Livestreaming an AI Panel in Flatiron for an Out-of-Town Team
Photo by Transcendent Enterprise
On October 14 we livestreamed an afternoon of AI panels for a national biopharma news outlet. The event was in a second-floor room in Flatiron. Their team was based out of state, so most of the planning happened over calls and email. When it came to the tech, they had to trust us.
This post walks through how we earned that trust, what the setup was, and what I'd want to know if I were hiring a crew from out of town.
Planning a hybrid event livestream with a client who isn't in New York
When the client can't stop by the venue every week, the planning has to do that job. Our first call with their team was in April. In May we sent a proposal that broke down the filming and livestream options. They told us it was thorough and helpful for sharing with the rest of their team. The contract was signed in June.
In July we walked the room. That visit gave us a clear understanding of the space, and we told the client we'd bring extra lighting. In September their team set me up as a co-host in their Zoom. On October 5 we had a tie-down call with the client and the venue together. The day before the event, they sent the run of show, the talent sheet, and slides and an intermission video from their design team.
What a one-camera Zoom livestream actually needs
This was a single-camera livestream going into the client's own Zoom. One camera sounds simple, but the camera is the smallest part of the job.
The camera recorded in 4K so the client would have a clean master file after the event. The program feed ran through a switcher. That's how we cut between the live camera, the client's slides, the transition graphics and the intermission video. Once we joined the Zoom, the client made us host, and from there we ran what the online audience saw.
Audio came from the venue's sound system, six to seven mics, which the client coordinated with the room ahead of time. And we brought the extra lighting we'd planned after the walkthrough.
Our live streaming production page has more on the setups we run.
Setting up a remote-controlled speaker timer for panels
About two weeks out, the client asked us for a speaker timer. They wanted panelists to see how much time they had left.
We set up a countdown on a small monitor on a stand, placed where the panelists could see it. The timer could be controlled from anywhere, so the client ran it remotely while our crew stayed focused on the stream. For a team that isn't local, it's one more thing they can control without standing next to our gear.
Handing off a livestream crew partway through an event
I was on site for setup, then left at 3:00 for another shoot in Brooklyn that evening. Emmanuel Acosta and Corinthia Paul ran the livestream from there, including the whole 4:00 to 6:30 window.
The whole crew worked from the same run of show and the same notes from the tie-down call. So the handoff didn't change anything for the client.
Delivering raw event footage the same night
The recording was the second product of the day. Corinthia sent the client a link to the raw footage that same evening, through our own server, along with the final paperwork. The next day their producer wrote back to thank Corinthia for the quick delivery and a great event, and said they're looking forward to working with us again. Another member of their team followed up to say working with us was a breeze.
For an out-of-town team, that meant the stream was done and the recording was in hand the same night.
What to ask before hiring a livestream crew from out of town
If you're running an event in New York from somewhere else, these are the questions I'd ask.
Will the crew walk the room before the event? Can they run your Zoom, or your streaming platform, as host? How will they get audio, and have they talked to the venue about it? Can they play your slides, graphics and videos into the stream? Do they offer a speaker timer, and can you control it remotely? Who is on site if your main contact has to leave? How fast will you get the recording, and how?
A crew that has done this before will answer all of that on the first call. Our video production crew page has more on booking us in New York.
Questions out-of-town event teams ask us
Can you livestream our NYC event into our own Zoom account?
Yes. You give us host or co-host access, and we run the stream from the room, including switching between the camera, your slides and any videos.
Do we need to be in New York for the planning?
No. We walk the venue, join your production calls with the venue, and keep you updated by Zoom and email.
Can you provide a speaker timer for panelists?
Yes. We set up a countdown monitor the panelists can see, and it can be controlled remotely, so your team can run it from anywhere.
How soon do we get the recording after the event?
For this event, the raw footage went to the client the same evening through our own server.