Thanks for looking into joining the JumboCast team!
Tufts is the only college or university in New England (and one of only a handful in the country, across all NCAA divisions) that has an organization to self-produce live (and archived) audio and video webcasts for as many as thirteen varsity sports. Since our inception in early 2002, we have presented over 200 webcasts. That takes a lot of hard work, and we need your help to keep providing this valuable service.
The areas in which we need help are outlined below. Any amount of help — given in any area, in any regular amount of time — would be just great.
[Important note: you do NOT need to be a Tufts undergraduate to be a member of JumboCast. We would prefer that you had some connection to Tufts — specifically, alumni/ae are very welcome — but all you really need is an interest in Tufts sports, some free time, and a high level of dependability to consider joining JumboCast.]
Broadcasters
Obviously, in order for JumboCast to cover games and matches from across the Tufts sports spectrum, to conduct interviews, to host talk shows, and for all the other programming we want to eventually provide, we need men and women at the microphones and cameras. You don't need to have done it before — the staff of JumboCast has about 30 years of combined broadcasting experience, and we'd love to work with you while you get the hang of it.
<br><br> If calling a game sounds like the most fun job ever, well, in some ways, it is. But there are two <b>major caveats</b>: <ul> <li>Part of the real value — to the Tufts community, at least — of broadcasting Tufts sports is the ability to cover away games, games that all but the zaniest of die-hard fans generally can't/won't attend. Not to be too obvious about it, but at least in the NESCAC, these away games are a ways away. One of the expectations we will have of people interested in broadcasting games for JumboCast is the ability to get to some of these away games. This may mean owning a car. This may mean cajoling a friend who owns a car. This may mean occasionally travelling with a team, on a bus or a van. Whatever the case, away games are a time-consuming commitment, but we want to make it clear that they are part of the package. <br><br> <li>To reiterate the point made at the very top of the page, flexibility is key. If you're a huge fan of one sport, and all you want to broadcast is that one sport, we still want you, but understand that you may not be as valuable to JumboCast as someone who's willing to do a number of sports, especially if your one sport is a popular one. </ul>
Not everybody wants to be, or is comfortable being in front of the mic. If you fall into that category, there are still plenty of ways for you to help JumboCast:
Camera operators
Now that JumboCast is providing video with almost every webcast we present, we need somebody to be runnning those cameras. As with everything else at JumboCast, experience is great, but not necessary — it's pretty easy to keep the camera trained on the game, and help JumboCast continue the tremendous service of videocasting Tufts athletics. We'll show you what to do, and even wire you into the audio system so you can listen to the game while you work!
Streaming media experts
We need people — with experience or simply with interest — to master the intricacies of our current and future streaming media platforms. Currently, we are using service from AudioVideoWeb to host servers for our streaming needs. We must correctly point to those servers, and then also point our viewers there as well. This is all done utilizing the internet throughout Tufts University, which can sometimes create obstacles. Sound interesting? Then come help us!
Audio and video engineers
New for 2005-06: JumboCast is pleased to have access to some terrific new multi-camera live switching/graphics generation/streaming media hardware. It's incredibly powerful, and — allegedly — simple to use. We have the abilitiy to record in high definition, utilize green screens, and perform instant replays. There is the possibility that JumboCast footage will be used during games to help determine correct calls from the officals.
Web programmers and graphic artists
The first version of the JumboCast web site was done fairly quickly, and although it is serviceable, and in some ways even kinda nice, and the person who did it is fairly proud of it and you'd be wise not to insult it, even he admits that there is room for improvement. We have more features that we'd like to add, we need some programming help (PHP and MySQL experience would be a huge plus!), and we need more graphic elements. Can you help us?
If one — or (you get the idea by now) more! — of these areas appeal to you, send us an email at info@jumbocast.net. Thanks!
Thanks for looking into joining the JumboCast team!