Before You Commit: A Checklist for Filmed Festival and Stage Broadcasts

Start with what the feed is for

Before anyone talks about cameras or cables, decide what the finished feed has to do. A feed going out live to a television audience asks different things of a crew than a recording that will be edited into a highlights programme later. A party night filmed for a venue's own screens is different again. Write the purpose in a single sentence and keep it where everyone can see it.

Once the purpose is clear, the rest of the decision gets easier. Live delivery means no second chances on sound balance, shot choice or timing. A recorded show gives room to fix things afterwards, but only if the raw material has been captured cleanly, with isolated audio sources and consistent pictures. Be honest about which of these you really need.

From my side as an audio engineer, this first answer shapes everything I plan. A broadcast mix needs a clean path from the stage to the truck or control room, and I want to know early whether that mix is heard live by viewers or sits in a file waiting for post-production.

• Live transmission or recorded for later use
• Who watches: broadcast audience, venue screens or archive
• Whether a single feed or several versions are needed

Walk the venue before you book anything

A site visit saves more trouble than any amount of email. Stand where the cameras would go and look at the sightlines. Check whether the audience, a sound tower or a lighting truss blocks the view of the stage. Find out where power comes from, how many circuits there are and whether the supply is shared with the lighting and the bar.

Look at the cable routes as well. Long runs from the stage to the control position need a path that is safe for the public and protected from foot traffic. In an outdoor or festival setting, ask where the cable will sit if it rains, and who is responsible for covering it.

Ask about access times too. A crew that can only load in two hours before doors will work very differently from one with a full afternoon. Rehearsal time on stage, even a short line check, is worth far more than extra equipment, so find out whether the venue will really allow it.

• Camera positions and clear sightlines
• Power supply, circuits and shared loads
• Cable routes, weather cover and public safety
• Load-in time and access for a line check

Sound is where filmed shows are won or lost

Audiences forgive a slightly soft picture far sooner than muddy speech or distorted music. The sound the room hears is not the sound a broadcast needs, because a hall mix is built for people standing in front of the speakers, while a feed needs its own balance with the crowd and the room blended in on purpose.

Ask whether you can take a split from the stage so the broadcast mix is independent of the front-of-house mix. Without it, any change the house engineer makes to please the room changes your feed too. Agree who owns the main desk, who talks to the bands, and who has the last word when two needs collide.

Also plan the monitoring. Someone has to listen on headphones in a quiet enough spot to judge the mix, and that is rarely the side of the stage. If no such space exists, say so now, because it affects where the control position can go.

• Independent split of stage sources for the feed
• Separate ambience microphones for the audience
• A quiet monitoring position for the mixer

Cameras, lighting and the look of the night

Stage lighting is designed for the eye in the room, not for a camera sensor. Strong colour washes, sudden blackouts and bright followspots can all cause trouble on screen. Talk to whoever is lighting the show early, and ask whether a few looks can be held steady enough for the cameras to work with.

Decide how many cameras the show really needs. A small party night may work well with three or four positions, while a festival main stage usually needs more, including a wide shot that never leaves the stage. More cameras mean more operators, more intercom and a bigger vision desk, and each one has a cost beyond the hire.

Think about who calls the shots. A director with a clear plan and a short run sheet gets better pictures than a crew guessing at the next song. If the setlist is available in advance, ask for it, and agree how the cameras are told about changes once the show is moving.

• Lighting looks the cameras can rely on
• Number of camera positions and operators
• Director, run sheet and setlist access

Questions of people, time and money

Ask who is on the crew and what each person does. A small team can cover a surprising amount, but only if the roles do not overlap and nobody is expected to mix sound, switch the pictures and watch the cables all at once. Fatigue shows up late in the evening, usually in the worst moment of the show.

Check the timetable for breaks. A crew working a long festival day needs meals and relief, and a plan for what happens when a set overruns or a performer arrives late. A written schedule, shared with everyone, prevents most of these arguments before they start.

Finally, ask for a written quotation that lists what is included, such as crew, equipment, transport, load-in and derig, and what would change the figure. Late changes to the number of cameras, the length of the show or the delivery format all move the price, so settle them early.

• Named roles and sensible crew size
• Breaks, overruns and late arrivals planned for
• Quotation listing inclusions and what changes the cost

A final pass before you decide

When the answers are in, read them back as one picture. Is the purpose still clear? Does the venue allow what the plan needs? Is there a clean sound path, a workable lighting look and a crew sized for the length of the night? If one of these is weak, say so openly and fix it before the date.

It also helps to name a single person on your side who speaks for the production on the day. When the venue, the artists and the crew all ask different people the same question, answers drift and small problems grow.

If a point cannot be settled, write down the risk and who accepts it. A filmed concert rarely fails because of one large mistake. It usually fails through three or four small ones nobody owned, and a short written list makes sure someone does.

A filmed concert or festival feed is decided well before the doors open. Settle the purpose, visit the venue, secure a clean sound path, agree the lighting looks, size the crew honestly and get the cost in writing. If most of these boxes are ticked, you are ready to commit, and if several are not, a short conversation with the people who will run the night is a better next step than a booking.