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Updated: 10/27/08

The goal of the "Live from the Planetarium" project is to produce a video-based resource which will help all planetarians improve their skills in presenting a live program. The majority of the video content will be recordings of presenters conducting live programs. We can learn so much by watching ourselves, and by watching others. It is our hope that this project will serve to facilitate this type of learning.

Please contribute!

Do you have a helpful technique for teaching a certain concept? (daily motion, constellations, phases, etc.) Do you have a fun or funny way to introduce a program or concept? We also need samples of a wide variety of styles. So, even if you aren't sure what someone might learn from your recording, it might be helpful for us to simply see how you interact with your audience, or how you tell a story, or how you deal with a question you don't know the answer to. There's so much you can share!

How to Contribute

We hope that many planetarians will submit recordings of their live planetarium programs. Video recordings are preferred, but audio recordings will be accepted. Optimum recordings will be made using video cameras that have a night time (NightShot) feature that provides infrared illumination for the dark planetarium environment. The recordings should focus on the presenter, and avoid recognizable faces of the audience. We have a video camera that you can borrow to make these recordings. [see GLPA Loaner Camera below]

If you use your own camera, please consider burning your recording to DVD. DVDs are easy to send through the mail, and we can rip the video from the disc. If you have any questions about this, contact the project coordinator, Geoff Holt. [contact info below]

To contribute:

1. Print, fill out, and sign the video release form.
2. Mail the release form and DVD to:
   Geoff Holt
   MMSD Planetarium
   201 S Gammon Rd
   Madison, WI 53717

Video Tips

We encourage you to arrange to have a colleague or friend videotape you. Even if you don't feel comfortable submitting any portion of it to this project, you can learn by watching yourself. Just remember, we are often more critical of ourselves in this situation than we are of other people.

Perhaps the best way to videotape in a dark setting like a planetarium is to use infrared. Many video cameras have a "NightShot" mode that causes the camera to actually shine infrared light to illuminate your subject. If your camera doesn't have a feature like this, you can borrow ours. [see GLPA Loaner Camera below]

It's best to put the camera on a tripod. The video will be more steady, and your arms won't get so tired! You'll need to use an optical viewfinder instead of the LCD screen. If you are trying to capture a planetarian in his/her natural habitat, the planetarium needs to be dark. Also check for other sources of light on the camera that you may want to cover.

Position the videographer so that they can see you in the spot you will spend the most time while interacting with your audience. It would be distracting if the videographer was moving around during the program. Also position the videographer so that it is least likely that members of the audience will be recorded on the video. Any recognizable faces in the audience will need to be blurred in the final product.

Experiment with the focus. Sometimes the auto-focus has difficulty under low light conditions. You may need to switch to manual focus. However, even if the focus is off a little, the clip will still be helpful.

If you are the videographer, practice finding the camera controls in the dark. You won't want to disturb the program by turning on a light, but you won't want to waste an opportunity to videotape someone either.

GLPA Loaner Camera

In support of this project, GLPA has purchased a camera that works very well for video taping planetarium programs. We have a Sony TRV138 Hi8 camera. We will supply video tapes to anyone that borrows our camera. If you would like to borrow the camera, please send an email with the following information to Geoff Holt (gholt@madison.k12.wi.us).

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Dates you'd like to borrow the camera

Project Development Team

• Gary Sampson
• Bob Bonadurer
• Dave DeRemer
• Chris Janssen
• Ted Williams
• Geoff Holt

Contact Information

Project Coordinator:  Geoff Holt
Email: gholt@madison.k12.wi.us
Phone: 608-663-6102
Address: 201 S Gammon Rd, Madison, WI 53717