Understandably the demand for virtual conference has grown. Over the last few weeks we’ve been busy putting together a series of conferences for a Medical Investment company. They wanted to include both pre-recorded and live speakers to be streamed to their attendees across Europe.
Like any event, a fair amount of pre-planning was involved in the pre-production. However, instead of building a physical set for this event, we could give our carpenter a rest, as our ‘set build’ consists of the graphics for the presenter and PowerPoint pips and making custom animated title overlays. All of which are then tested and implemented onto our streaming platform to ensure it meets (and even exceeds) our client’s expectations.
Pre-Production
A big part of this process involved the pre-recording of 20 speakers. Before the recording we send out a list pre-requirements they needed to check through: Check for a stable, ideally wired internet connection. Check their camera to ensure it’s clear and clean. Make sure the background is plain as this gives a cleaner look. Gain access to a headset as these provide better quality audio than the ones built into computers.
For speakers struggling with any of the above checks, we provided them with a webcam, light and microphone for the day of the recording/event. Before the recording we took time to trouble shoot any issues such as firewall blocks. For each speaker we would take a couple of recordings until they were happy with what they presented.
Once the recordings were complete, they were passed to our editing team who liaised with the client to ensure all slide changes were in the correct place. The accuracy of this part was crucial for the live event to run smoothly.
Whilst the editors were busy editing, our technicians arranged test calls with the live presenters. As with the pre-records, they were sent a list of pre-requirements. We worked with them to replicate the set up for the day of the event and tested their system, internet, microphone, camera etc.
Event Day
On the day, the events were run via a combination of live presenters dialling in from around Europe, along with a series of pre-recorded presenters. These pre-records were deliberately edited to provide the audience with the impression they were presenting live with our team communicating with the live presenters, so they were ready to return to the (virtual) stage once the videos finished.
What Our Technicians Do
Behind the scenes we had 5 dedicated technicians.
2 techs were responsible for managing the live stream and the various pre-sets that were designed and built during the preproduction stage. They coordinated the presenter’s titles, did the vision mixing, monitored the sound output along with the stream output. Basically, they made it look and sound nice!
2 techs ran the PowerPoint and videos. They were vital in organising the presentations and ensuring they were in the correct format. It’s amazing the difference it makes when moving from a presentation designed in 16:9 to 4:3! A new task for our PowerPoint technicians in this virtual world was to manage our remote clicker system. For this they provided a link for the presenters to connect to, once logged on they were be able to move through their PowerPoint slides remotely.
Finally, the Speaker Manager who was in charge of the video calling platform. They were on hand to help organise and coach the presenters before they went live, and assisted with any technical needs they had. As virtual events are a new experience to many experienced speakers, this role was vital in giving them support and guidance they needed to navigate this virtual world.
Post Event
Following the events, we’ve provided the client with the recordings of their live event. With another of their conferences up and coming, we’re busy preparing for their next successful event!
