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Main Channel Procedure
Overview
Important: the studio is responsible for audio and video throughout the entire broadcast of the talk!
Here's what viewers of one of the main channels will see:
- Herald appears and introduces the speakers and the talk, and hands over to speakers
- Speakers appear (live on stage or remote, or from a pre-recorded talk)
- Herald reappears and leads through Q&A with the speakers
- Herald winds up the time slot
The length of the slot in the schedule Fahrplan (40 or 60 minutes) is inclusive of all of the above.
Detailed Rundown
- 30 minutes before the scheduled time: Herald and Speakers contact the studio and join the (Jitsi/Kevin/Ninja) session. This might be shorter depending on previous engagements (Herald for example).
- All other angels (signal angel, av & camera angels) should be present as well, to make sure everything is working correctly.
- 15 minutes before the scheduled time: studio checks in with Master Control Room and Line Producers in Mumble (see below), and starts their stream
- The studio can stream continuously, but should start streaming no later than 15 minutes before if the stream had been stopped
- MCR and studio test out latency, so MCR can do a proper countdown at the beginning
- About 30 seconds before the scheduled time: MCR starts countdown
- At 0, studio director/video editor gives signal to Herald to start
- MCR puts studio on air, so that the Herald starts with about 5-10 seconds after appearing on air
- From this point onwards, the studio is in full control and has responsibility to deliver the talk.
- If there are technical problems, for example, the speaker cannot be seen or heard anymore, the studio should try to get the speaker back; the herald can explain the situation
- If there are problems that cannot be solved in a minute or two, or the studio stops sending video and audio, the MCR will start a backup (“we'll be right back” card, or backup herald)
- At the conclusion of the talk (herald wrapping up), the studio must continue streaming until the MCR gives the all clear. This might take one or two minutes.
=== Special considerations
If the talk has been pre-recorded, the speakers do not need to join quite as early. But the stuiod still needs to make sure the speakers are all available in time for the Q&A.