Here are some items for you to consider if you would like to record your event.
- Location - Does the location allow video recording to take place there, and do they have any special requirements or agreements.
- Electrical – Is there ample electrical outlets in the room for catering, audio visual equipment, and video crew equipment
- Lighting – Is the room(s) bright enough. Although many digital cameras these day work well in low lighting sometimes room lighting still is not bright enough to capture the person’s face. Rooms with spot lighting tend to cast shadows onto a person’s face, and some areas in ballrooms have no lighting where you may to place your speakers.
- Sun light - Is there windows or bright objects behind your presenters or guest that may be too bright and cause a distraction. Sometimes shades or curtains can be used to block-out light or bright objects behind your speaker.
- Background – Consider what is placed behind or beside the presenter(s). You may want to add green or colored plants, paintings, a large banner, or patterned light onto the background to enhance the visual appearance. Never have your presenter stand in front or walk across the projection screen.
- Audio – In addition to your presenter(s), we’ll want to record audio from the presenters’ computer or device and from your audience. If you have a Q&A segment consider adding at least one microphone to pick-up questions and comments. Your audio technician will need to provide us with a mixed audio feed. We can discuss the audio options with you and your audiovisual technician.
- Audience Questions and Comments – Will you allow participants to ask questions. Consider a few options for allowing your attending and online audience to ask questions or comments. Some people have used 3”x5” cards, wireless microphones with room moderators walking around the room and a stationary microphone on a mic stand placed strategically within the room. You could also use some online features for both attending and online audiences, such as, a simple chat box, twitter, e-mail, or text messaging. An audience response system could be used for instant feedback to your presenters, and is something we can provide under Support Services.
- For LIVE streaming we’ll need two (2) 6ft tables and chairs adjacent to the floor riser or at the back of the room. The table is for us to place our video production and streaming equipment.
- Location of Internet data ports – We’ll need at least two hard wired data ports for the outgoing video stream. It is preferred the data ports be located not further than fifty (50) feet from the production crew tables. We’ll provide you with some network data configuration information to pass along to the data technicians at your event location. Wireless internet connectivity is not suitable for the outgoing video stream, but is okay for monitoring and e-mail purposes.
- Placement of camera crew – We’ll need a spot on the floor no further than forty feet from the presenter(s) for placement of the camera, tripod and camera operator. In most cases we also require a 6ftx8ftx1ft riser (platform) to place this equipment on top to aid us in capturing the video over the heads of your audience. If the riser is not available then a clearing in the direct path from camera to your presenters is suitable. The riser or clearing helps us avoid someone standing or walking in front of the camera and blocking the view of your presenters.
- Room layout - There are many layout options for you to consider. One typical set-up used in many break-out sessions is shown to the right. In this drawing you see the camera and riser placed 40ft from the podium and two 6ft tables placed at the rear of the room.
- Video projection – For your LIVE online event we’ll need a video graphics output from the presenters’ computer. This is in addition to the output you have going to the room video projector. To accomplish this a VGA or DVI splitter is set-up by your audiovisual technician, and a VGA cable is run back to the production tables.
- We’ll need to receive a copy of the files before the LIVE event to check for compatibility issues and balance video/audio playback for both attending and online audiences. We understand presenters sometimes have last minute changes to their presentations, but it is important for us to check and eliminate technical issues prior to start of your event.
- We’ll need a final copy of visual presentation files shown to your audience for any editing we do later in post-production.