Who should own this checklist?

One person on your side and one on the production side. Shared ownership of a pre-show checklist is how items quietly go unconfirmed — assign it to a named individual with authority to escalate.

When should each item be confirmed?

Equipment and crew at booking, power and rigging after the recce, timings two weeks out, and content 72 hours before. Anything still open 48 hours out should be treated as a risk, not an action.

What is genlock and why does it matter?

Genlock distributes a common timing reference — tri-level sync for HD and UHD — to every camera so they share a clock. Without it, a cut between sources can land mid-frame and produce a visible tear or roll on screen. It is invisible on any single camera and obvious on every cut, which is why it is verified at the switcher during build.

Why does a vision engineer need to shade the cameras?

Because six cameras with factory settings under stage lighting will not match. Shading iris, black level and colour matrix from the rack position is what makes the cut look like one camera moving rather than six cameras with different opinions. It is also re-checked after any significant lighting change during the show.

What are ISO recordings and do I need them?

Isolated recordings of each camera's full output alongside the live programme cut. If you want a post-event film, you need them — an editor with six ISOs can build sequences the live cut never attempted, including reactions and alternative angles. They cost almost nothing to record and are the first thing a post team asks for.

How many cameras does my event need?

Three for a panel session with basic IMAG. Four to five for a conference plenary. Six to seven for an award night where you need the walk-up, the reaction and a jib move. Eight or more once you are covering a concert or delivering to a broadcaster. Position quality matters more than count — one great angle beats three poor ones.

Broadcast & Multi-Camera Checklist: What to Confirm Before Show Day

Category: Checklists
Read time: 7 min
Sections: 3
Updated: Mar 2026

Key takeaway

Before show day, confirm the broadcast & multi-camera equipment list with exact model numbers, the spares that travel with it, sanctioned power and generator changeover, rigging sign-off, named crew, the load-in and rehearsal slots, final content files and a single named show-caller. Missing any one of these causes most event AV failures.

Key takeaways

Exact models, not categories, on the equipment list
Spares for anything that would stop the show
Power sanction plus generator changeover confirmed
One named show-caller holding the cue sheet

Broadcast & Multi-Camera: pre-show checklist

Equipment & specification

Camera classes confirmed: Sony HDC and HXC system cameras, Blackmagic URSA Broadcast, large-sensor cinema bodies
Genlock confirmed: Tri-level sync distributed to every source so cuts are frame-clean
Signal transport confirmed: 12G-SDI on coax for short runs, SMPTE fibre or triax for long camera positions
Camera control confirmed: CCU and RCP shading of iris, black level and matrix from the rack position
Switchers confirmed: Ross Carbonite, Blackmagic ATEM Constellation, Sony production switchers
Itemised list naming exact models, not categories
Spares for mics, cables, processors and any single point of failure

Power & safety

Venue sanctioned load confirmed in writing against the rig's draw
Silent generator sized with automatic changeover
Earthing check completed and logged
Rigging certification and load calculations signed off
Cable covers on every walkway and crowd line

People

Director named and briefed
Vision engineer named and briefed
Camera operators named and briefed
Jib and specialist operators named and briefed
Replay operator named and briefed
On-site editor named and briefed

Timings

Load-in slot agreed with the venue in writing
Sound check and line check scheduled
Full technical rehearsal booked with real presenters and real content
Venue curfew and strike window confirmed

Content & handover

Camera plan drawing with every position and lens package
Signal flow and output map including genlock distribution
Programme cut recording at full quality
Isolated camera recordings for every position
All video, audio and slides delivered 72 hours ahead in the agreed format

What this checklist is protecting you from

What can go wrong

How we prevent it

What can go wrong
Cameras are not genlocked and every cut shows a frame of tearing on the IMAG screens.
How we prevent it
Tri-level sync is distributed to every source and verified at the switcher during the build, because the fault is invisible on a single camera and obvious on every cut.
What can go wrong
Six cameras each have a different colour balance and the cut looks like six different events.
How we prevent it
Every camera is shaded from the rack by a vision engineer under the actual stage lighting, and the match is re-checked after any significant lighting change.
What can go wrong
The director loses contact with a camera operator at the critical moment.
How we prevent it
A proper intercom system with per-position talkback and a tested backup channel, plus wired comms on fixed positions rather than relying on wireless packs throughout.
What can go wrong
The post team receives only the programme cut and cannot build the film the client expected.
How we prevent it
Every camera records an isolated feed as standard, and the delivery specification — including ISOs, clean feed and audio stems — is confirmed in writing at T-2 weeks.
What can go wrong
Media cards are cleared before the offload is verified and footage is lost irrecoverably.
How we prevent it
Offload is checksummed and verified against the source before any card is reformatted, with a second copy on separate media before the trucks leave.
What can go wrong
Stage lighting is designed for the room and leaves presenters too contrasty to shade usably.
How we prevent it
Key levels and colour temperature are agreed with the lighting designer during design and verified under camera at rehearsal, with the rig balanced for camera.

Want this tailored to your event?

Get an itemised quote from Prime AV Solutions within 24 hours — call +91 93093 80958 or WhatsApp our producers.

Published 4 March 2026 by the Prime AV Solutions production team.

FAQ

Broadcast & Multi-Camera Checklist: What to Confirm Before Show Day: FAQs

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