EN
Gala live streaming — the 20th Wielka Gala Integracji online
A four-camera production of Poland’s largest event for the disability community, from the EXPO XXI hall in Warsaw. The signal went straight to the organiser’s YouTube channel — with a fully redundant mixer and encoder, because a gala only goes live once.
- ClientIntegracja
- Year2015
- Event20th Wielka Gala Integracji
- VenueEXPO XXI, Warsaw
- Production4 cameras, gallery in the hall
- DeliveryOrganiser’s YouTube live
A gala goes live once, and a whole community is watching
Wielka Gala Integracji sums up an entire year of work for people with disabilities — a community of more than five million people in Poland. Many of them will not travel to Warsaw, and for them the broadcast is not an extra: it is the only way to take part.
The event ran in the EXPO XXI hall under the honorary patronage of the President of Poland, with artists, journalists and company representatives taking part. The programme was continuous: stage performances, speeches and the formal section one after another, with no gaps in which to fix anything.
Every critical component had a backup
We built the setup around a single assumption: there is no second take, so there can be no single point of failure. The mixer, the encoder and the signal path each had a spare ready to switch over within seconds.
Four HD cameras around the stage
Sony PMW-300K1 and PMW-300K2: one camera on the stage axis, two at the sides for performances and speeches, and one covering wide shots of the hall. The setup gives a live cut that follows the rhythm of the programme instead of simply recording it.
Two vision mixers instead of one
The main ATEM 2 M/E 4K ran the programme while an ATEM 1 M/E stood beside it as a spare. At an event with no second take, a backup mixer is not redundancy for its own sake — it is the condition for staying calm.
Fibre instead of copper
Fibre links between the cameras and the gallery. In a hall this size the distances are too great for conventional cabling, and fibre picks up no interference from stage lighting or the PA system.
Two encoders on the output
The picture was encoded on a Teradek Slice, with a Teradek Cube waiting as backup. The encoder is the last link before the internet — if it fails, the viewer sees a black screen even though everything in the hall is working.
Delivery straight to the organiser’s channel
The broadcast went directly to Integracja’s YouTube channel, with no intermediate platform. Reach, comments and the recording stayed with the organiser, under the address circulated before the gala.
The gallery in the hall, not behind a wall
The production position was set up inside the hall with a view of the stage. The director reacted to what was happening live — an artist walking on, the audience responding — instead of working only from monitors.
What went to the gala
The stage and the evening’s programme
A gala goes live once. That is why everything critical has a backup.
What the client got
Gala live streaming — frequently asked questions
How many cameras does a gala broadcast need?
For a small gala two are enough: one on the stage axis and one for close-ups. For an event like Wielka Gala Integracji we worked with four — a main camera, two side positions for performances and speeches, and one covering wide shots of the hall. Four cameras let you cut in the rhythm of the event instead of holding one static frame all evening.
What happens if equipment fails during the gala?
That is exactly why we duplicate everything critical. At this gala we had a backup vision mixer and a backup encoder, both ready to switch over within seconds. A gala has no second take, so redundancy is part of the standard rather than a paid extra.
Can the broadcast go to our own YouTube channel?
Yes, and that is our default. We stream directly to the organiser’s channel, so reach, comments and analytics stay with you. The recording is available under the same link as soon as the broadcast ends, with no separate version to publish.
Is a broadcast possible in a large exhibition hall?
Yes, but the distances call for different cabling. At EXPO XXI we ran fibre links between the cameras and the gallery — conventional copper loses quality over those distances and picks up interference from the stage lighting.
Where does the gallery sit during a gala?
Ideally in the hall itself, with a view of the stage, as it was on this production. The director then sees an artist walking on and the audience reacting live, not only on monitors. If the organiser has no room for that, we work from a separate space or from an OB van.
How long does preparing a gala broadcast take?
For a four-camera setup with redundancy we count on a rigging day before the event: positioning cameras, running fibre, configuring both mixers and both encoders, and testing the stream on the destination channel. Everything has to be verified before the first guests arrive.
Your gala can have an audience beyond the room
We produce live streaming for anniversary, industry, charity and awards galas — from a two-camera setup to a full production with a redundant mixer and encoder and delivery to your own channel.