FRONT OF HOUSE
PRODUCTION TIPS AND TRICKS | Kent Morris
Live events exist for the energy they deliver. THINK AND STAY ONE STEP AHEAD. know it’s coming, you can’t be prepared for it
Whether it is a worship band or a sermon, being As the event begins, know what needs to when it happens.
there in the moment of experience separates happen for the next phase in the service. What live from watching it concurrently on a stream mic needs to be in position and ready? Check WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG, STAY CALM AND
or catching it later online. For techs, equilibrium that mic for level. Is the bar graph meter on the MIX ON.
occurs between, as ABC’s Wide World of associated channel lighting up? If need be, cue Determine if it is a showstopper. If it isn’t,
Sports used to say, “The thrill of victory and it in the headphones and listen with one ear to carry on and ask the A2 to check into the
the agony of defeat.” On the one hand, making be certain it is on and operating. Keep doing cause of the problem. Remember, live events
the moment perfect for what is happening now this for every point in the service and soon continuously move forward. There is no time to
is indeed thrilling, but having things go wrong, things will smooth out. Plus, ninety minutes will dwell on a momentary glitch. I have seen too
and then continue to spiral out of control seem like ten. many engineers get bogged down going over
certainly bears some real agony. Live holds
a minor issue only to be blind-sided by a major
a mysterious lure for those in its grasp. It is a HAVE A CO-PILOT. situation while they were mentally off the field.
lot of work for little observable reward, but, for The A2 position is critical to success for Stay focused on now. To paraphrase Kenny
some reason, we keep doing it. Here, then, are any event involving complex routing, scene Rogers, “There’ll be time enough for piddling
some ideas to make the inevitable easier and changes and dozens of inputs. Keeping your when the show is done.”
move the fulcrum toward the positive side of head up and focused on the platform comes the equation. at the expense of being able to receive a run- STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP.
of-show change on the intercom. If you don’t Yes, you flubbed the video feed cue. So what?
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December 2018
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