Bringing your audience into the show
Audience interaction is a familiar part of many live programmes. Viewers scan a QR code, send in a question and wait to hear whether the presenter will read it out. But when interaction happens mainly through text, audiences remain largely invisible. Video offers another possibility: letting viewers appear on screen and contribute in their own words. This is what HappyVideo’s video technology makes possible.
Making participation easy for viewers
The experience starts with a QR code on screen. Once viewers scan it, they enter a browser-based recording experience where they can answer questions step by step. Because it works directly in the browser, participants do not need to download an app or install additional software. During the process they receive recording tips, can retake their answers as many times as they want until they are happy with the result, and are guided by a timer that helps keep contributions within the desired length.
Making contributions manageable for production teams
Receiving video submissions also creates practical challenges for editorial teams. Recordings may be too long, difficult to review or unsuitable for a live broadcast. Producers need to identify relevant contributions without slowing down the production process.
HappyVideo allows production teams to customise the interview flow and branding to fit their programme. They can add questions, offer rewards and decide whether viewers can submit their contributions as video, audio or text. This allows them to tailor the experience to the format and its audience.
The platform also provides tools to review and curate incoming responses. Contributions can be assessed based on audio quality, video quality and relevance, helping editors identify promising submissions. Responses can be organised with labels and searched by topic, making it easier to find specific answers or subjects. Editors can even select the most useful moments from a longer recording rather than having to use the entire clip. As a result, only the best clip from the submission will be broadcasted. This reduces the risk to kill the pace of the show by integrating user generated content.
From the living room to the studio
A practical example of this approach can be seen in De Tafel van Gert on Play4. During this particular episode of the daily talkshow, the two winners of a Belgian gameshow 'De Mol' were invited. During the episode the audience could ask their question to winners. These questions were collected, selected, clipped and played via the HappyVideo platform. The last 15 minutes of the show were fully dedicated to the questions of the audience.
More than just the technology
Video can make audience participation more personal. But introducing this kind of interaction is not just about having the right technology. It is also about being willing to experiment and discover what works for your audience.
As Mathias Teuwen explained: “Video interaction has been on the roadmap of every media brand for the past five years. Tech and product teams will claim that it’s possible to develop a similar solution. The question then is: why is it not live and operational? And more importantly: why are we not testing interaction with today’s off-the-shelf technology? That gives your tech team more time and capacity to focus on the more architectural solutions.”
Interested in exploring video participation in your own productions? Get in touch with HappyVideo to discover how the platform could support your next format.