High quality audio visual facilities can really make a difference to your event. It can create the perfect atmosphere, ensuring that everyone can see and hear what is happening and create images that your audience will never forget.
Yet this effect is not achieved instantly. It is not a matter of bringing in a few performers or speakers, getting an audience and bringing in a few pieces of AV kit, fitting them together and hoping that everything works. Taking the time to talk to AV experts and identify the best AV equipment to create the image you want, allowing enough time to set up and prepare in advance, as well as having spare items at hand in case of sudden emergencies is essential.
Such advance preparation becomes even more essential when your event involves performers. Top choreographer Royston of RnD Creatives, points out that ‘quality is key. It is the quality of performance, of visuals and audio quality. Social media has meant that there is a great need to improve all visual performances. People are using Iphones, taking pix and recording elements of concerts and putting them on social media within minutes. It has become an important part of the audience experience.”
Production rehearsals have become ever more crucial. It gives the cast and the AV technicians time to iron out any problems and make any changes that are necessary. Something as simple as arriving at a location and finding that the performers cannot enter from the left onto the stage as they had practiced, and can only enter from the right, requires instant changes to the performance, to the AV and lighting. Such changes need to be noted and rehearsed to ensure a perfect performance on the day. Finding out such glitches occur just before the performance leads to a less than professional performance – and the audience is left with a very unfavourable impression which could well be transmitted worldwide within seconds if mishaps occur.
The situation becomes even harder when there are multiple performers following one after another, all of whom have different requirements. The potential for disaster is always present.
Time is all that is needed to minimise any risk of disaster. Allowing time to rehearse, to practice, to set up properly and check out the venues makes all the difference. Rehearsing and checking out the AV equipment, facilities and the way it links into the overall production is crucial to ensuring the success of any event, be it large or small.
