Start with what the footage is for
Every decision about coverage follows from one plain question: where will the pictures be seen? A recording kept for the archive needs a different set-up from a relay to big screens beside the stage, and both differ from a feed sent out for broadcast. Before anyone talks about cameras, write down the purpose in a sentence and share it with everyone involved, including the venue and the performers' management.
We ask organisers to name the audience as well. A few hundred people watching a screen in a field tent need clear, steady wide shots and a readable on-screen name. A broadcast audience at home expects closer shots, cleaner audio and a programme that holds together over time. The purpose sets the number of cameras, the length of the day and the budget, so it is worth pinning down early rather than adjusting it a week before the event.
- Archive recording, screen relay or broadcast feed
- Who watches, and on what kind of screen
- Whether the show is live or edited afterwards
Visit the venue and walk the cable routes
A site visit saves more trouble than any other single step. We look at where cameras can stand without blocking sightlines, where the mobile control desk can sit, and how cables will run from the stage to the desk. Audience walkways, fire exits and power points all shape those choices, and a good position on paper is sometimes a bad one once the crowd arrives.
In a tent or marquee, ask about rigging points and whether the ground is level and dry. In a theatre or hall, ask about house lighting and whether the venue allows cable runs across seating. If the site visit is not possible, send photographs, a floor plan and the stage plot, and tell us who at the venue can answer practical questions on the day.
- Camera positions with clear sightlines
- Space and power for the control desk
- Cable routes that stay clear of public areas
Check the signal path from stage to screen
Coverage is only as dependable as the route the picture takes. Decide whether the programme feed goes to screens on site, to an outside truck, to an online platform, or to several of these at once. Each destination brings its own needs: a site relay wants short, protected cable runs, while an online stream wants a stable upload connection that we can test in advance.
Ask the venue what connection it actually has, not what the brochure says, and agree a backup. We bring our own monitoring so we can see what leaves the desk, but we cannot fix a connection that drops under load. Raise any doubt about the venue's network early, and we will plan around it with a dedicated line or a recorded fallback.
- Where the feed is sent and in what format
- Tested upload speed at the venue
- A recorded backup running alongside the live feed
Sort out permissions and rights in good time
Filming a music event involves people beyond the organiser. Performers or their managers may restrict filming, limit which songs can be shown, or ask for approval of the final cut. Venues sometimes have their own conditions on cameras and cabling. None of this is unusual, but all of it is easier to settle in writing weeks ahead than at the stage door on the day.
Ask each act what they permit and whether any parts of the set are off limits. Decide who owns the recording and where it may be shown afterwards. We run the cameras and the desk; we do not clear rights for you, so keep a simple list of who has agreed to what and give a copy to the crew lead before the doors open.
- Written agreement from each performer
- Venue conditions on cameras and cabling
- Who owns and may reuse the recording
Agree crew size, rehearsal time and the running order
The number of camera operators follows the stage layout and the running order, not a fixed formula. A single band on a small stage can be covered well by a few operators; a festival day with changeovers and several stages needs more people and a longer day. Share the running order as early as you can, with set lengths and changeover times, so we can plan breaks and battery and tape changes.
Ask for a line check or short rehearsal before the audience arrives, even if only a soundcheck. It lets the technical director try shots against the real stage lighting and agree calls with the camera operators on the intercom. Our crew works to the run sheet Priya prepares, so changes made on the day should reach her or the crew lead rather than individual operators.
- Running order with set lengths and changeovers
- Time at the venue before doors open
- One named contact on the organiser's side
Weigh the weather, the light and the back-up plan
Outdoor events in these autumn weeks bring early dusk, damp ground and changeable weather, and all of them affect a camera crew. Ask whether camera positions are covered, whether power and cabling are protected, and how stage lighting changes as daylight fades. Pictures that look fine in the afternoon can turn flat or noisy once the light drops, so we plan lenses and positions with the sunset in mind.
Finally, agree what happens if something fails. A spare camera, a second recording and a clear decision-maker cost little compared with a silent screen in front of a full crowd. Write the back-up plan down and make sure the person who can approve a change is reachable throughout the show.
- Covered positions and protected cable runs
- Lighting plan for the later part of the day
- A named decision-maker if something fails
A checklist will not make a show easy, but it removes most of the surprises. If you can answer the purpose, the venue, the signal path, the permissions, the crew and the weather, you are ready to ask for a written quotation. Send us what you have through the contact page, and Priya will reply with the questions still open and a plan the whole crew can follow.