At its heart, the fundamentals of producing live events have never really changed. As live event professionals, our mission is to inspire our audiences by giving them an experience that is entertaining, informative, and memorable.
Yet the benefit of new technology means there is always a faster, more effective, or more consistent way we can create incredible memories for each audience member.
The most obvious new technology is front and center in the mind of every attendee. LED walls are bigger and brighter than ever before. Advancements in scenic fabrication have allowed us to build innovative structures that were either impossible or prohibitively expensive just a few years ago.
The leading production companies are always on the forefront of developments like these, so that they can be the first to bring them to their audiences.
Almost as important as the technology our audience sees, is the ones they don’t. So much of the gear we depend on ends up behind the curtain, helping our industry consistently deliver seamless shows. This includes gear that directly powers the major departments, such as microphone receivers for audio, DMX nodes for lighting, and LED processors for video.
Tying it all together however, are the communication tools we depend on to work decisively and seamlessly as a team. Often this includes digital comm headsets at each station, letting every team member communicate in real time. But increasingly, teams are also depending on real-time run of show tools to understand and follow the show live.
These tools help break the ambiguity that can be all too common during complex shows, by bringing clarity to exactly what is meant to occur, by whom, and when.
A good run of show tool allows the director to collaborate with the script writers and stakeholders of a production, beginning with the pre-production process. This includes both the broad strokes, such as planning the high-level show order & timing, but also the finer nuances of exactly how to cue complex, coordinated moments that involve every department.
On-site, these tools also allow every team member and on-site operator to access the script and rundown, so they can understand exactly what the director expects from them and when. Modern versions of these run of show tools are cloud-based, meaning that as updates are made, every team member can seamlessly stay on the latest version.
