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How to Set Up a Video On Demand Event Instance: https://help.patronmanager.com/a/1290006
In this article, we'll show you how to set up a Video On Demand Event Instance. We cover setting up a livestream separately.
Once you set up your Event Instance, you'll be able to start selling tickets in PMBO and on your PTS as per normal, and your patrons can view the content when they choose (within the parameters you define).
We'll walk you through the steps:
We'll also cover some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about VOD.
Before you begin, be sure you:
- Are familiar with Ticketable Events / Event Instances
- Enabled and configured Virtual Events
- Already set up your Ticketable Event
These steps are required, and you won't be able to proceed without them!
Setting up an Event Instance with the "Video on Demand" option
With this option, you'll link your externally-hosted video to your Event Instance, and set parameters for how long each ticket type will have access to the content. This is a three-part process: be sure to complete each part!
Note that automatic pre-show emails are not compatible with Video on Demand Event Instances.
Create the Event Instance
First things first: we need an Event Instance to hold our video.
1. Click "New" to create a new Event Instance from the Ticketable Event
2. Choose "Video on Demand" and click "Next"
3. Fill out the top section of the page normally
Most of this you'll handle the same as you would when setting up any other Event Instance, but pay special attention to the first two fields:
- Name: for a live event, this would be the performance day/date/time, but for VOD it's up to you! This will appear in the Event Instance list on the PTS, so make sure your patrons understand what they're getting.
- Instance Date: since your patrons will watch at varying times, this is a bit arbitrary (similar to the Instance Date for a subscription package). Remember that you can't sell tickets online after the Instance Date, so be sure to set it far enough in the future; the end of the year or the end of your season is a good guideline.
Is this VOD a part of a fixed subscription? If so, keep in mind that the order your events appear in your patrons' Confirmation Emails is determined by the Instance Date. If that order matters to you, make sure to set your VOD Instance Date in relation to the other events in your subscription.
4. Fill in the "Virtual Event Information" fields as appropriate, and save
- Stream/VOD URL: the link to your uploaded video on a player platform (e.g., Vimeo, YouTube, etc.)
- This field is required, but you can use a placeholder link (e.g. the link to your website) if you don't have the video link yet. Just be sure to update the link before the Video Availability Start Date!
- Video Availability Start Date: the date/time that patrons will first be able to access the video with their ticket.
- Overrides ticket validity; no one can access the video prior to this date/time.
- Useful if you don't yet have the video, but you want to start selling tickets early.
- Be careful not to sell tickets with "purchase date" validity that could expire before this date.
- Video Availability End Date: the date/time that this video will no longer be available to view.
- Overrides ticket validity; no one can access the video after this date/time.
- Useful for restricting access to the specific period during which you have rights to the content (for example, the duration of a theatre run).
- Be sure to set the Instance Date and/or the Sale End Date appropriately, so that patrons won't be able to purchase tickets to a video that's no longer available.
5. Save!
Set up ticket types
You'll control the duration of a patron's access to the video using special fields on the Ticket Allocation.
If you want to sell different levels of access (for example, subscribers have access for the whole season, while single ticket buyers can choose between a 3-hour "watch once" option and a "48-hour rental"), you'll create a separate Allocation for each.
1. Click "New Ticket Allocation"
2. Fill out the fields as follows
Most of this you'll handle the same as you would when setting up any other Ticket Allocation, but pay special attention to the first three fields:
- Allocation Name: use this to help the buyer understand what kind of access they'll have
- Validity Period (Hours): the number of hours tickets in this Allocation will be valid before they expire. Here are some handy numbers for longer timeframes:
- One week = 168 hours
- One month = 730 hours
- One year = 8760 hours
- Starting From: the point at which the Validity Period begins.
- Purchase Date = the date/time the Ticket Order Item is created (for reservations, note that this is when the ticket is added to the order, not when the order is completed)
- First-Viewed Date = the date/time the patron first clicks through to view the content (whether or not they watch the whole thing)
Note that you will not be able to change the validity rules for an Allocation after tickets have been sold.
Instead, you can change that Allocation's Sale Status to "Not for Sale" and create a new Allocation with the new validity rules.
The two "Starting From" options exist to give you maximum flexibility, but we recommend consistency across your events. Be sure your patrons understand what they're buying: use the Allocation Name and the Event Instance Detail to clarify as much as possible.
3. Click "Save and create level"
4. Create at least one Price Level in order to sell tickets
From here, you can set up Public, Private, and Subscription Price Levels as you would for any other Event Instance.
Frequently asked questions
They should already have their ticket link from their original purchase - it came with their confirmation email.
However, it's a great idea to resend that link when the VOD becomes available! No one wants to scour their email for a ticket they already bought. You can use Automated Communications to send an Ad-Hoc Alert and include the Mobile Ticket Link in your email template.
If you use PatronPortal, remember that your Portal users can also find their virtual ticket links from their Order history.
You could offer only "one-time rentals", and set the Validity Period to a little longer than the content itself. If your video is 2 hours long, set the Validity Period to 3 hours (so the patron can pause for bathroom breaks) and choose the "Starting From First-Viewed Date" option.
No problem! You can create the Event Instance and start selling tickets before you have the final link for the video, and you can continue to adjust the Stream/VOD URL up until the Video Availability Start Date. Be careful, though! Keep the following tips in mind:
- Be sure your ticket validity window is based on "First-Viewed Date", not "Purchase Date". You don't want the tickets you sell to expire before the video exists.
- Set the "Video Availability Start Date" to a future date, and be sure to link to the correct video before that date. Your patrons won't be able to reach the player page until the "Video Availability Start Date", and their ticket validity timer won't start ticking until they successfully reach that page.
I have more questions!
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