In order to visualize how the Hybrid Stage works, you can think about a TV show with an onsite audience that is broadcasted to a wider online audience. You will need to think more about graphics and visuals than you might be used to and a different take on the production as a whole.
Please consider that the best set-ups for the stage are free-moving “ted talk” type speakers without a booth and small panel discussions. These set-ups work well in the space with the large low screen and for the online audience with the multi-camera set-up.
What you need to do at the different stages of the production:
- Set up a production meeting with Aalto Studios as early as possible. Together we can think of the structure of the event, speakers, and visuals suitable for the stage and for the stream.
- By the rehearsal, we need the keylist, list of names, and titles for the graphics and the presentations that contain video or audio for testing. Please upload them to the folder provided by us.
- Make sure you leave the rehearsal with everything tested and each change between speakers carefully thought through. If there are any changes make sure the keylist is up-to-date.
- Please communicate early on to your speakers that the stage is not a regular auditorium or a lecture hall. And share the instructions for speakers with them.
Production planning
- We will in addition to your program plan need a script and a key list. You can download from here an example key list and an empty one. Most importantly please consider all the pauses and changes in the stage set-up, not only the speakers as in where they stand, but what happens in between. How do the speakers or panelists enter the stage and how do they leave? During the stream, all this should happen very smoothly. Please book time for this in the technical rehearsal before the event.
- We normally provide 2 AV technicians for your event, but these guys are busy behind the table running the stage tech, the stream, and the audio in both places. So in case, you need help with set-up changes and technical stage manager during your event please consult us early on.
- Please include in your event invitation a disclaimer to your on-site audience that they will be filmed during the event and that you are releasing recordings or other material of the event afterward. The 4 robotic cameras are very unnoticeable, but they cover the whole audience.
- We do not have the rights to play music in the space; in case you need to play background music or any music under a license please consult Teosto for rights and prices. In case you stream via Youtube please be aware that the stream might stop when playing music under a license. Please also make sure that you and your speakers have full copyright to all images and videos shown during the event.
- Please consider early where are you going to stream the event. You need to have admin rights for the platform. In case you do not own for example a Vimeo or Youtube account and are totally lost – please consult us early. We do have streaming accounts, but we need to figure out if what is the right platform for your event.
Visuals
We can provide you with some assets made by the Aalto brand team for the stage. These include:
- A welcome animation for when people are entering the space before the stream begins.
- Animation for set-up changes or to put for example in the stream before the event begins.
- Lower third graphics for names and titles in the stream.
In case you want to produce all these or other assets to fit your event identity please consult us and make sure that all assets are 4K (3840×2160) resolution. We need all materials Pro Ress 422 / 444, mp4 or mov and static images in PNG format. No PDFS and PowerPoint for event visuals, event logos, etc, when displayed on the screen (s) directly from the system.
What will the speakers look like in the stream?
We normally edit live with different image sizes and bring the presentation to full screen for the stream viewers when needed.
If you want the audience to see different elements at the same time we recommend a custom layout.
As you can see below.
The Stage set-up
- Microphone options: madonna mics x 4, handheld x 2, gooseneck on the speaker booth x 1.
There are tho only 6 audio channels, which means only 6 people can be hooked on to a mic at the same time. Please consider this when planning the number of speakers and for example that you have 1 channel free for the audience mic for questions. Speakers on stage can of course share a handheld microphone. - Presentation computer PC: we recommend using this as it is connected to the system, but in case the speakers insist on using their own laptops please make sure you book extra time for going through the set-up with them as they need to change some settings in their computer when entering the stage. The visitor laptops can be connected to the system with an HDMI cable and we do have an adapter for Macs, but to be warned this might lead to resolution issues when there are too many changes during the event.
- Furniture options: speakers booth, or 4 chairs and 2 tables for panel discussions.