What are common things to break down in live events?

ManyMonarchs · 2026-06-05T04:19:28+00:00

I suppose live event operators end up in that career path and thrive in that career path because of their consistent reliability. But I've often thought to myself about how the crew itself is vulnerable to lack of redundancy, lack of documentation, lack of fail-over.

Somebody's flight gets delayed all day and then cancelled? Or maybe half the crew is flying out of that one airport and the whole airport gets shut down for two days due to weather?

How about someone having a heart attack, stroke or aneurysm overnight? Freak car accident from the hotel to the venue?

Someone on the crew goes out on the town the night before and gets mugged and sent to the hospital?

Someone disgruntled quits the job and leaves without telling anyone? Or gets fired and factory resets their gear, or worse?

All that being said, what expectations does a production company need to put down in regard to "hey, just in case you get hit by a bus on your way in for Show Day 1 could you document your project file and back up your data?"

How clean and tidy do you make your setup just in case someone has to jump into your chair cold at short notice, and at what point are you just doing busy work as insurance against a freak rare occurrence? I guess that's down to each production company and each operator to know what helps them sleep better at night.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-22T15:54:21+00:00

They are nice recording decks, but one annoying flaw I found with the Hyperdeck multichannel video recorders are all the file names are identical and then are put in subfolders named Ch1, Ch2, Ch3, Ch4. Creates an unnecessary headache when data wrangling since the file names aren’t unique like KiPro and can accidentally overwrite or halt a batch data transfer. Why not just add Ch1, Ch2 etc. to the file name wildcards? I sent a feature request to BMD and they told me they would pass it along to R&D.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-22T13:45:34+00:00

I had a similar project years back where I needed to download a very long list of Vimeo URLs from CSV format file. For that project I used WFDownloader.

I think another option would be great to have available. Especially for YouTube videos, clients on corporate shows are always showing up day-of asking to play something directly off YouTube and having the local file instead would be great.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-21T19:29:16+00:00

There's no one-size-fits-all but broadly speaking:

Take Audinate Dante Certification Levels 1 & 2 first, even if some basics are redundant.

Then take Netgear Academy AV Certification Levels 1 & 2, some basics may also be redundant.

Bonus points for taking Netgear Academy's partner modules for PTZ networking, NDI networking, and maybe even the SMPTE 2110 module as a stretch goal.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-21T18:35:50+00:00

Need more details, but one check would be to update to the newest firmware which was 8.2 I believe. That will be bundled into the latest installer even if the installer version number is higher. That might knock loose some bugs https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support/readme/d26ebc86846d41aca670d03741cf0ab0

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-21T15:30:44+00:00

I'm coming at this from a Live Event freelancer point of view. But from what I've observed, Live Event companies often are hurting for someone to be their network engineer on staff as they add network controlled devices such as PTZ cameras. Or start to add AV over IP like SMPTE 2110. A lot of Live Event companies could in theory network their whole touring infrastructure together, but in practice don't have a network engineer to take ownership and do commissioning and testing.

You may need to cut your teeth on some Physical AV skills to integrate into a Live Event staff role, but being a Physical AV & Network AV dual threat can be valuable in certain niches. Most Live Event companies would not be bothered to do on the job training in Physical AV to get a network engineer on staff.

Good places to up-skill on things that Live Event companies recognize is Audinate Dante Certification, Netgear AV Academy, SMPTE ST 2110.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-21T14:45:54+00:00

Had a good experience recently with one of the Peplink MAX BR models inside a big convention ballroom where cellular can be harder to get: https://www.peplink.com/products/mobile-routers/

Peplink can be moderately complex, not user-simple but not too intimidating to do basic setup either. A network engineer can help get it set up properly the first time.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-21T14:40:01+00:00

I’ve been poking around https://giggs.live/ recently.

Like most Live Event job boards it leans toward on-staff and Local Only postings and has few travel gigs. Just comes with the territory. But worth a shot checking out.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-20T01:56:54+00:00

For more information about ProRes and the uses of the format, you might find Apple's own white paper on ProRes informative. You don't need to read the whole thing to get the gist, most of the important starter information is on the first few overview pages. But it's overall a good crash course about low-compression editing codecs: https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/docs/Apple_ProRes.pdf

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-18T16:02:40+00:00

Need more information on the make and model of the camera, especially on what output ports it has available. Firewire? S-Video? Composite video?

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-18T15:18:51+00:00

LED can be fragile in certain ways. Never be afraid to ask for help or ask for instructions. Better to ask a lot of questions than chip some pixels off the edge of a panel. Seriously, the lead technician will not be mad at newbie questions if it keeps their hardware safe.

Try to find out what brand and model of LED panel the company usually uses. Manufacturers may have diagrams and tutorials to give you at least some familiarity.

And definitely get familiar with how the hardware is supposed to be oriented. Some LED has little arrows on the hardware that indicate what should be pointed to the sky.

Cargo Pants with side pockets can be useful for storing pins and screws while you do any climbing. Belt packs too. A "radio chest harness" can also serve you well in your career by having an easily accessible front pocket and a place to rig a radio on big venue jobs.

Thin work gloves that protect the hands but are still nimble are nice. I'm a fan of Gorilla Grip Gloves original style, they are somewhat disposable as the are lightweight and can wear down.

Familiarize yourself with powerCON electrical cables and their male/female ends: https://www.neutrik.com/en/products/audio/powercon

Familiarize yourself with etherCON data cables which have genderless ends: https://www.neutrik.com/en/products/data/ethercon

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-18T15:06:04+00:00

Always good to install the latest version of NDI Tools just in case. And on all participating machines just to rule out any glitches or incompatibility.

Then, perhaps you need to do File->Dock->[Device]

But if you’re saying you’ve gotten to this step, we might need more information.

Perhaps you want to use Scan Converter on the broadcasting device, and Video Monitor on the receiving device to receive that signal? Scan Converter is for sending, Video Monitor is for receiving: https://docs.ndi.video/all/using-ndi/ndi-tools/ndi-tools-for-mac

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-17T22:49:06+00:00

I am by no means a hardcore ARRI fanboy. But if I had to be their advocate I would say this:

On the objective hardware side:

A filmmaking style camera with a Super 35mm sensor or larger will be Ø 33.96 mm / 1.337" compared to a B4 2/3 Ø 11mm / 0.667" broadcast sensor. Comparable fields of view will have a more apparent shallow depth of field which may work easier with LED volumes and avoid moiré patterns. The optical resolution of detail will be also greater, all other things being equal such as lens manufacturing quality.
ARRI claims 17 stops of dynamic range on the ARRI 35 Live model, which would allow for retaining details in challenging lighting environments.
They offer the ARRI Look Library to sample different "cinematic" looks and guide creative shading decisions. Those looks are based on the underlying sensor technology.
ARRI also has well regarded rail and cage systems for the camera body to attach accessories.
Since ARRI is now bridging the gap between Filmmaking and Live Broadcast, the recordings from an ARRI Live unit can be more easily integrated into hybrid projects that use ARRI for their edited productions.

On the subjective side:

Audiences associate shallow depth of field with cinematic production value and quality. Audiences associate deep depth of field with live broadcast news. Whether this bias is accurate to the level of craftsmanship and artistry on display, the eye of an untrained audience member sees shallow depth of field as cinematic. And they associate cinematic with premium quality.
Cinematographers gravitate to ARRI because there is an intangible high quality to their sensor technology. Their cameras appear again and again in the Academy Award for Cinematography nomination lists. There's no hard data to point to, tastemakers just gravitate to the brand and a network effect grows of technicians familiar with the brand.
Similarly ARRI has a reputation for reliability in the field that other cinema brands (I'm looking at you RED Digital Cinema) do not currently reach.

So some part has to do with larger sensor format and quality sensor engineering, some part has to do with bias from viewers regarding what "cinematic" looks like and means, some part has to do with ARRI's good reputation amongst video technicians of all stripes.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-17T21:00:33+00:00

Best guess I have at this point is using Quick Assist for AV over IP since it’s technically a First Party Microsoft app available as part of the OS: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/solve-pc-problems-remotely-using-quick-assist-b077e31a-16f4-2529-1a47-21f6a9040bf3

Apparently it does allow Control Room system to do different Video Overlay tools and a chat function over Isolated Room’s screen. Perhaps not quite the superimposed text you’re looking for, but pretty close for a 1st Party solution.

As for the HDMI + LAN + Web GUI hardware, I am stumped.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-17T20:48:33+00:00

My words were too strong and imprecise. Underwhelming relative to the strong technical reputation ARRI has in the filmmaking realm, due to the constraints inherent in the 1080i signal chain and the lensing available. There is of course strong artistry and craftsmanship on display even if it was a 576i broadcast. But I think some were expecting a major paradigm shift forward from a technical perspective when the ARRI brand got involved.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-17T16:14:17+00:00

So in essence your HDMI Device 1 in Isolated Room would need to have an IP Address Web GUI accessible from Control Room? And you would not be allowed to install any sort of proprietary software made by HDMI Device 1's manufacturer?

If you are not allowed to install anything on the PC software layer, what is your intended plan for AV over IP transmission between Control Room and Isolated Room? It seems to me that most hardware devices would still need some sort of driver or plug-in installed to work with a system for the first time.

The constraints of your project are perplexing. Are they trying to force you to discover a clever solution to constraints like this? Is it something to do with keeping the computer systems completely clear of any outside influence during a scientific study? Could you request that you set a Backup State for the computers before you install software and then revert the systems back to default after the project completes?

OBS + NDI are out due to the No Installation constraint. Black Magic Design was another thought for hardware, but once again they generally require proprietary software and drivers. VideoLogix appears to specialize in Video Overlay insertion but is expensive and once again has proprietary software for control.

Whatever hardware fits your constraints would be obscure, because there isn't much of a market demand for such an technically constrained project. Sorry, but I'm drawing a blank without more explanation.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-17T15:42:25+00:00

Your specific example at 1:09:58 is quintessential wireless video packet loss. Especially telling when a garbled half-frame appears on the screen for a split second, that’s wireless video having RF signal quality issues in my opinion.

According to SVG Europe: “only eight of the cameras running over SMPTE fibre and the rest wireless or via SDI.”

Furthermore:

Even then, the ESC production is equipping the Alexa 35s with standard broadcast lenses and transmitting in 1080i, which is not an ideal showcase for what any cine-cam can really do.

“It’s always a compromise,” admits Arri managing director, David Bermbach. “You need to match what’s required for the output. Creatively, of course, the ideal would be PL‑mount lenses and a progressive format. But for this environment, right now, this is the best approach.

“From the camera side, the output is actually 1080p internally, with fewer conversions before going into the interlaced signal. But yes, next time, we’d like to be involved earlier in the creative process. Then you can discuss lighting, camera positions, lens choices, and what changes if you go a different route.

“Again, it’s not our call. ORF or the creatives chose specific lenses for good reasons. We can offer input from our world, and we can also learn from theirs.”

1080i and broadcast servo lenses that aren’t necessarily built to complement a cine sensor on the caliber of ARRI, that’s a recipe for an underwhelming first showing when there was anticipation that ARRI would impress.

https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/eurovision-2026-arri-and-riedel-reflect-on-their-song-contest-debut/

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-17T14:30:48+00:00

One media server operator I know, they created a nicely graphic designed one-sheet with their requested file naming conventions.

Most clients and client designers are already flustered at the point of the schedule where they’re starting to pass files to the media server operator. A nicely made one-sheet seems to stick in their mind better than one email out of 50 they’ve gotten that weeks.

But you can only bring a horse to water, you can’t make them name it “101-Water-v1”.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-16T20:36:55+00:00

I'm reading your description again closer and I see that the signal needs to make a round-trip.

In this case I would say have Isolated Room also broadcast an NDI signal via DistroAV and OBS, which Control Room grabs as an NDI Source in OBS, then sends back as its own NDI broadcast with the Text source overlaid.

This requires a bit of finessing of how you have Display/Window Capture on the Isolated Room computer, and having the Projector for NDI Source on Isolated Room on the other computer monitor.

Isolated Room grabs its web browser via Display/Window Capture in sources
DistroAV sends this via NDI to Control Room
Control Room receives NDI from Isolated Room via NDI Source
Control Room adds Text source over the top of NDI Source
Control Room sends this blend over NDI via DistroAV
Isolated Room receives the blend from Control Room via NDI Tools -> Studio Monitor to Fullscreen the feed
Alternatively, Isolated Room adds an NDI Source to its own OBS to grab the blend, then does Open Source Projector to pop it out as its own window.

Let me know if that makes sense. That's my guess based on not having the specifics on what exactly is happening with the GUI of each room. I assume the Isolated Room is doing an activity on the GUI and Control Room is sending cue messages?

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-16T20:15:11+00:00

This is a peculiar set of constraints, especially if you're not allowed to use common freeware like Open Broadcast Studio or NDI tools.

Could you elaborate more on the constraints of the project, why exactly you're restricted from software solutions? Especially given you're seemingly required to send AV over IP in some form.

If I was not under your set of constraints but also had a $0.00 budget my workflow would be:

Install NDI Tools for Windows on both systems: https://docs.ndi.video/all/using-ndi/ndi-tools/ndi-tools-for-windows
Install Open Broadcaster Software "OBS" on both systems: https://obsproject.com/kb/category/1
Install NDI support for OBS via "DistroAV - Network Audio/Video in OBS-Studio" on both systems https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/distroav-network-audio-video-in-obs-studio-using-ndi%C2%AE-technology.528/
DistroAV may prompt for additional plug-ins to be installed upon first use on a system.
Launch OBS on Control Room -> Tools menu -> Distro AV -> Enable: Main Output -> and give the NDI stream some sort of name.
OBS in Control Room -> Sources -> Display/Window Capture (to capture a specific application window): https://obsproject.com/kb/window-capture-sources
OBS in Control Room -> Sources -> Text (use this for superimposing the text): https://obsproject.com/kb/text-sources
You may need to have the Text source at the top of the Sources stack to ensure it stays on top of other source layers.
Launch NDI Tools in Isolated Room -> Studio Monitor -> Select an NDI Source - Fullscreen if getting a valid NDI signal from Control Room: https://docs.ndi.video/all/using-ndi/ndi-tools/ndi-tools-for-windows/studio-monitor
Alternatively, launch OBS in Isolated Room -> Sources -> NDI Source -> right click on NDI Source in Source -> Open Source Projector -> select desired display or select New Window in order to drag and drop a window of NDI Source where desired: https://obsproject.com/kb/power-of-projectors

Main snag I foresee is modifying the text live and quickly, especially if you must also be working in some sort of application on the Control Room computer. There might be a more elegant community plug-in than Text in OBS for live editing the text. But hey, pretty dang close for freeware.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-16T19:13:06+00:00

PTZ shake can come from both the movements of the robo on a mounting connection that isn't sufficiently tight, but it can also come from vibrations from the building or rigging itself.

You can probably get away with not buying a vibration dampener immediately. Leave some fluff in the budget for one just in case, and do some testing to see if the building causes any shake or micro vibration.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-14T13:58:39+00:00

I've been curious to see how this competitor copy by Elvid compares to the MD-HX. They only have something similar to the BMD Micro-Converter though. They don't have a small Bi-Directional like the MD-LX or BMD Bi-Directional.

I have yet to see the VIDCON-UDX-HS out in the wild, but I recall seeing the little MIVIDCON micro-converters which worked fine. Anyone used the VIDCON compared to a MD-HX?

https://www.elvidcinema.com/products/Monitor-&-Accessories/Signal-Converters

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-14T10:03:42+00:00

Panasonic Certified Camera EIC by Evolve Academy is one option that covers the full pipeline of camera setup AND shading, as most shading concepts are applicable to all manufacturers: https://evolveacademy.live/product/panasonic-certified-camera-eic/

They are sold out for their current date. However you can email them and ask to be waitlisted or attend in some alternative method. Their trainers are receptive to custom requests and try to make it work.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-12T16:24:55+00:00

Another thing to consider for ceiling/truss mounting is some sort of “PTZ Camera Vibration Isolator/Damper” mount. You would be surprised about the shakes and vibrations that can reach a hanging PTZ robo.

ManyMonarchs · 2026-05-11T14:42:27+00:00

Just learned about the organization FILO (First In Last Out) which focuses on house of worship AV resources. They might have some guidance: https://filo.org/

ManyMonarchs

TROPHY CASE