LiveEdit Real-Time Collaboration Software for Show Production

In 2018, I was on the set of the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, and I realized that, of all the live productions I’ve ever seen, it had to be the most complex. It featured a huge number of moving lights plus moving sets, moving truss, robotic cameras, and LED video elements, yet it ran as smoothly as clockwork. All the technology was choreographed and synchronized to within a hair’s breadth, producing one of the tightest productions I’ve ever seen using the biggest front of house I had ever seen.

LiveEdit is a centralized show hub where directors, producers, lighting designers, video teams, stage managers, and artists can access the same timecode synchronized timeline, media assets, and notes using a browser, tablet, or desktop.

What stood out even more was how relaxed everyone sitting behind the many consoles, computers, and displays looked. I saw none of the scurrying about you might associate with a production of this size. And that raised one looming question: How did they do it? Eurovision is a live event in an arena filled with thousands of people on top of a live broadcast, where precision timing and coordinated communication are essential. There are myriad details to plan and execute, and the integration of a huge amount of information across numerous departments can be complicated. But the production had a secret weapon, or, more accurately, a not-so-secret software tool called LiveEdit. It is designed to unify the timeline and media, provide visual feedback, and give the production crew a collaborative platform for show prep and production.

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