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The Art of Cutting Live: What Makes a Great Technical Director

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:31:07 GMT

Every cut is a choice — the best ones disappear into the story

Say "Technical Director" and most people picture someone parked behind a switcher, punching buttons. That's the mechanics of the job. It's not the job.

The best Technical Directors are visual storytellers. Every cut, dissolve, and hold shapes how an audience experiences a performance. Whether it's a concert, a festival, a corporate keynote, a worship service, or a live broadcast, the TD's real task isn't switching cameras — it's telling the story happening on stage.

I was recently on the Main Stage crew at a major state fair, where every act brought its own energy and visual identity. Some sets called for fast, punchy cutting that matched the music beat for beat. Others needed patience — long holds that let an emotional moment breathe. It was a good reminder of something I've believed for years: every production has its own rhythm, and the TD's job is to find it, not impose one.

Storytelling, One Shot at a Time

Cutting live isn't about proving you have six cameras by using all six. It's about showing the right one at the right moment.

Every choice carries weight:

Stay wide to hold the atmosphere?
Push in tight for an emotional lyric?
Find the guitarist before the solo hits?
Cut to the crowd's reaction?
Or just hold the shot a beat longer?

Often the boldest move is not cutting at all. Letting a strong performance play out in one well-composed frame can land harder than a flurry of switches. Pacing matters as much as movement — sometimes more.

Why So Many Great TDs Started as Editors

A lot of the best live Technical Directors came up through television, film, or post-production editing. Editors spend years building an instinct for rhythm, continuity, and when a cut helps a story versus when it breaks it.

Live production asks for the same judgment, minus the luxury of time. There's no replay, no second take — just the next frame. That editorial instinct, developed anywhere, becomes one of the sharpest tools a live TD can bring to the chair.

Timing Is the Whole Job

Anyone can memorize where the buttons are. Knowing when to press them is what separates a good TD from a forgettable one.

Great TDs aren't just watching monitors — they're listening. They feel the tempo building, catch a lighting cue before it lands, sense a vocalist heading into the chorus, know when the drummer's about to crash into the next section, and recognize when the crowd's reaction is the story.

Good timing is invisible. Bad timing never is.

A TD Is Only as Good as the Shots Available

Even the sharpest TD is limited by what the cameras give them — which is why great camera operators are irreplaceable.

Some operators wait for instructions. The best ones are already ahead of the moment: reframing, tracking the performer, hunting for the crowd shot before anyone calls for it. I think of it as fishing — constantly working the water for the next great composition instead of waiting to be told where to point the lens.

Whether the rig is handheld, long-lens, Steadicam, jib, or a robotic PTZ, the principle doesn't change: anticipation beats reaction, every time. When a TD is working with operators who think a beat ahead, every call gets easier because the next great shot is already there, waiting.

Shows Are Won Before They Start

The best TDs don't show up hoping it comes together. They prepare — attending rehearsals, studying the stage layout, learning camera assignments, understanding the lighting cues, and getting a sense of where the key moments are likely to hit.

That preparation is what allows them to anticipate instead of react once the show is live.

Technology Sets the Table — It Doesn't Cook the Meal

Modern switchers are remarkable. Barco Event Master, Analog Way LivePremier, Ross Video, Sony, Grass Valley, Blackmagic — the tools today offer creative flexibility that didn't exist a decade ago.

But no switcher makes compelling television by itself. People do — through experience, taste, timing, and storytelling instinct. None of that can be automated.

The Real Measure of the Job

Nobody leaves a show remembering how many cuts happened. They remember how it made them feel.

That's the whole job, really. The best Technical Directors never try to become the show. They serve the performance, trust their operators, and understand timing well enough to disappear into the story.

The highest compliment a TD can get: nobody noticed the switching at all — because every cut belonged, and the story simply unfolded the way it was supposed to.

It’s Time for 9:16 Framing Guides in All Professional Broadcast Cameras

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 22:30:03 GMT

As live production evolves, camera operators need tools that allow them to confidently compose for both 16:9 and 9:16—before the first shot is ever recorded.

For decades, 16:9 has been the standard for professional broadcast, live events, and ProAV. Camera operators have spent years mastering widescreen composition, creating images that look great on broadcast television, projection screens, and LED walls.

Today, however, live production is evolving.

More productions are incorporating 9:16 vertical LED displays alongside traditional 16:9 center screens , while also delivering content for livestreams, social media, digital signage, and post-event marketing. One camera is no longer serving a single destination—it is expected to serve many.

A Real-World Challenge

On a recent production, we were delivering content to both a traditional 16:9 center screen and dedicated 9:16 vertical LED displays .

As the Technical Director, I quickly realized that a beautifully composed 16:9 shot didn’t always translate into a compelling vertical composition.

The camera operators were doing exactly what they were trained to do—capturing strong, cinematic widescreen images. The challenge wasn’t with their skill or experience.

The challenge was that they couldn’t actually see the vertical frame they were being asked to deliver.

Without a dedicated 9:16 framing guide in the camera’s viewfinder, operators were composing for an image they had to imagine.

One Camera. Multiple Deliverables.

Today’s productions demand far more from a single camera than they did just a few years ago.

One camera may simultaneously provide content for:

16:9 IMAG
Broadcast television
Live streaming
ISO recording
9:16 vertical LED displays
Social media
Post-event marketing

Every destination has different framing requirements, yet operators are still expected to compose using a viewfinder designed primarily around a single aspect ratio.

The Challenge Doesn’t End After the Show

The demand for vertical content doesn’t begin in the edit suite—it begins the moment the camera starts recording.

Most professional broadcast cameras still record in 16:9 , but that same footage is increasingly repurposed for:

Instagram Reels
TikTok
YouTube Shorts
LinkedIn video
Digital signage
Promotional campaigns

If the original composition wasn’t created with vertical delivery in mind, editors are often left making compromises.

Performers are cropped.
Stage design is lost.
Graphics no longer fit.
Balanced compositions become awkward reframes.

Many of these compromises could be avoided before the footage ever reaches post-production.

It Starts During Pre-Production

This conversation isn’t just about camera manufacturers.

It’s equally about production planning.

One question should be asked at the very beginning of every project:

Is this production designed for 16:9, 9:16, or both?

That decision influences almost every creative and technical aspect of the production, including:

Camera positions
Lens selection
Stage layout
LED screen design
Graphics placement
Lower thirds
Blocking
Recording strategy
Post-production workflow

The earlier that decision is made, the easier it becomes to create content that works across every platform.

A Natural Evolution for Professional Cameras

Professional broadcast cameras already provide an impressive set of tools, including:

Safe-area markers
Custom frame guides
Focus assists
Zebras
User-configurable overlays

Adding a dedicated 9:16 framing guide feels like the next logical step.

It would allow camera operators to confidently compose for both horizontal and vertical deliverables without relying on guesswork or hoping a crop will work later.

As more productions adopt mixed-format displays and vertical content strategies, viewfinders should evolve to reflect the way they’re actually being used.

Imagine a viewfinder that lets operators visualize:

The full 16:9 frame
A protected 9:16 crop
Safe graphics areas
Custom LED canvas guides

Giving operators that visibility would improve confidence, composition, and consistency before the image ever reaches the switcher or the editing suite.

Looking Ahead

Vertical video isn’t replacing 16:9 .

It’s becoming another professional delivery format.

As live production continues to evolve, so should the tools we place in our camera operators' hands.

When one camera serves multiple audiences, operators shouldn’t have to imagine the vertical frame.

They should be able to see it.

Join the Conversation

I’d love to hear from fellow:

Technical Directors
Camera Operators
Video Engineers
Broadcast Engineers
Manufacturers
Producers
Creative Directors

Are you seeing more productions requiring dedicated 9:16 deliverables?

Would native 9:16 framing guides improve your workflow, or are today’s tools already meeting the need?

As our industry continues to adapt to new formats and new audiences, conversations like this help shape the tools and workflows we’ll all use in the future.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

CorePlay Tetra: Why Analog Way’s New Media Server Caught My Attention

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:59:54 GMT

Insights: My Take on Analog Way’s New Quad-Output Playback Platform

At InfoComm 2026, Analog Way introduced the CorePlay Tetra , a new quad-output media server designed for multi-screen playback environments.

While new playback platforms are introduced regularly, Tetra immediately caught my attention because it appears to address a challenge many of us face in live production: delivering more outputs without adding more complexity.

As display environments continue to expand, we’re routinely supporting combinations of LED walls, side screens, confidence monitors, breakout spaces, overflow rooms, and digital signage displays. As these environments grow, so do the demands placed on playback systems.

Historically, scaling playback often meant scaling hardware. More outputs typically required more playback devices, additional signal paths, more synchronization considerations, and ultimately more points of potential failure.

CorePlay Tetra appears to take a different approach.

Less Hardware, More Possibilities

What interests me most is the potential to consolidate multiple playback requirements into a single platform.

From an engineering perspective, every device added to a system introduces additional considerations:

Power
Network connectivity
Signal distribution
Monitoring
Redundancy planning
Troubleshooting

Reducing the number of playback devices while maintaining flexibility can simplify an entire production workflow.

That’s particularly valuable in environments where rack space, setup time, technical resources, and operational efficiency are critical factors.

Designed for Modern Display Environments

Over the last several years, event design has evolved beyond the traditional single-screen presentation format.

Today, it’s common to see productions utilizing:

Large-format LED canvases
Multiple scenic displays
Dedicated confidence systems
Overflow and breakout room distribution
Hybrid audience experiences
Simultaneous content destinations

Playback systems are expected to support all of these requirements while remaining reliable and easy to operate.

If CorePlay Tetra delivers on its intended design goals, it could become a practical solution for production teams looking to simplify multi-screen content delivery without sacrificing capability.

Where I See Potential

Several applications immediately come to mind.

Corporate General Sessions

Supporting multiple presentation destinations from a centralized playback platform can simplify system design and operational management.

Breakout Environments

Content can potentially be distributed across multiple spaces without requiring separate playback systems for each room.

Houses of Worship

Main screens, side screens, lobby displays, and confidence monitors often require coordinated content delivery. A centralized playback platform could simplify that workflow.

Museums and Experience Centers

Permanent installations frequently require synchronized playback across multiple displays while minimizing equipment footprint and maintenance requirements.

LED-Centric Productions

As LED deployments continue to grow in size and complexity, the ability to manage multiple outputs from a single platform becomes increasingly attractive.

A Reflection of a Larger Trend

The introduction of CorePlay Tetra reflects a broader shift taking place across the industry.

Clients continue to request larger canvases, more displays, and richer visual experiences. At the same time, technical teams are expected to deliver those experiences with greater efficiency, reliability, and flexibility.

Success is no longer measured solely by how much technology we can deploy. Increasingly, it’s about how effectively we can simplify systems while maintaining performance.

The platforms that stand out are often the ones that help operators accomplish more with fewer moving parts.

Final Thoughts

I’m looking forward to getting hands-on time with CorePlay Tetra and seeing how it performs in real-world production environments.

As display systems continue to evolve, the challenge isn’t simply delivering more outputs—it’s doing so while maintaining reliability, efficiency, and operational simplicity. Solutions that help reduce system complexity without sacrificing capability are always worth paying attention to.

CorePlay Tetra appears to be designed with that goal in mind. If it delivers on its promise, it could provide production teams with a practical way to streamline multi-screen playback workflows while supporting the growing demands of modern visual experiences.

For engineers, operators, and technical teams working in increasingly complex environments, that’s a development worth watching.

A Toxic Start to 2026: What the ProAV Industry Needs to Address

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:19:56 GMT

Kicking off 2026 with some honest reflection on workplace culture in the ProAV industry

The ProAV and live event industry thrives on collaboration, trust, and shared accountability. When those elements are present, teams perform better and shows run smoother.

Unfortunately, the year began with a reminder that toxicity still exists on some job sites. While pressure and long hours are part of live production, sustained negative behavior is not. Over time, certain patterns consistently undermine teams, including:

Demeaning or dismissive communication
Talking down to colleagues instead of collaborating
Undermining others publicly
Creating tension through hostility or intimidation
Cursing and derogatory language towards other crew members
Avoiding accountability while placing blame elsewhere

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What makes this especially challenging is that, in some cases, clients knowingly continue to hire individuals with a history of this behavior. When conduct is overlooked in favor of technical skill alone, it can unintentionally signal that results matter more than the people delivering them.

So how can the ProAV industry do better?

For companies and clients, it starts with setting clear expectations around professionalism and conduct—valuing emotional intelligence alongside technical expertise and listening when crews raise concerns.

For freelancers, professionalism means collaboration, respect, and clear communication, even under pressure. It also means recognizing when a situation may not be the right professional fit.

On a personal level, I’ve learned that setting boundaries is part of being a professional. Moving forward, I’ll be asking clients in my Washington, DC home base—and beyond—whether a certain person, whose behavior has proven to be overly toxic, will be part of a job. If a situation doesn’t feel like the right professional fit, I’ll respectfully decline to avoid damage to my reputation or the client’s.

This isn’t about blame or conflict. It’s about building healthier teams, better shows, and a stronger industry.

I’m curious to hear how others think we can raise the bar together.

Navigating Show Callers: Effective Communication for Video Engineers

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:01:31 GMT

Introduction:

In the world of live events and productions, working with show callers can sometimes be a challenging task for video engineers. Show callers come from diverse backgrounds, such as theater, concerts, or other disciplines, resulting in variations in terminology and approaches. To ensure smooth operations and avoid confusion, it is crucial for video engineers to establish clear communication and understanding with show callers beforehand. This post provides valuable insights and tips for video engineers to enhance collaboration and efficiency when working with show callers.

1. Clear Labeling:

To facilitate effective communication, it is essential to label the audio-visual backstage elements comprehensively. Multiview screens, cameras, media servers, and playout systems should be labeled using simple and universally understandable names. For example, labels like GFX 1, GFX 2, PB-A, PB-B, CAM 1, CAM 2, PB-C ( Mitti 1), and PB-D (Mitti 2)can help everyone easily identify and locate the required components.

2. Adapt to Present Language:

Different AV systems employ various methods for managing presets, such as Barco E2 uses presets, and Blackmagic Design relies on macros. Show callers often use the term “preset” regardless of the underlying system. If you are working with an ATEM switcher that uses macros, be prepared to make the mental switch and understand that when the show caller asks for “preset 1,” they may be referring to “macro 1.” Familiarize yourself with the terminology preferred by the show caller, inform them ahead of time what system is being used to avoid any confusion or delays during live events.

3. Pre-Show Communication:

To ensure a successful production, have detailed discussions and rehearsals with the show caller before the event. This pre-show communication helps align everyone’s expectations, clarify terminologies, and identify specific requirements or preferences. By proactively discussing the show’s flow, cues, and technical aspects, video engineers can anticipate the show caller’s needs and be better prepared to provide a smooth experience.

Conclusion:

Working with show callers as a video engineers can present unique challenges due to varying backgrounds and terminologies. Video engineers can foster better collaboration and deliver successful productions by establishing clear labeling, understanding the distinction between presets and macros, grasping cue-based workflows, and engaging in effective pre-show communication. Embracing these strategies will lead to smoother operations, enhanced teamwork, and a more enjoyable experience for both the show callers and the entire production team.

Get ready for the iOgrapher iPad Video Rig

Sat, 25 Jan 2020 19:02:32 GMT

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BirdDog Release Sony 1" Sensor NDI PTZ Camera

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 21:27:03 GMT

Sony 1” Sensor. Size does matter.

The best images come from the best sensors and the P4K is built exclusively around the best sensor in its category. The massive 1” Sony Exmor R CMOS backlit sensor delivers truly stunning pictures in all shoot modes and frame rates whether in HD or 4K.

Full NDI. No compromises.

In the world of NDI® there are two flavours, NDI® and NDI|HX. NDI® is a variable bit rate, I-Frame codec that is reaches around 140Mbits at 1080p60 and is visually lossless. NDI|HX is a compressed, long-GOP, H.264 variant that reaches around 12Mbits at 1080p60. P4K is a Full NDI® camera.

New ParagraphNDI Return Feed. Yes, it’s in there.

Send PGM out from your NDI enabled production box and decode out the 6G SDI or HDMI2.0 port while still sending Full NDI out the Ethernet port. Yes we agree that this is awesome.

BirdDog Cloud Integration. Directly in the camera.

P4K can communicate directly to BirdDog Cloud without the need for a computer running Cloud Core. Simply plug the P4K into your network and configure it through BirdDog Cloud Command to control all functions of P4K from literally anywhere in the world. Roads? Where we’re going you don’t need roads.

What's in my Kit?

gkennedy@magekfilmworks.com (George E. Kennedy, Jr.) — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 18:01:12 GMT

Tools of the trade

Like many creatives, I'm tasked with a different project every day. And every job requires a different kit. Here's a little break down of the tools I use. You can find out more on my Kit Profile.