Hey folks! Thought you guys might be interested in what kind of planning goes into our biggest live show of the year. What follows is our "cheat sheet," which was created so we knew exactly what had to happen before each segment."PRE" means "this needs to be done before the segment starts," and "POST" means "do this after this segment is over, since there's a corresponding PRE later that needs it."It was a valuable document, mostly because it forced us to be super detailed about what equipment we needed, but it also helped keep our heads straight while the show was going.

For example, "Mixer" denotes what mics needed to be turned up on our audio mixers, which I manned that day. This was really helpful once the show had started, since it was hard to determine what the mic setup was like just by looking at our preview monitors. Also, you can't see it here, but each "Mixer" bullet point was color coded to tell me which of our two mixers my hands needed to be on. This was especially helpful for when I had to take the volume down on one mixer and up on the other at the same time!

Also, you'll note that question marks pop up occasionally. This is because we didn't know what sort of equipment we needed for that part of the segment, which makes it extra exciting! Anyway, here's the document. Enjoy!

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Intro

• Mixer: Couch(Ryan, any others on lavs)
• POST - Mics: set up ukulele hookup

Dreamcast

• Mixer: QL Room lav + gameplay(Jeff on lav, Dreamcast gameplay)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay
• POST - Blackmagic: change SDI from Blackmagic Out to Analog converter box Out

Chainsaw Intro

• PRE - Mics: set up ukulele hookup (boom?)
• Mixer: Couch + ukulele(Ryan, Chainsaw, Jay/Jeff on lavs, ukulele hookup)

Volpin Props Intro

• Mixer: Ryan + standing lavs(Norm, Harrison on Standing lavs)

Chainsaw Continued

• PRE - Mics: ukulele hookup should still be set up
• Mixer: Couch + ukulele(Ryan, Chainsaw, Brad, ukulele hookup)

Cosplayers & Photography

• Mixer: Ryan + Standing lavs + standing stick(Norm, Sara, Tony on lavs, someone holding stick for cosplayers - turn down everyone but Norm and Ryan for the Photography segment)
• POST - Equipment: set up Capcom’s 360, ensure it works on the monitor and that it’s getting feed in the back; set up fight sticks
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change Cam 5 (bricks) for Aux 1 (Capcom gameplay)

TellTale Walking Dead

• Mixer: Couch(Ryan, Jake, Sean, Patrick/Brad on lavs)
• POST - Mics: bass hookup (boom?) needs to be set up, if not the same as ukulele

Capcom with Seth and Noah

• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change Cam 5 (bricks) for Aux 1 (Capcom gameplay)
• PRE - Equipment: set up Capcom’s 360, ensure it works on the monitor and that it’s getting feed in the back; set up fight sticks
• Mixer: Standing lavs + standing stick + gameplay + studio monitor(Jeff, Seth, Noah on lavs, Jeff holding a stick for Moe)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay and studio monitor
• POST - Mixer: change snake outputs 13 & 14 (“stand”) to 11 & 12 (“sit”) on main mixer
• POST - Equipment: move HDMI converter box, its power cable, and its SDI cable to the Couch set; plug black HDMI cable into HDMI converter box; plug the SDI cable from the HDMI converter box to the Analog converter box on the Couch set;take Aux 1 from the Analog converter box on the Standing set and plug it into the Analog box on the Couch set
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change Aux 1 (Capcom gameplay) for Cam 5 (bricks)

Third Society pt. 1

• PRE - Blackmagic: change SDI from Blackmagic Out to Analog converter box Out
• Mixer: QL Room lav + QL Room stick + “gameplay”(Rorie, Alex on lavs, anyone else on stick, “gameplay” for movie audio)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change QL Room camera feed to Bar camera feed

Volpin Props Continued

• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change Aux 1 (Capcom gameplay) for Cam 5 (bricks)
• Mixer: Ryan + standing lavs(Norm, Harrison on Standing lavs)
• POST - Cameras: move Roving Cam to Bar (plug camera into Roving 2 feed, change producers)
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change Roving 1 feed to Roving 2 feed

Joust

• PRE - Cameras: move Roving Cam to Bar (plug camera into Roving 2 feed, change producers, get them on heads beforehand to queue Patrick)
• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change QL Room camera feed to Bar camera feed, change Roving 1 feed to Roving 2 feed
• PRE - Tricaster Audio: enable embedded audio for Bar cam for Patrick’s wireless lav
• Mixer: Joust gameplay(Joust gameplay
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay
• POST - Tricaster Audio: disable embedded audio for Bar cam for Patrick’s wireless lav
• POST - Cameras: move Roving Cam to Standing Set, change producers
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change Bar camera feed to QL Room camera feed, change Roving 2 feed to Roving 1 feed
• POST - Mics: change Bar wireless receiver to second Bar stick, plug in first stick mic

Lock Picking Intro/Jean Baudin Intro

• PRE - Mics: set up bass hookup (boom?), if not already
• PRE - Cameras: move Roving Cam to Standing Set, change producers
• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change Roving 2 feed to Roving 1 feed
• Mixer: Couch + bass + standing lavs(Ryan, Jean on lavs, bass hookup, Will, Norm on standing lavs)

Third Society pt. 2

• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change Bar camera feed to QL Room camera feed
• Mixer: QL Room lav + QL Room stick + “gameplay”(Rorie, Alex on lavs, anyone else on stick, “gameplay” for movie audio)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change QL Room camera feed to Bar camera feed

Chainsaw & Jean Baudin Duet/Lock Picking

• PRE - Mics: set up ukulele and bass hookups (may need another mic, prioritize ukulele)
• Mixer: Couch + bass + ukulele + standing lavs?(Ryan, Chainsaw, Jean on lavs, bass and ukulele hookups, Will and Norm on standing lavs)
• POST - plug iPad into black HDMI cable

James Robinson Interview

• PRE - Mics: change Bar wireless receiver to second Bar stick, plug in first stick mic
• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change QL Room camera feed to Bar camera feed
• PRE - Tricaster Audio: enable embedded audio for Bar cam for mics
• Mixer: NONE (All Tricaster)(Tony, Sara, James sharing two sticks)
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change Bar camera feed to QL Room camera feed
• POST - Mics: change second Bar stick to Bar wireless receiver

Lock Picking Wrap

• Mixer: Ryan + standing lavs(Ryan on lav, Will, Norm on standing lavs)

VidRhythm

• PRE - Equipment: move HDMI converter box, its power cable, and its SDI cable to the Couch set; plug iPad into black HDMI cable; plug black HDMI cable into HDMI converter box; plug the SDI cable from the HDMI converter box to the Analog converter box on the Couch set
• PRE - Mixer: change snake outputs 13 & 14 (“stand”) to 11 & 12 (“sit”) on main mixer
• Mixer: Couch + gameplay + studio monitor(Ryan, Drake, Pope, Jeff on lavs, gameplay coming from iPad’s mini jack)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay and studio monitor
• POST - Mixer: change snake outputs 11 & 12 (“sit”) to 13 & 14 (“stand”) on main mixer
• POST - Equipment: move HDMI converter box, its power cable, and its SDI cable to the Standing set; set up Dance Central 2 (Kinect needs power); plug Harmonix 360 into the HDMI converter box; plug the SDI cable from the HDMI converter box to the Analog converter box on the Standing set;take Aux 1 from the Analog converter box on the Couch set and plug it into the Analog box on the Standing set;(if no HDMI, use Folsom)

As Seen On TV/Ethan Spandex

• Mixer: Ryan + Standing lavs(Ryan on lav, Will, Norm on Standing lavs)

Reanimator

• Mixer: Couch(Ryan, Patrick, John, Brian on lavs)

Pre-Recorded Geoff Johns Interview

• Mixer: NONE

Dance Central 2

• PRE - Equipment: move HDMI converter box, its power cable, and its SDI cable to the Standing set; set up Dance Central 2 (Kinect needs power); plug Harmonix 360 into the HDMI converter box; plug the SDI cable from the HDMI converter box to the Analog converter box on the Standing set;take Aux 1 from the Analog converter box on the Couch set and plug it into the Analog box on the Standing set;(if no HDMI, use Folsom)
• PRE - Mixer: change snake outputs 11 & 12 (“sit”) to 13 & 14 (“stand”) on main mixer
• Mixer: Ryan + Standing lavs + gameplay + studio monitor(Ryan on lav, Drake, Pope, Jeff on standing lavs, Dance Central 2 gameplay)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay and studio monitor
• POST - Equipment: move HDMI converter box, its power cable, and its SDI cable to the Couch set; set up Iron Brigade; plug Double Fine 360 into the HDMI converter box; plug the SDI cable from the HDMI converter box to the Analog converter box on the Couch set;take Aux 1 from the Analog converter box on the Standing set and plug it into the Analog box on the Couch set;change quarter-inch-to-XLR cables from Standing set Analog converter box to Couch set Analog converter box (if no HDMI, use Folsom)

Third Society pt. 3

• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change Bar camera feed to QL Room camera feed
• Mixer: QL Room lav + QL Room stick + “gameplay”(Rorie, Alex on lavs, anyone else on stick, “gameplay” for movie audio)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change QL Room camera feed to Bar camera feed

Eat Your Words Intro

• Mixer: Ryan + Standing lavs(Ryan on lav, Will, Norm on Standing lavs)
• POST - Personnel: Run producer back to bar to queue Starcraft segment and troubleshoot gameplay feed

Jean Baudin Continued

• PRE - Mics: set up bass hookup (boom?), if not already
• Mixer: Couch + bass(Ryan, Jean on lavs, bass hookup)
• POST - Tricaster Audio: enable embedded audio coming over gameplay feed and bar cam for Starcraft

Starcraft II Pros

• PRE - Personnel: Run producer back to bar to queue Starcraft segment and troubleshoot gameplay feed
• PRE - Mics: change second Bar stick to Bar wireless receiver
• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change QL Room camera feed to Bar camera feed
• PRE - Tricaster Audio: enable embedded audio coming over gameplay feed and bar cam
• PRE - Cameras & Tricaster Inputs: Rover? (only if it goes long, into the dogpile)
• Mixer: NONE (All Tricaster(Norm on wireless lav, Brad on stick)
• POST - Tricaster Audio: disable embedded audio coming over gameplay feed and bar cam
• POST - Cameras: move Bar cam closer to band

Double Fine & Iron Brigade

• PRE - Equipment: move HDMI converter box, its power cable, and its SDI cable to the Couch set; set up Iron Brigade; plug Double Fine 360 into the HDMI converter box; plug the SDI cable from the HDMI converter box to the Analog converter box on the Couch set;take Aux 1 from the Analog converter box on the Standing set and plug it into the Analog box on the Couch set;change quarter-inch-to-XLR cables from Standing set Analog converter box to Couch set Analog converter box (if no HDMI, use Folsom)
• Mixer: Couch + gameplay + studio monitor(Ryan, Brad Muir, Greg Rice, Iron Brigade gameplay)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay and studio monitor
• POST - Mixer: change snake outputs 13 & 14 (“stand”) to 11 & 12 (“sit”) on main mixer
• POST - Equipment: plug Spy Party PC into the Folsom; SDI out from Folsom to Couch set Analog converter box; stereo mini goes into the PC audio out;Aux 2 connects to the Couch set Analog converter box

Screened Trivia

• Mixer: Ryan + Standing lavs(Ryan on lav, Rorie, Alex on Standing lavs, proxies get no mics)

Spy Party

• PRE - Equipment: plug Spy Party PC into the Folsom; SDI out from Folsom to Couch set Analog converter box; stereo mini goes into the PC audio out; Aux 2 connects to the Couch set Analog converter box
• PRE - Mixer: change snake outputs 13 & 14 (“stand”) to 11 & 12 (“sit”) on main mixer
• Mixer: Couch + gameplay + studio monitor(Ryan, Chris Hecker, Spy Party gameplay)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down gameplay and studio monitor
• POST - Get Buckner and Garcia on the line

Eat Your Words Continued

• Mixer: Ryan + Standing lavs(Ryan on lav, Will, Norm on Standing lavs)
• POST - Cameras: move Roving Cam to Bar (plug camera into Roving 2 feed), producer on heads to queue Brad
• POST - Tricaster Inputs: change Roving 1 feed to Roving 2 feed
• POST - Cameras: move Bar cam closer to band

Buckner and Garcia

• PRE - Equipment: Make sure Skype is running
• Mixer: Couch + Skype + studio monitor(Ryan, Jeff, Buckner & Garcia on Skype)
• POST - Mixer: remember to take down caller volume, studio monitor
• DURING - Cameras: take Camera 5 and make it Outside cam; Vinny, with walkie talkie, wireless lav pack, receiver, wired lav, and two XLRs, heads outside, plugs into Outside drop, we plug Outside cam feed into Tricaster somewhere, after done with setup Vinny grabs Ana and resumes Tricaster duty

Glowing Stars

• PRE - Cameras: move Roving Cam to Bar (plug camera into Roving 2 feed), Thomas on heads to queue Brad
• PRE - Cameras: move Bar cam closer to band
• PRE - Tricaster Audio: enable embedded audio for Bar cam for Brad
• PRE - Tricaster Inputs: change QL Room camera feed to Bar camera feed, change Roving 1 feed to Roving 2 feed
• Mixer: Glowing Stars audio(Brad with stick (take down after intro, bring back up for throw), Glowing Stars over two XLRs)

Real Fruit Ninja/Glowing Stars

• PRE - Mics: stick mics & XLRs Outside, plugged into Outside camera
• PRE - Personnel: need producer upstairs to queue Will and Norm, need Thomas in the bar to queue Glowing Stars
• PRE - Tricaster Audio: enable embedded audio coming over Outside camera feed
• Mixer:Ryan + studio monitor+Glowing Stars audio(Will, Norm coming over Outside camera embedded audio, Glowing Stars come in later to play us out)

Outro

• Mixer: Couch + boom(Everyone!)

That list is far longer than I would've anticipated. You video producers are crazy.

Excellent! So glad this ended up getting posted.

.. the fuck

holy hell dude.

@drewbert: That's nuts! Respect +27!

wow, my head hurts all of a sudden.

I didn't see it anywhere, what are lavs? I'm guessing its microphones..?

@OllyOxenFree said:

nice

good call putting this up - i only had to follow this schedule, i can't imagine the effort involved in actually planning this stuff out o_O

@wafflez: Yep, LAV's are lapel mics. Pretty much the industry standard. They're the small clip-on's you'll see everybody from Conan on the Conan Show to your local professor wear. Granted, they range in quality, but it's just a small clip on mic with a wire running to a transmission box.

@drewbert said:

Also, you'll note that question marks pop up occasionally. This is because we didn't know what sort of equipment we needed for that part of the segment, which makes it extra exciting! Anyway, here's the document. Enjoy!

30 seconds to start of segment, "fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck" It works! two seconds for breather, next segment "fuck fuck....

Wow, I remember having to run off of something like this (although only about 5% as long as this) when we were broadcasting our live stuff for the school. Good to see this being posted.

Ethan Spandex

Wait, that was planned?

That sounds like a lot of cables. I hate cables.

@Matthew: /thumbs up

Amazing.

Much respect.

Yup, running a BLLS is super complex! Finished product speaks for itself, awesome job.

I know the shows we put on seemed to never go as planned, so I feel your pain, and joy.

Great job, the show was fantastic!

God Drew, I love all the behind the scenes people. That list looks RIDICULOUS and yet all of you managed to run it so people watching never knew a damn thing. You all deserve medals, GOLD MEDALS DAMN IT!

Great job, Drew.

I'm not sure I understand all of this, so I'm just going to say "thank you" and go back to doing something simple.
 
Thank you.

I am not trying to be mean by bringing it up, but I'm really curious. What happened on that part (I think the part 2 of Third Society) when for like 10 minutes the stream got no sound?

haha It was kinda funny, and it's not like the movie was good but I've been really curious what happened there.

Awesome show, though. I'm not knocking it. You guys are consumate professionals (even at pretending to not be). It was an awesome show.

I keep reading the title as "How To Ruin a Big Live Live Show." I think that says something about me.

Are you a for reals wizard Drew?

All the efforts of the whiskey crew are always appreciated,it's always enjoyable seeing people create things they love.

Good God, that is insane.

Still, in the end, the result was great.

Incredible.

Thank you very much for sharing this. I found this to be informative and awesome.

Awesome notes. As a fellow production guy I love this stuff. What HDMI converter box are you using?

"Vinny, with walkie talkie, wireless lav pack, receiver, wired lav, and two XLRs, heads outside" For some reason that sounds like it'd be an awesome sight, although imagine it's better in my head than it actually is!

bah you could just wing it

Lot of work, very good. Learning and doing, doing and learning...

That's really cool and is one hella impressive cheat sheet.

This is awesome.

GG

WOW.

Really shows how much work you people put in this stuff, all to deliver us hours upon hours of high quality entertainment.

This year's BLLSL was pretty much perfect in my opinion, massive kudo's to everyone who made it happen. You guys totally nailed it.

Wowzer. That was quite some planning.

Thanks for all the hard work guys, really paid off!

Oh man, that was so great. Thanks for sharing this @Drewbert

EQUIPMENT

More like this.

Lots of planning indeed

It must be absolutely crazy running something on the scale of the BLLSL with just a small handful of people running the video stuff.

Very, very cool. My respect for the Whiskey Media producers is infinite.

I knew you guys had to use some kind of black magic for this! No mere mortal could ever survive this. 
  
This seems like it would be constant hell for you guys... Props (No, not Volpin Props) to you for making it out alive!

sweet mother of god, that list is absolutely mind blowing. you guys are amazing.

That seems like a whole lot of running.

This was an awesome read. Great job Drew. I'm already looking foward to next years show.