How Does a Funeral Webcast Work?
When a loved one passes away, many family members want to come to the funeral services. But if there is bad weather, the funeral is in a distant location, or the family member can’t go because of their own health, they may have to miss the service. This is where a funeral webcast can come in and make a difference.
Funeral webcasting is when digital cameras are used to help broadcast a memorial service or a funeral to a remote location. This can be done for many private services and will use passwords to make sure that only those invited will be able to get onto the webcast, says experienced live streaming company, Go Live. This method can also be used to help save the recorded service onto a central database or portable media in case family members are not able to make it.
Funeral webcasting allows for more family members to see a funeral, many of whom may not be able to travel due to their own health, the cost, and other issues. Let’s take a closer look at how a funeral webcast works and some of the benefits of choosing this method to broadcast the funeral.
How Does a Funeral Webcast Work?
Many family members want to be there when a loved one passes away. This is a chance for them to say their final goodbyes, to see other family members, and spend time together. Many family members will travel a long distance in order to make it to the funeral or the memorial service to say these final goodbyes.
However, there are times when family members will not be able to make it that long of a distance. There are several reasons why family members may not be able to make the memorial and funeral themselves. These include:
- They are elderly themselves and can’t make it that far.
- The weather is bad and they are worried about traveling.
- The funeral is smaller and only some people can come.
- They live across the country and can’t afford to make it.
- Local restrictions from Covid-19 and other issues limit who can travel, how many can come, and more.
- They were an extended relative who would like to see the funeral, but are worried about taking space for someone else.
All of these family members, and even some close friends, still want to pay their respects and say goodbye, but they are not able to make it to the funeral in person. This is how the funeral webcast is going to come into play.
With a funeral webcast, someone from the family, and sometimes a professional from the funeral home, will be able to set up a camera to record what is going on during the funeral procession. And then stream it online. Depending on the wishes of the family, this can be streamed in the open so anyone is able to see what is going on. Or, the family can keep it private and put a password on it.
If the latter is used, the family will be able to hand out the password to the people they would like to attend. This keeps it to just those who actually know the person and can be a bit more secure than just leaving it on the internet. They can allow as many people onto the stream as they would like, so this won’t be a problem with people getting locked out.
In some cases, the webcast will be designed for people to interact and communicate. They can ask questions, post comments, and more. If someone is manning the camera, rather than just leaving it to the side on its own, they can choose to respond back, move the camera around, and more.
After the streaming, the family can choose what they would like to do with the video. Some may choose to put it on a portable device so that they have it as a memento for later. Others will choose to keep it online in case someone wants to watch it later because they couldn’t make the original time. The family of the deceased will need to discuss what they want to do with the video ahead of time to make sure that everyone’s wishes are met.
Choosing to Do a Funeral Webcast
Choosing to do a funeral webcast is a personal decision. Some families do not like the idea of the funeral going online and having others see the moment. Others love it as a way to bring the whole family together, even the ones who are not able to travel at that time. If you do plan to do the funeral webcast, you will need to get the webcast set up and ready to go so everyone has time to get the information and see the funeral and memorial service when they happen.