The Playbook for a Smooth Live Stream
In a previous blog, we talked about the value of rehearsing before a live virtual event. Can you go live “cold turkey”? Sure. But why gamble? Rehearsals are where corporate, creative, and technical teams smooth out the inevitable wrinkles in a complex production. If you’ve never been through one, you might wonder what it actually looks like, and how you prepare executives who are always short on time.
At Fifteen4, we’ve run countless rehearsals. Here’s how a typical one plays out.
How much rehearsal time do you need?
Plan on at least one rehearsal day for every live event day. One equals one. Two equals two. That’s the baseline. But don’t treat it as a cap, depending on whether your show is remote, in-studio, or hybrid, setup and technical prep might justify more time.
The day starts with setup
Think of a rehearsal day like a 10-hour shoot. The first half is all about the tech: cameras, lighting, audio, computers, backups, redundancies. Sometimes that setup phase alone takes a full day, especially if the space is being transformed into a temporary studio.
Then come the assets
Every element that makes up your virtual event, music, slides, graphics, videos, interactive features, gets ingested, organized, and tested multiple times. Remote guests with unique setups need their own display builds and checks. By now, hours have passed and only then are you ready to move into a true rehearsal.
Working with talent
Onsite speakers usually come in after the tech team has things stabilized so they’re not sitting around. Remote speakers get a minimum of 30 minutes with us beforehand to confirm equipment, review the game plan, and ask questions. Featured speakers often need more time.
Once everyone’s onboard, we move into a run-through. We recommend at least one full pass of the entire show, not every session in full detail, but a click-through of each section in order. This gives presenters context for flow and transitions. Executives often want to linger on their presentations to fine-tune. That’s fine, as long as time is budgeted. Within a rehearsal day, we’ll either squeeze in multiple passes or drill into the more complex portions of the program.
From rehearsal to live day
After rehearsals, we roll right into live day with a clear game plan. We always leave a few hours beforehand for final testing and a light warm-up so executives can shake off nerves before going live. That extra cushion can make all the difference.
Encore, anyone?
Rehearsals aren’t just for Hamlet in the high school gym. They’re what make your virtual event polished, engaging, and under control when it matters most. A seamless show only looks effortless because of the work done beforehand, giving your executives time to sharpen their message and your crew the space to catch every detail.