Filming and Livestreaming a Music Legend

website to music festival

Recently, a company in Chicago called us looking for a Portland-local crew to film Raphael Saadiq for the Essence Festival 2020. We were excited for the opportunity to film the legendary R&B artist. It was a privilege to work with a local studio, The Map Room, to make the video look and sound great for the festival.

Video Services Tailored to Customer Needs

Per our client’s request, we provided a livestream of the entire production during filming. With tight deadlines on their end, they wanted to ensure the look and sound hit the mark. We were asked to film 2 angles, a wide and a close up, and stream both simultaneously for their review. We would provide raw footage to their specifications, and they would edit. As with any project, we were happy to provide as much or as little assistance as needed, in planning, filming, and/or editing. Meeting clients’ needs is always the priority!

Setting Up a Livestream Production

While the talented Map Room host, Josh Powell, set up the audio, our crew loaded in video equipment. For a little 8-minute video, many people would be surprised at the room full of equipment! But we all knew this needed to look and sound a certain way, and the feed needed to go through without hiccups. A hefty pile of the right equipment goes a long way to make a production–especially a live production–go smoothly!

For the video feed, we ran audio from the sound board into both cameras for backup, and then ran the entire audio/video feed to the Tricaster for streaming. We set up to record media directly to both cameras, and a backup of each in the Tricaster.

a camera operator wearing a mask for Covid-19 checks sound in headphones while standing behind two cameras inside a sound studio

Creating “The Look”

While our livestreaming tech configured the video stream cables, boxes and settings, our DP set lights and cameras. The studio had a wall lined with guitars that we chose for the background. In order to create the slightly moody and flattering look, we set up a combination of Kino Flo lights and a 1×1 LED panel. For extra color and a vibe to fit the mood, we put a purple LED uplight below the guitars. By the time Raphael Saadiq arrived for his recording session, the studio was dialed in and ready to go for his final sound check to start.

camera, lights and sound being set up for a video shoot at the Map Room in Portland, Oregon

A Beautiful Video and a Happy Customer

We were grateful for the opportunity to serve this customer, and provide them with a great experience and the exact footage they needed for the music festival. It is always a pleasure and a privilege to collaborate with talented folks to make something beautiful. Are you looking for help with a video or livestream production? We’d love the opportunity to help. Contact our team to learn more today!

About the Author

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Rachel Koehler

As the producer for VideoPro, Rachel coordinates all our client projects. Her background includes commercial video production, drone piloting, and chocolate making. She loves working with people and learning something new every day.