Welcome to Photo Party Upload! We're excited you've joined us, and we will do our very best to help make your events as fun and successful as they can be.
If you haven't created a Photo Party Upload account yet, you'll need one before we can begin. Please go to our Photo Party Upload Sign-Up page and create an account!
In these Getting Started tutorials we'll introduce you to the basics of the Photo Party Upload system to get you started with your first event, and show you some cool features. So let's get started!
Part 1: Overview of Photo Party Upload
Photo Party Upload (PPU) is a sharing system consisting of four parts: the Event Manager website, the Helper tool, the Kiosk, and the photo/video/GIF to be shared. This overview will explain how all of those work together.
1. Media
The image, video, or GIF (aka Media) that will be shared is the most important part of the system. It’s what your guests want to take away and what your client hired you to create. The entire PPU system is designed around this media, and how to easily share it.
Your media is made with a content creation tool, like Photo Booth Upload (PBU) or Canon EOS Utility, and then saved in a folder. We call this folder the Watched Folder, and it is a central part of the PPU system.
2. Photo Party Upload Helper Tool
The PPU Helper tool (Helper for short) is the brains behind the operation. The Helper checks the contents of the Watched Folder, it retrieves the event information from the Event Manager website, and all Kiosks search for it over the network. It also sends the media through email, to social media, and to printers,
In short, the Helper manages the distribution of your media during the event.
Each user will sign into the Helper with their Photo Party Upload account. Once that’s done, any events created on the Event Manager website by that user will be downloaded to the Helper for them to select. They can then right click the Helper icon in the system tray and select the Watched Folder. We'll go over how to do that exactly in Part X.
The Helper can be downloaded HERE or from the Event Manager website. The Helper can only run on a Windows based PC.
3. Event Manager
Event Manager is a website where you will choose and customize the sharing options you want available for your guests. It is a powerful tool that allows you to craft your emails, customize text messages, connect to a Facebook Fan Page, etc. You can add overlays to all your images and videos, and even add background graphics for green screen images. Clients can be given access to individual events to help you craft your event settings.
It was purposefully designed as a decentralized platform, allowing you and your staff access to your event settings from any internet-connected computer in the world. No need to create your event on a booth! It can be especially useful during an event to have off-site staff make changes to your event settings while you’re busy with guests.
The Event Manager website also handles Photo Booth Upload licenses and billing for Photo Party Upload.
You can find it at https://login.photopartyupload.com or by clicking Event Manager in the Helper menu.
4. Kiosk
The Photo Party Upload Kiosk is the interface with which your guests will interact. It greatly simplifies the sharing process by showing all media on one screen and providing easy access to sharing options. The Kiosk has a customizable background and buttons, allowing you to improve branding for your event.
The Kiosk will connect to the Helper through the local network, retrieve thumbnails of your media from the Helper, and forward email addresses, print requests, and social media logins for the Helper to process. The Kiosk can also edit images, add digital props, and remove backgrounds with or without a green screen.
The Kiosk is available for iPads, and Windows tablets and PCs. Minimum system requirements can be found HERE.
You can download the Windows version HERE and the iPad version HERE. You can also find download links on the Event Manager website.
This flowchart may help you visualize how the whole system is connected:
Continue with Part 2 HERE.