uncover the meaning behind the name Barack Obama.

    Barack, also transliterated as Baraq, in Hebrew is: lightning

    baraq – Biblical definition:

    From Strongs H1299; lightning; by analogy a gleam; concretely a flashing sword: – bright, glitter (-ing, sword), lightning. (Strongs Hebrew word H1300 baraq baw-rawk’)

    Barak ‘O’bamah, The use of bamah is used to refer to the “heights” of Heaven.

    bamah – Biblical definition:

    From an unused root (meaning to be high); an elevation: – height, high place, wave. (Strongs Hebrew word H1116 bamah baw-maw’)

    The day following the election of Barack Obama (11/04/08), the winning pick 3 lotto numbers in Illinois (Obama’s home state) for 11/5/08 were 666.

    Obama was a U.S. senator for Illinois, and his zip code was 60606.

    Seek Jesus while He may be found…repent, confess and forsake your sins and trust in the savior! Jesus says we must be born again by His Holy Spirit to enter the kingdom of God…God bless!

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