The stage is set for FSN to play its part in making a little bit of history at the White House on Monday.
Over the last week, we've been planning, rehearsing and preparing for "Your Interview with President Obama" - a YouTube/Google+ project that we're extremely proud to be producing.
For the first time ever, the President will participate in a Google+Hangout - a cutting-edge video conference, in which he'll be questioned directly by members of the public about a range of issues including the Economy, Foreign Affairs and Innovation. The President will also answer taped questions submitted by the YouTube audience. As with any interview, the questions have not been shared with the White House, and they'll cover a very wide range of ground.
Production of the event presents enormously complex challenges. We've had to create an environment in which the US President can comfortably feel like he's s participating in a Google+Hangout, while at the same time looking straight into a broadcast-quality camera in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. We've got to create - in essence - two separate programs: the one President Obama will see in the screen directly in front of him; and the one you'll watch at home which, of course, will very heavily feature the answers of the US President himself.
As you can see from the rehearsal photographs, FSN's Technical Director Denis Levkovich will be creating the high-tech equivalent of a photo-booth at the White House, involving mirrors, 65" plasma screens, tinted glass and lots of dark curtains.
We've had plenty of help, from our friends at Pixelcorps, Jess3, LCTV and MobileVideo. And huge amounts of absolutely-vital guidance from Google and YouTube.
When President Obama sits down for the interview at 5:30pm ET on Monday, you'll be able to watch the fruits of our labors live on YouTube. It should be an interesting 45 minutes…and a moment in history, as the US President takes up residence on new media's cutting edge.
--Simon Marks, President and Chief Correspondent
