Our new media
This project is unique in many aspects from an adventure point of view, but for me one of the most exciting aspects is our web platform, which is a first for extreme adventure.
By using the social media networks, Face book, Twitter, YouTube, Flicker, and blogs, we are streaming this event real-time to the world on a daily basis. We have developed ways to film on 3 different platforms depending the remoteness of where we are, this it then edited on the move. Our edits also have 3 categories depending on the bandwidth that we have we will regulate the size of the up load. The picture might go a bit grainy in some areas, but we have managed to keep the sound quality. The footage is loaded on a daily basis using Mobile phone technology.
In a country as wild and remote as Madagascar, where mobile technology is still very new, 3G MMS are basically non existent so to get uploads without loosing connectivity is our biggest problem.
We are working with 4 different networks. Each network has their own system, and setups, so we have had to set up 4 different phones in order to keep footage flowing out. Each setup has taken us weeks to get right because of firstly lack of technical support and secondly we have to work via an interpreter who has no technical knowledge. As well as this, systems drop and then don’t work for weeks. No reason given. We just have to carry on and find another way to get our footage out.
Through all of this we have managed to create and keep the story going of the first extreme adventure to be broadcast live from a cellophane.