Throughout your career, you may be asked to conduct a “Site Survey” ahead of a live production. When scouting a location, there are many questions that need to be answered, or you risk failure on the day of the show.
Step 1: Determining Truck Placement
The first thing that needs to be answered is where can the truck park? It is important to make sure any parking spaces used for the truck will be reserved for the day of the event. You need to know the pathway to the location. Are there any gates that could be a problem? Some places are better than others, but it is important to make sure that getting the truck in position is as practical as possible.
Step 2: Power
Next, you will need to determine how the truck will be powered. Requirements will vary per truck, but a good rule of thumb is that you need a dedicated circuit, typically 100 amps or greater. Again, it varies based on the individual truck requirements. If there is no shore power available, a generator will be required. Make sure to note when the generator will arrive, where it can be parked, and how it will be picked up after the event. It is also smart to make sure the truck isn’t blocked in by the generator, or else you may be stuck on site after the show.
Step 3: Camera Positions
The next thing to figure out is camera positions. Make sure the cameras have adequate, unobstructed view of the stage/field/event. If cameras are set up in bleachers, especially if there is a crowd nearby, make sure the venue is able to kill enough seats for both the camera and operator. If camera platforms are required, make sure that they are big enough, as well as split with one being for the operator and one for the camera. Sometimes scissor lifts may be required and may need to be rented. Ultimately, planning ahead is the most important thing. All cameras should be strapped down to their platforms. Make sure you have enough straps on the truck.
Step 4: Audio Needs
As far as audio goes, figuring out what is needed is one of the keys to a successful production. Sometimes, the truck works in conjunction with the staging crew and does nearly no audio only receives a feed from the house. Other times, the truck is on its own, setting up all the mics and other audio support equipment. Be sure you know where the audio needs to go to/comes from. If there are certain important locations, for example a broadcast booth, a specific tent for a band, or a podium for a presenter, make sure these are noted and planned for.
Step 5: Cable Paths
After you know where all the equipment goes and where the truck will be, the next step is to determine how the cables will be run. When thinking about cable paths, make sure to note a few important things. How long are the cable runs? Do they cross any paths with foot traffic? Do they need to be flown over anything? Do they go through any doors or windows? Is there anything that can act as a natural cable path? Will we need cable ramps to protect the cables from vehicle traffic? How many? When doing a site survey, using a google maps view can be especially helpful for planning cable paths. At the same time, there is no substitute for actually walking the proposed cable paths and looking for issues.
Step 6: Additional Notes
The last step for a site survey is to find out if there are any other noteworthy pieces of information that are important for the crew to know ahead of time. For example, are there time restrictions for accessing the venue? Are there security protocols that will impact the crew? Who is the contact person on site and what is their phone number? Obviously, the more information the crew has ahead of time, the better off everyone is. Think about the event as a whole and try to think about anything that could go wrong, then try to plan for these eventualities. It’s always better to be over prepared than under prepared, so ask as many questions as you can.
Written by: Victor Presley
Victor has been working in the broadcast industry since 2005. He has been in the engineering department since 2010, and has been Classic Teleproductions’ Chief Engineer since 2013.