Multi-Camera Event Live Streaming: The Ultimate Guide

It’s no secret that event live streaming is no small task. Not only is there a lot of moving parts going on behind the scenes, but even more ground to cover. And as a camera operator, you need support from your camera crew to capture every second of the excitement.

Take a live award show, for example.

Let’s say your audio-visual crew was hired to shoot an award show that was going to air simultaneously as it is being shot *cough cough* livestreamed. Well with the scale of an event that large, one camera isn’t going to do it. You’ll need a multiple-camera setup for the right amount of coverage to do the award show some justice.

And what does multiple-camera production mean?

Well, we don’t want so sound sassy – multiple-camera angles.  

People want to see all the chaos, from the best dressed red-carpet walks to the celebrity interviews, from close ups of their favourite celebrities to heart-stopping face slaps on stage – Will Smith we’re looking at you. And the only way to cover everything your audience wants is by utilising your team, their cameras, and their eye for various and good angles.

If you haven’t gathered that a multi-camera shoot at a live event can be tricky, let us tell you – it is tricky.

But there are some techniques you can adopt for yourself and your crew to minimise mishaps (because they will happen) and to make the most of your live event.

[#section1]1. Capitalise On Your Camera Placement[#section1]

As every good AV team should do before live-streamed event, visit the shoot location a day (or two) prior to the shoot day. That way you know your terrain, the coverage area, where and how to hook up power, and what equipment you will need to produce the best stream for your audience. 

So, picture this: You’re on location. You’ve scoped out the area. And you realize: there’s a lot of room to cover.

When you’re scaling the area that needs live streaming coverage, be mindful of your audience. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine yourself as a viewer and think of all the different camera shots you would like to see. For most engaged viewers, they want to feel immersed in whatever it is they are watching. So, what does that mean for you as a camera operator?

Depending on any limitations or capabilities, capturing every detail possible.

Now for smaller live streamed events, you may only need one camera operator, using a long lens camera mounted on a trip pod to shoot both wide angle and tight shots. But this has its limitations.

For one thing, with your camera having to be mounted on a tripod, your movement to film becomes restricted. And although, yes you can move the camera from side to side and up or down, your zoom can only do so much. Just like the WIFI on an airplane. It can only do so much.

Say for a concert, you would be able to shoot the lead singer and grab a wide angle shot of the surrounding experience. But no one would be able to see a close of shot of the drummer on their drum solo or the DJ mixing live music.

Once you notice that these smaller details could be missed and could therefore take away from the viewers experience, we’d suggest taking up some more camera operators.  

To optimize your audience’s experience, the strategic placement of your cameras is vital to the success of your stream. So, to capitalize on your shoot, let’s break down the location of each of your cameras for a large live event.

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Camera 1: Front of House

This is your main camera, the one with the longest lens, sitting smack dab in the centre.

Its purpose?‍

To follow the leader onstage.

Mounted on a tripod, this long lens camera should follow the stage leader wherever they may go, keeping the zoom focused on the waist.

Camera 2 or 3: Downstage Cam

Again, depending on the scale of your event, these positions may vary, but while Camera 1 is focusing on the main figure on centre stage, Cameras 2 and 3 are busy capturing all the other exciting happenings on stage.

Whether it be someone shredding it on the guitar or acting in the background, your additional camera operators should be able to cover it. This way, your livestreaming audience, wherever they may be, can have a front row seat to the event and are engaged with each detail.

Regardless of how many cameras you may have, take into consideration the 180-Degrees rule while setting up your placement.

Meaning, rather than having multiple cameras shooting in various directions, maintain all filming to be in one single direction.

Feel free to have fun with the angles you can work with. Each camera angle should be noticeably different to provide new, engaging perspectives. But with that being said, be sure to shoot in one direction, for the sake of not confusing your viewers.  

[#section2]2. Logistics[#section2]

You’d think that once you have your cameras set up and ready to go, you'd be able to start shooting your live event.

Wrong.

While cameras and their locations are definitely important, what’s even more important is setting up your surroundings for success.  

For a single camera shoot, as we all know, things are a little less complicated. You have your camera, your computer or encoder (your choice), about 8 to 10 feet of cable, and bam! As long as you plug everything in, you should be up and running.  

But for those multi-camera shoots, here is where things get a little tricky.  

After locating where your cameras will be sitting - aka completing step 1 - you need to determine where your broadcast is going to be stemming from, for example, the primary camera, within a designated space.

Whether your broadcast space is 1 foot or 300 feet away, your next challenge is finding a way to effectively collect your multi-camera feeds. And while cabling can be overwhelming it still remains the most cost-effective and secure way to receive your camera feed.

That’s not too many logistical things to nail out, right? But in case you glazed over it, we will spell it out simple:

1. Locate your broadcasting space
2. Cable for multi-camera feed

For our AV audience, we understand that logistics may not necessarily be your thing and that’s okay. So, we thought it best to just keep it simple.

[#section3]3. Communication[#section3]

You’d think by now humans would have learnt how to communicate, but alas, here we are including a section in our blog in 2022 to inform people how to communicate properly.

Now to be fair, there are multiple styles of communication that need to be enforced given certain scenarios. And that can definitely be said for the communication style for a live streamed event with a multi-camera shooting technique.

What are the best ways to communicate a multi-camera shoot? Great question.
We have no idea what’s best. But if we did know, we would say:

Strict Communication:

For those working on their first or one of their first multi-camera shoots, a rigid line of comms is probably the best structure to adhere to. This way, all of your team regardless of experience level is understanding the roles and positions of all their colleagues.

Utilise Communication Gear:

We figured that it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to yell and scream across your location to communicate any questions or concerns you may have on a shoot, so we would recommend being equipped with headsets or walkie talkies to provide more instruction.

Having open channels of communication is a great and effective way to create for a broadcast. Working with walkie talkies facilitates communication over a distance.

No matter the situation, communication is probably the best route of action.

Upset at someone and they don’t know why? Communicate.

Confused on what to do next? Communicate.

In trouble with your partner? Communicate.

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[#section4]Get in Touch[#section4]

Now that we’ve identified 3 tips for a multi-camera event, you’re probably thinking, “wow that’s a lot of work.” And guess what? You’re not wrong.

Luckily for you, Tiny Giants AV specialises in multi-camera shooting and even provides equipment for AV teams that are going to do some multi-camera live event streaming on their own.

If you need help in determining what equipment you need or are interested in purchasing some AV equipment, let’s chat! We want to be able to help all creatives and audio-visual crews, from beginners to experts.

Visit our website www.tgav.au to browse our store and review our entire catalogue of equipment or contact us via phone on 02 8850 2223.