1) Creating a Show: Producers & Bookers
For onboarding new shows or events into LSM, a producer/booker will go into the software and create a canvas for their assigned show/event. They would assign a show name, network it is on, general location, and show time.
Detailed Steps:
Create New Show/Event Canvas
Enter Show/Event Name
Enter General Location
Assign Network
Enter show time
If reoccurring, enter days it reoccurs
Create Canvas
2) Booking Live Shots: Producers & Bookers
The bookers and producers will be deciding who to fill the open live shot segments for their show/event and contact potential guests through Guest Tracker, which houses every person NBC has ever had on-air and their contact information.
After the guest agrees to be on the show, they can be added to the show rundown and they move onto the next step of instantiating live shot objects for them.
*Booking in Guest Tracker may auto-instantiate a new live shot object.
3a) Setting Up the Canvas: Producers & Bookers
A booker/producer will then enter their assigned canvas and instantiate a blank live shot objects in the canvas, or search for objects in the repository of available live shots and add it to their canvas, to set up the show/event canvas.
They would make sure that every live shot in the show rundown is available in the canvas. That includes the main host and studio, which they would pin to the top.
Creating a live shot object in a canvas will also add it to the repository of available live shots for all canvases to use.
* TPMs and TPCs can also instantiate objects and some may be auto instantiated from Guest Tracker.
Detailed Steps:
Setting Up a Show/Event Canvas (See step 3b for full details of instantiating live shot objects in a canvas)
Create live shot object for studio & pin to the top
User could also search for this studio object and add to canvas if already created
Create live shot object for host & pin to the top
User could also search for this host object and add to canvas if already created
Add live shot objects for guests
On Set Guests
Either spawn live shot object from studio object
Or create new live shot object in canvas and select “On-Set”
Or search for this guest object and add to canvas if already created
Off Set Guests
Create new live shot object in canvas and select “Off-Set”
Or search for this guest object and add to canvas if already created
Add live shot objects for miscellaneous shots if necessary (Event, Other templates)
Create new live shot object in canvas
Or search for this object and add to canvas if already created
3b) Instantiating Live Shots: Producers & Bookers
When creating new live shots in a canvas or adding them from the repository of live shots, producers & bookers will fill in metadata fields to the best of their ability. Production notes is most important to producers & bookers.
After first pinning a main studio object at the top of the live shot canvas, users will have to identify if the guests or hosts objects are on set or not.
* TPMs and TPCs can also instantiate objects.
Detailed Steps:
Creating Live Shot Objects
Select object template
Select Preset (optional)
Enter General Info
Name
General Location
Window
Hit Time(s)
Identify if “On-Set” or “Off-Set”
Enter Production Notes
Hair & Makeup
Enter Technical Information
Select Studio/Truck (Transmission) if identified as “Off-Set”
Should auto-fill in transmission notes, studio contact, and telephone when selecting a studio/truck
Enter technical notes exceptions if necessary
Object Expiration
By default, objects expire at 3am next day of air
Ability to extend object expiration & select specific datetime
Create live shot
4) Review Live Shots & Assign Paths: TPMs & TPCs
A TPM/TPC will book a studio/truck for all the live shots in the show/event canvas (if it has not already been done so) and confirm the transmission notes are correct for every live shot in the canvas. They may enter important routing exceptions in the technical notes too. After, they will set up the routing paths of that object.
If the live shot object is “On Set”, it will adopt the main studio’s routing interconnects (assuming the studio object has already been marked “ready-for-air”) and a TPM/TPC will have to select which studio cameras the host is on and assign phone lines.
If the live shot object is identified as off set, they would set up the path data for the remote truck/studio. A user also has the ability to select a path present or save a new one.
Once all the metadata and paths have been finalized, if components of the live shot are coming from outside of the building, it will be mark as “Needs Media Traffic review” and submitted. If it is an internal “on set” live shot, a TPM/TPC will mark it as “Ready-For-Air”.
Detailed Steps:
Live shot object review & paths setup
Review live shot metadata
On Set Live Object vs. Off Set
On Set:
Select studio cameras guest will appear on
Assign phone lines
If necessary, enter technical notes exceptions
Mark as “Ready-For-Air”
Save route changes
If necessary, send to Media Traffic for Review
Off Set:
Confirm studio/truck transmission notes are correct
If necessary, enter technical notes exceptions
Edit Path Data to align with needs
Save new preset (optional)
Save route changes
Send to Media Traffic for review
5) Review Live Shots: Media Traffic
If the object requires their review (i.e. a component of the live shot comes into the building from outside the building), Media Traffic sees the new object and assigns all the global attributes/routing information of that object. The global path will indicate the REM. They also assign a P.O. # (purchase order) per each hit time of a live shot.
Sometimes they may edit tech notes if circumstances change (i.e., if a studio was recalled).
Detailed Steps:
Reviewing Live Shots - Media Traffic
Review path setup by TPM/TPCs
Assign global routing - The REM
Assign P.O. #
Mark as reviewd by Media Traffic
Save Changes
8) Control Room: TDs and Audio
Folks in the control room can interact with objects and execute their show plan by taking or taking or grabbing live shots/individual paths. This will make sure the control room routes are set up properly before the first hit time airs.
TDs and TPMs can will execute routing resources to what the director wants. If another control room attempts to grab a shot that has already been grabbed, users can manage those permissions through their notifications.
Control rooms can grab and take shots before they are ready for air, but signals won’t be physically routed until the live shot object has been marked “ready-for-air”.
Detailed Steps:
Executing Show Plan: Control Room
Grab or take any number of live shots and path. Below are possible actions
Grab path
Take path
Grab all paths of object
Take all paths of object
Request to grab all paths of object
If another control room has already grabbed the object
Go to notifications
Release control
Ignore control request
7) Marking Off-Set Shots as “Ready-For-Air” - TPMs & TPCs
Once TPMs and TPCs have seen that Media Traffic has marked an off-set live shot as reviewed, they will fill in any information they need to and mark a live shot as “ready-for-air”. If the object doesn’t require media traffic review they can mark the shot “ready-for-air” whenever they need to. This is the last step of the process before a live shot goes on air.
Control rooms can continue changing route paths by swinging ownership and grabbing/taking other live shots and paths after it has been marked “ready-for-air” and/or the show has started.
Detailed Steps:
Marking Off-Set Shots as “Ready-For-Air” - TPMs/TPCs
See that Media Traffic has reviewed shot
Maybe make final edits
Mark as "Ready-For-Air"
Save Changes