Let’s talk live production!
As my full time television editor position nears the end of it’s contract, I am starting to look for new ways to reinvent NikPix Productions. This year, 2025, is the first year we are entering as a LLC, so I’ve spent a lot of time, money, and energy on setting up the business for success!
I am always looking for new ways to make sure that my clients are also set up for success; that means that sometimes I need to new creative avenues to explore, and I’ve decided that tournament/event live production will be the next step for my business!
January 18th, Collector’s Emporium. My first live production stream of a Pokemon VGC event!
The power of livestreams.
Ever since the first television broadcast in 1928, livestreaming has been a staple platform to share live news, event coverage, and connect with people all over the world.
In recent years, platforms such as YouTube and Twitch have pushed the live broadcast industry into new light and gained massive traction amongst the kids & young adult demographics. Livestreaming is now a full-time career for thousands of people around the world, some raking in millions per month and broadcasting to hundreds of thousands of viewers at a time. In fact, 7.3 MILLION channels go live on Twitch each month, and Twitch content has been viewed for over 21 BILLION hours! Did I mention Twitch only launched in June 2011?
My view as a broadcaster, behind the stage area for the competitors!
Behind the scenes of a live production.
So now we’ve established what a livestream may look like and why it’s something to consider when branding your business. But how do we actually go about setting one up? I’ll show you some behind the scenes photos from my Collector’s Emporium VGC stream!
Side view of the Collector’s Emporium VGC stream, featuring 2 Nintendo Switch setups and 2 player cameras.
My goal is to have a 3-4 camera setup for each stream, depending on the needs of each production. 1 camera would be dedicated to the two casters we hire, which we can cut to before and after matches, for in-depth analysis. Even though they will be talking during the matches themselves too, it’s nice to be able to focus on gameplay and look at the players while they think about their next move.
Which brings me to the next set of cameras: the player cams! I have 2 camers set up in the photo above, each setup to focus on one of the two players. I will overlay each camera on the gameplay screen so that viewers can watch their live reactions to critical hits, misplays, or amazing outplays in real time! I can also easily cut back to player cams between games while the casters talk about their performances and teams/decks.
Here is a screenshot taken from the Collector’s Emporium VGC stream. You can see the player teams on the left & right being updated in real time (by me!) as each Pokemon is revealed or knocked out.
As you can see above, I have a bunch of player and match information readily available for the viewers as well. At a quick glance, people can see what the player’s current record is, the match score, and the status of their teams. This helps advanced players understand the state of the game, and it helps newer players follow along with a basic understanding! I think these streams should always appeal to all types of fans, from casual to hardcore without alienating anyone in the process, especially when on a local level. We can leave the health of the game as a whole to the big Pokemon Company official broadcasts, but we are out here focusing on growing the local scene that players connect with on a weekly basis!
For TCG streams, we obviously can’t use a capture card on a device to visually show gameplay. So we hang a camera directly above the table to show the entire playspace!
Right here, I have the camera on a tripod arm angled up 45 degrees, pointing down at a 90 degree angle towards the play area. The lens I am using is a 16mm 1.4/f lens that allows me to grab the entire table while also letting the most amount of light in for the cleanest and brightest image possible.
I also have several pieces of lighting equipment if need be- this particular store had enough lighting where it wasn’t necessary, but that is not always the case! I will always scope out the area I will be filming at before the actual shoot date, that way I am never surprised and always prepared!
This is a quick look at the TCG overlay I’ve been working on for one of my clients. I am not a graphic designer, but I am working to improve every day so that I can provide the highest quality overlays for my clients.
I use a program called OBS, or Open Broadcast Software. It is a super powerful production program used by livestreamers and live productions nowadays. It has a built in audio mixer, video source list, allow for custom graphics & transitions, and much much more. Before any project, I will load up a new profile for each client and pre-plan custom made graphics and sources so that when game day comes, I am already set up and ready to go!
Each scene is highly customizable; it is a mix of pre-created graphics in Adobe Photoshop and text within OBS itself. That way, during the production, I am able to change every element I need to on the fly!
This video stuff is cool and all, but audio is where the production shines!
We plan to have casters come to these events and commentate the games to provide the audience with a higher level of understanding to the game. This also allows new players, who might be considering getting into the game, a path to entry; seeing local players play and learn a little bit on how to get started! But what do we need for this?
Well first, we need an audio interface that can take the audio from the headsets and transform it into something the computer can read, via USB. I recently purchased an Allen & Heath Zed 14, a huge 14 channel audio mixer that is going to take my stream productions to the next level!
A brand new mixer that I just bought! Allen & Heath Zed 14. Also featured is the Audio Technica BPHS1 broadcast headset.
The neat thing about this mixer is the fact that I was able to set up talkback functionality. This means that I can create a separate audio channel that lets me communicate to the casters in real time without the broadcast hearing it!
“Break ending in 10 seconds!”
“I need you to stall for time, about 5 minutes”
“They are setting up prize cards, so they are about to start”
“I’m really hungry, should I get a hamburger or some tacos?”
I know this mixer is a little overkill for what I want to do with these broadcasts right now, but I like to look at the bigger picture. This lets me experiment with bigger productions as we expand. Why buy ANOTHER audio mixer down the line? I like to buy one piece that will grow alongside me without having to keep re-buying the same thing over and over every time I need something better. And plus, as I get older, I get attached to things and don’t want to re-learn an entirely new unit. I will master something to the point where I can operate it with my eyes shut- and that’s how I like it!
I want to watch this!
Cool, I was hoping you’d say that! We can stream to multiple platforms at once, and you should definitely take advantage of that. (Un)Fortunately, there are a ton of social media sites available nowadays, and everyone has their favorites, so there’s absolutely no reason to just pick one and stick with it. So let’s get your streams on YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram at the same time! (There’s others too, like Facebook, X, and TikTok, but for now let’s focus on the big 3).
I can easily help your business set up any social media accounts necessary to get the streams going. Once live, a VOD will be recorded and saved online for anyone else to view. As a complementary gift, I will also download & chop up the stream to individual matches, interviews, and whatever else we filmed into bite size chunks that can be re-uploaded. This helps people find your videos online a lot easier! No one wants to sift through an 8 hour stream to find the exact moment for something. Plus you get more clicks and views, so everyone benefits!
Will my business benefit from this?
Simple answer: yes.
However, the most important part is promotion & consistency. With streaming, the most important thing is giving a viewerbase something to look forward to. Weekly streams, huge events, specific personalities; whatever it is that makes your business stand out is only the beginning. The best thing you can do for your business is to commit to a marketing strategy for a few months to see if what you’re doing is working.
While I was at Collector’s Emporium the other day, someone came in and said that they found the store online which is why they came by for the first time. This is what they had to say about the advertising:
The play space seemed clean, big, and comfortable
The staff & patrons seemed friendly, safe, & inclusive
The videos were highlighting products that they didn’t even know existed, and were interested in buying
Unprompted, she told us that she loved the content we were putting out at Collector’s (and LI TCG Show!) and that ultimately, this is why she came by the store. She didn’t know anyone in the communtiy but was willing to take the first step because of what she saw online.
I would love to work with any business looking to get into live streaming. Right now I am focused on tournament coverage for Pokemon, but I am always interested in expanding my horizons and learning something new. Please reach out to me if you are interested!
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I hope you learned a thing or two about the behind the scenes of live productions!
