Live production: Five golden rules of working in high-stressed environments

There are many industries where high-pressure and working processes go hand in hand. Tight deadlines, real-time updates, unpredictability, and high stakes can turn the whole process into complete chaos. Today, we will focus on live production and ways to minimize tension and the risk of mistakes for on-air shows. Here are a few management hacks that live event specialists should know to handle the hectic flow of real-time production.

Plan your work and work your plan

There is much talk about preparation being key, which is 100% true. Preparing upfront minimizes the risk during a live broadcast. However, what should preparation include? 

"For me, the most crucial part is pre-production. Spending extra time preparing the pipelines and content upfront is far better than dealing with the stress and chaos of fixing issues or adjusting the flow while you're already live.

Technical rehearsal is also an integral part of the process. Basically, it's all about walking through the Run of Show (RoS), ensuring every department knows its roles and responsibilities for the day. It's also the perfect time to answer last-minute questions and tweak the RoS before we're officially live," shares Nik Fert, a broadcast producer at WePlay Studios.

It takes a village

The biggest mistake many specialists working in highly stressful environments make is trying to directly control all processes rather than keeping a finger on the pulse where possible. Instead of strategic oversight, team managers fall into the trap of micromanagement, which leads to slower and more insufficient processes. Delegation ensures success for a single event and contributes to the company's long-term objectives.

"The key is never to shy away from delegating—that's crucial. No matter how skilled you are, you can't handle every process with top-notch quality.

As a Broadcast Producer, I manage all communications and maintain the creative consistency of the show, but other team members don't sit idle, either. Technical Director/Vision Mixer makes every segment of the show technically and creatively seamless. GFX/Overlays Operator handles all the broadcast visuals. It's a high-pressure job, especially when last-minute content comes just minutes before we go live. AC1/Audio Engineer maintains live comms with the talent, syncs audio perfectly with AR visuals, and manages multiple feeds with different audio configurations. Broadcast Engineers are magic-makers behind the scenes who develop technical setups for content ideas. 

The change-makers in esports broadcasts are in-game observers, simply saying they are cameramen in the game. At some point, this stands as the most important role in the room as they are the only people who can make each game feel unique. They pick the angles, the stories, and the stats and turn your attention to the smallest details. In sports, a key item in the game usually helps you follow it; in esports, there are multiple items in different parts of the game. So to make esports bigger and reach new audiences, observers are crucial. I've only mentioned a few roles, but in reality, there are many specialists you must rely on. Without them, nothing would work out," comments Nik Fert.

Speak up, listen up, and build up

Conversations may seem unnecessary in highly stressed processes. This is only a matter of truth. While the team should spend valuable time achieving set goals, a smooth workspace is impossible without coordinated communication.

"Effective communication is essential both before and during the show. It's about motivating the entire team, aligning everyone to the same vision, and making it a shared goal. When each team member feels invested and contributes their creative input, the whole production benefits, and everyone cares about making the show successful.

One of the main mistakes in production management that I can name is trying to jump to the most popular management and assignment tool on the market. I just want to outline that the Broadcast Production Crew, especially in Esports, combines different professions, approaches, and needs. The best approach would be to appreciate that and come up with the simplest tool, even if that is as simple as Google Docs/Sheets. If that works by simply being easy to understand - that is your way." thinks Nik.

Go with the flow if needed

Time matters, but it should work in your favor, not the other way around. You are in charge of scheduling and can adapt or change it as you feel it.

"Be flexible with timings. During the show, if a segment is working well, don't hesitate to let it run longer, even if it means adjusting the timing of the next parts. So it is crucial to remember that plans are just templates; everything is moving and changing - you are here to set the direction of the changes. But you have to always keep in mind - no matter how flexible you are - you MUST be on time - that’s the most important thing." states Nik Fert.

Stay calm and keep it together

Here is the most obvious yet often overlooked advice: Remember that your first reaction may not be the best option, so always take a deep breath and only then come to business.

“No stress, no drama. Stay calm, no matter what happens, and lead the team like everything's running smoothly - even if it's not. During one of our game shows, we spent 30 minutes of a live broadcast solving the technical problems of participants. So we just rolled with the punches and filled the time with fantastic player interviews and an impromptu live tour of the venue. It wasn't what we planned, but the audience stayed engaged and entertained, so I'd call that a win," adds Nik Fert.

Working in a high-stress environment is not for everyone. Like any other type of job, it has obvious pros and cons. However, if your passion lies in this field, you should remember that the tension won't disappear, so learning how to work with it and manage processes effectively is important.