One of the particularities of producing an event using telepresence is that different people located in different places must interact together in a concerted way. Therefore, it is essential to establish good coordination between the technical teams of each site. This is why it is recommended to appoint a person who will be responsible for coordinating the whole work. This person will be the central axis towards whom all information of a technical nature will have to converge, and who will make the ultimate decisions – especially during events – in order to avoid any delays or misunderstandings, in addition to ensuring that everyone remains well aware of the ins and outs of the project and respect the deadline.
Technical coordination must in particular ensure that each member of the team is familiar with their role and the tasks assigned to them. From the start, you also have to make sure you have the necessary staff for the successful completion of a project. For example, if a telepresence project involves not only the transmission of audiovisual signals between different locations, but also the management of lighting, sound broadcasting, in addition to a composite mix of video signals for webcasting purposes, it would be quite demanding for one or two people to perform all of these tasks alone.
Ideally, there would be one person responsible for the sound system, another assigned to the telepresence control room, another to the video control room, one to the broadcasting (webcast), another to the lighting and so on. However, depending on the requirements of the project, the budget and the skills of each team member, certain roles or tasks can sometimes be carried out by the same person.
- Create a shared technical file (Project Book) with all members of the technical team, including:
- Technical specifications relating to the spaces used or representing the needs of the artists;
- Contact directory containing everyone’s information (name, telephone number, email, etc.), in order to facilitate communication between team members;
- Notebook to record any peculiarity or specific need of the project; a flow diagram of the signals and streams to be transmitted;
- Stage plots, scenography, lighting, cues etc.
- Tables of inter-site multimedia transmissions (telematics), audio and video routing;
- Network infrastructure connection diagram and description sheet;
- Production-specific technical checklist;
- Technical preparation schedule (internet connection test, technical trials, rehearsals, etc.);
- Schedule detailing the work periods of the members of the technical and Scenic team.
- Ensure that each member of the technical team has read the documents in the Project Book (schedule, specifications, plans, diagrams, tables, etc.) and answer any questions sufficiently in advance, before the production;
- Communicate with the IT team of each room involved in a production, have them fill out a descriptive sheet of the network infrastructure and send it to the technical support and network monitoring team;
- Plan real-life connection tests involving all venues and coordinate their progress;
- Ensure compliance with the schedule and the role of each member of the team and coordinate the technical progress of the production via an appropriate telecommunication tool;
- Delegate any operations tasks in order to maintain a global perspective of technical production and remain available to respond to each member of the team;
- Act as an intermediary between the technical team and the general coordination of production;
- Ensure that all technical equipment necessary for production is available, accessible, and functional;
- Track each team member’s hours of service for billing purposes.
¶ Technical Support and Remote Network Monitoring
- Answer technical questions related to the hardware, software, and network operation of multimedia transmissions over the internet;
- Ensure compliance with good technical practices in telepresence and, if necessary, remind technical coordination of these practices;
- Direct the telematics operation to relevant online resources (guides, wiki, forums, etc.), as needed;
- Accompany the user in the diagnosis of a technical problem and, if possible, propose solutions or alternatives;
- Install, reset, or update the computer system of a telematics station, as needed.
- Remotely monitor the quality of network links, end-to-end, between the various telematics stations and report, if necessary, any observable problem;
- Issue recommendations to the IT departments of each location, in order to optimize the quality of their network link, from the telematics station to the ISP;
- Ensure compliance with good network practices in telepresence and, if necessary, remind technical coordination of these practices (descriptive sheet of the network infrastructure).
A person responsible for the technical operation should not be responsible for:
- Assembly and dismantling of any other equipment not related to their role or operating station;
- Simultaneous operation of several systems or stations (telematic station, sound console, video, lighting, camera, etc.);
- Technical coordination;
- Check the availability of equipment required for the event;
- Obtain quality access to the wide area network (WAN) of an ISP Internet service provider;
- Respond to requests and questions from people other than the event’s coordination or technical team.
- Assembly and disassembly of the telematic station;
- Connecting and disconnecting any device to the telematics station - no other person should touch the Scenic station without permission;
- Ensure the proper functioning of the equipment making up the telematics station, its power supply and its connection to the network;
- Be in constant communication with the technical coordination and multimedia transmission partners (telematics operation) of the event;
- Take note of the needs, plans, and specifications in advance in order to coordinate with the technical team on site and remotely;
- Operate the telematics station during connection tests carried out prior to an event, following the directives of technical coordination;
- Operate the telematic station throughout the event, following the directives of technical coordination;
- Diagnose and solve any problem related to the operation of the station and the telematics application to the best of their abilities and, if necessary, communicate with technical support after notifying technical coordination;
- Respect the schedule established in advance by the client according to the terms of the technical operation contract;
- Respond to requests and questions relating to the telematics operation, coming from the coordination or the technical team of the event.