A concert has no retakes and no script the camera knows
In November 2019 the second Eufonie International Festival of Central and Eastern European Music took place in Warsaw. It is organised by the National Centre for Culture. The concert we broadcast was played at the Warsaw Philharmonic.
With a symphony orchestra the picture has to follow the music. The camera must be on the instrument before it plays, not after the first bars. A solo sometimes lasts eight seconds, and there is no second take.
On top of that, a heritage hall. We do not drill, we do not block the audience's view and we do not move cameras during a piece.
The platform before the concert. Every chair is an entry you have to be ready to show.
Cutting from the score
Ania sat beside the director and read the music
This is the difference between broadcasting a concert and recording a hall from a few fixed points. At Eufonie, Ania worked next to the vision director, reading the score and calling the entries.
That way the director knew which instrument was about to play and had time to prepare the shot. Without it the cut is always a bar late — the online viewer hears the solo while still looking at the strings.
We also worked with a vision director who specialises in classical music, and chose camera operators who know the instruments and where they sit in an orchestra.
The broadcast position. Vision director, sound and the person on the score — all watching the same multiviewer.
How we did it
Eight cameras, full CCU control and audio from Polish Radio
Eight cameras on the concert
A wide shot, the conductor, the orchestral sections and the soloists. An orchestra is dozens of picture sources, so fewer than six cameras forces compromises on every solo.
Effect cameras
Angles you cannot get from an operator position: from above, from behind the stands, from the side of the platform. They give the cut room to breathe between soloist shots.
Full CCU control
Every camera chain controlled from one place. Hall lighting shifts during a concert, and pictures from eight cameras have to match in colour from the first bar to the last.
Operators who know the instruments
An operator who knows where the cellos sit finds them immediately. One who does not hunts for them in frame and arrives several bars late.
Audio from the Polish Radio OB van
The audio feed came from the Polish Radio outside broadcast van. The hall has its own microphone setup and sound crew, so there is no point duplicating it.
Altair intercom
Wireless talkback between the director and the operators. In a concert hall silence is part of the event, so instructions go to headsets only.
Recording
The concert in full
Playback starts here — no need to go to YouTube. The video loads only after you click.
The Eufonie festival
Eufonie - concert at the Warsaw Philharmonic
The Warsaw Philharmonic · 1 h 41 min
On location
The Philharmonic before the concert
Equipment
What was on this concert
8 camerasWide shots, conductor, sections and soloists
Effect camerasAngles from above and behind the stands
CCU controlEvery camera chain from one position
Two LiveU systemsTransmission with a backup path
Altair intercomWireless talkback with the operators
Polish Radio OB vanAudio feed from the radio sound crew
Score at the deskInstrument entries called live to the director
A crew that knows orchestrasDirector and operators from classical music
A solo lasts eight seconds. The camera has to be on the instrument before it plays, not after the first bars.
Onestream — Eufonie festival concert broadcast for the National Centre for Culture
The result
What this production delivered
1 h 41 minof concert in one continuous signal
8 camerasin a heritage hall, with nothing touched
2 pathsof transmission across two LiveU systems
The Eufonie festival runs across several Warsaw venues. This concert was played at the Warsaw Philharmonic, and on other festival days we worked at venues including the Porczyński Gallery. The whole festival is organised by the National Centre for Culture.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about classical concert live streaming
How is streaming a concert different from streaming any other event?
The picture has to follow the music. The camera must be on the instrument before it plays, not after the first bars. That is why someone sat beside the director at Eufonie reading the score.
Why do you need a score in the gallery?
To call the entries. The person on the score tells the director which instrument comes next, and the director has time to prepare the shot. Without it the cut is always a bar late.
How many cameras does a symphony orchestra need?
At Eufonie we used eight, including effect cameras. An orchestra is dozens of picture sources, so fewer than six forces compromises on every solo.
Do camera operators need to know music?
For classical music — yes. An operator who knows where the cellos sit finds them immediately. One who does not hunts for them in frame and arrives several bars late.
Where does the audio come from at a concert hall?
From the sound crew already there. At Eufonie the feed came from the Polish Radio OB van. The hall has its own microphone setup and engineers, so there is no point duplicating it.
What are effect cameras for?
For angles you cannot get from an operator position: from above, from behind the stands, from the side of the platform. In a concert they give the cut room to breathe between soloist shots.
Does broadcasting from a heritage hall need special arrangements?
Usually yes, and we plan it in advance. In concert halls we do not drill and we do not block sightlines, so camera positions are agreed with the venue before the day of the concert.
Planning a concert broadcast?
Tell us which hall and which ensemble. We will send a quote with a specific camera count and crew.
The platform before the concert. Every chair is an entry you have to be ready to show.
The platform before the concert. Every chair is an entry you have to be ready to show.
