Hawaiian/Santa Barbara reggae legends, Iration, dropped their 7th studio album on July 10th. We had the pleasure of live streaming their performance of the new tracks at the Soho in Santa Barbara, California with NoCap Shows.

Every time we work with these guys and their team, it’s smooth sailing. Speaking of smooth rides, check out Iration’s brand new album, Coastin’, for an island escape to the land of funk, reggae, pop paradise.

Set-up

We arrived at the Soho at 12pm to prepare for the 7pm show. Iration’s crew arrived a couple days prior to get the staging and sound right. This might seem extreme, but this is standard for an extensive set-up like this.

Our set-up consisted of 5 cameras. One static camera on stage and four in front, where the audience would be. During the stream the crew communicated on camera movements using aviation-grade, noise cancelling headphones and mics.

Iration crushed their set. Their passion for the new album was tangible in the room. This was their first time performing since COVID closed music venues, so excitement was high as they brought their talent together in the same room for an epic sound journey.

Challenges

Since COVID-19 hit, regulations have slightly changed the way we operate, but that doesn’t stop us from doing what we love. We kept our crew minimal to keep everyone involved safe.

The live stream production network starts from our technical director, Cole Hockenbury, who puts everything together, matching cameras, calibrating audio, and listening to the director to make final camera cuts. Direction is taken from our director/project manager, Kevin Yamada, who sets camera and operator positions and directs operators and our technical director for live cuts. Our camera operators (Dylan Pelle and Matt Smith) react to directions given to them and shift angles to get the best shots possible.

A smooth-moving stream is not possible without a unified team that can effectively communicate.

Due to COVID changes, we had a few obstacles to overcome. The biggest one was that the band was spread out on the stage to comply with social distancing regulations. To adjust, we had to strategize on where our camera operators would be and how their reach could be maximized. Without an audience, the energy in the room isn’t the same. To make sure the stream stayed interesting, we used creative lens effects, and cut between camera views faster and already in motion.

If you like smooth, pop reggae with coastal vibes, you’ll love Iration.

View their website here.

Follow them on Instagram here.

Support Iration by purchasing merch here.

Listen to the new album on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, and more.