For this project, we partnered with the Philip Woo Big Band to produce a multi-camera recording of a live concert in Seattle. Our responsibilities included sourcing local production talent and equipment, coordinating additional gear transported from Los Angeles, capturing the performance with multiple cameras, and recording multitrack audio for a comprehensive post-production mix.
Working outside our home market required a production strategy that balanced efficiency with consistency. Rather than transporting an entire crew and equipment package from Southern California, we sourced local professionals and production resources in Seattle while bringing essential components of our established workflow from Los Angeles. This hybrid approach allowed us to maintain familiar technical standards while benefiting from the expertise and logistical advantages of working with local crew.
To streamline the editorial process, we employed a live-to-tape workflow, switching between cameras during the performance to create a working edit in real time. This approach significantly reduces the amount of post-production required compared with recording multiple cameras independently and assembling the entire concert afterward. It also allows editorial decisions to be guided by the energy and progression of the performance as it happens.
Audio, however, requires its own dedicated approach. While a live camera edit can dramatically accelerate video delivery, concert audio benefits from the additional control provided by multitrack recording. By capturing individual audio sources separately, the production preserves the flexibility to balance instruments, refine dynamics, and create a polished mix after the performance.
This separation of workflows allows the production to benefit from both approaches: the efficiency of real-time video editing and the precision of dedicated audio post-production. The result is a more complete representation of the concert, with visual coverage that follows the performance and sound that reflects the character of the ensemble.
