Twitch TV...

[Mitovo]

Hello!

So, I was just over on Twitch.TV, browsing their channels, and decided to see if A:M had any representation there. Surprisingly, there wasn't, and so I thought I'd come here and make a post about it.

For those who aren't aware, Twitch.TV is a website that has been, traditionally, set up for gamers to stream their gameplay, for tournaments, etc.

However, they've also expanded by adding a "Creative" category, where artists of all types will stream and demonstrate their skills with a variety of tools (including hand-drawn, painting, etc). There's also a presence of other 3D modeling/animating apps on there. Many game developers will do live streams showing them working, etc.

It could be a great place for Hash users to go and demo their work, give tutorials, etc. It could bring a lot of exposure to the software. Further, past streams can be archived for people to go back and view at a later date. Or, through most streaming apps, you can record while streaming and then upload those sessions to YT or Vimeo, etc.

If I were more experienced/skilled with A:M, I'd likely do it myself, and probably will once I feel like I could do it justice. I've streamed other stuff before, and am pretty familiar/comfortable with it.

Anyways, thought I'd put that out there in case it might pique anyone's interest.

Take care!

[Rodney]

MIke!

 

Yours is a very timely post.

 

I've been planning to investigate Twitch but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I agree that it would be a great place for Hash users (and potential users) to hang out, learn and share their knowledge and experience.

Sadly, I'm not sure I'm any closer to jumping into it today than I was back when I first heard of Twitch though.

 

If I were more experienced/skilled with A:M, I'd likely do it myself

 

Don't let that stop you. Capturing the learning process and making lots and lots of mistakes is a very useful process.

 

I've streamed other stuff before, and am pretty familiar/comfortable with it.

 

You are already off to a great start then.

 

Thanks for the info and encouragement. It'd be great to see a Twitch channel devoted to A:M.

[Mitovo]

It's something I'm definitely putting thought into. For my own sake, though, I want to get more comfortable with A:M, to where I feel like the problems I'm working through have to do with what I'm creating, rather than re-learning the software. In the event of questions from viewers, I'd like to be able to provide informed answers, rather than coming across with "I don't know that, either" lol.

That point may come sooner than later, though, because I'm finding myself falling back into A:M with more ease than I had last time. I remember struggling a lot with stuff back when I last worked with it (some years back at this point). Now, at least with the modeling part, I'm finding it actually relaxing. Skinning and Animation is still going to take a bit to get to that point, but I'll get there.

I think it might be because in the time I've been away, I've been working with Corel Draw all day, every day at my work. My job entails taking customers' pictures, drawings or descriptions, and turning them into digital art that can be converted into patches, labels, pins, etc. Many times, this involves tracing over their work, basically rotoscoping, to get cleaner lines, etc. So, maybe it's my familiarity working with splines and cp's now that makes it so much more comfortable.

Whatever it is, I'm not knocking it!

So, yeah, I think once I get through AoAM, and some small self-assigned projects, I'll take to Twitch and start working on things. I'd like to have an interesting project to work on when I begin, as well.

[Mitovo]

Also... Just found this page, while browsing the AM Facebook page...

https://www.twitch.tv/animation_master/profile

So, it looks like someone has already laid the foundation over there! Was that you, Rodney?

[robcat2075]

Is it possible to prerecord a tutorial and then upload or does it have to be done live?

[Mitovo]

Is it possible to prerecord a tutorial and then upload or does it have to be done live?

Twitch.TV is about live streaming, so you're doing it as people are watching. It's a cool process, though. People will hang out, and you (or whom ever is doing the streaming) can sorta discuss what they're doing, how they're doing it, why they're doing it, etc. etc. People might ask questions, and then you can answer them.

 

It's not unlike the live demos y'all have recorded over time, where people are doing various projects at conventions. Only instead of being at a convention, you're on the Internet.

 

For example, last night I was hanging out on a stream of a guy doing digital painting in Photoshop. There were others there, and we were asking questions, which the artist was answering. In turn, he was taking suggestions, and asking us what ideas we'd like to see, or if we had any specific thoughts on what he was doing, etc.

 

Over time, as more people find your channel, on their own, or by word-of-mouth, you can get a nice community of regulars who come around anytime you're streaming. Some of the bigger channels will have over 3000 people hanging out while they're doing whatever. Takes time and dedication to get to that point, but it's possible. Some do it for free, some accept tips via Patreon, and some who have met certain criteria with Twitch (not sure what that is) are allowed to have people subscribe to them.

 

Most will at least chat with their viewers, but some don't. Some have a face cam, some don't, etc. It's all up to the individual.

 

Twitch offers the option to have your stream archived for a certain amount of time, but the original footage is done live. You'll notice a lot of streamers keep a pretty regular schedule. People who do it full time (seriously, there are people making their living as Twitch streamers) are on 5-6 days a week. Some people, like myself currently, only do it when the mood strikes and I'm playing something I think might be interesting for others to watch.

 

Also, you can download that stream, and then upload it to something like YT, etc. So, it doesn't have to be "lost" once it's done.

 

For example...

Here's a Creative channel I found at random: https://www.twitch.tv/derptyme

In the event they're not streaming by the time you go there, they have past broadcasts archived on their profile page: https://www.twitch.tv/derptyme/profile

 

There can be trolls that will come around and try to start a ruckus, esp. as you get more viewers and/or Twitch features you, etc. But, theyr'e easy enough to deal with - just don't acknowledge their presence, and quietly ban them. As viewership grows, it helps to have a mod who'll keep an eye on the channel and make sure stuff stays orderly. There's also some apps that can help automate that task.