23 recordings in just three days – our team really didn’t get bored at the Munich Security Conference. The fast pace, flexible switching and concentration at the touch of a button – we were also really challenged during our third engagement. To put it in the words of our livestream producer Andy: the security conference is always a highlight. That’s why we want to look back on four challenging but also memorable days.
The internationalisation of the Security Conference: growing global participation
The Munich Security Conference is becoming increasingly globalised. This is also reflected in the number of participants: around 50 heads of state and government, more than 100 ministers and over 700 representatives from think tanks, non-governmental organisations and companies discuss aspects of security policy for three days. The so-called Munich Rule plays a decisive role here: “Engage and interact with each other: Don’t lecture or ignore one another”. To open up these talks, discussions and results to the outside world, there is the MSC Studio. Journalists and media professionals can use the studio for a set period of time. The Stream1 team is again responsible for broadcasting or recording the dialogue. The Munich agency Lobeco has placed its trust in us and co-operated with us for the past three years.
Collaboration in the MSC studio: Lobeco and Stream1 in action
Our team consisted of six colleagues this time: While Michael took over the live direction in the YouTube studio, Andy (live director), Jakob (camera operator), Tobi (sound engineer), Martin (chief of service) and Melanie (studio assistant) were busy in the MSC studio. In the MSC studio, journalists, podcasters and editors have the opportunity to record an interview, TV show or discussion panel professionally and in high quality or to stream it live. There are several slots per day that journalists can book. As the actors come from all over the world and shoot for different formats, we have to be equipped for everything in order to be able to react quickly. While one slot requires a podcast episode and therefore only audio, other journalists would prefer a live link to their TV studio in Berlin.
Flexibility in production: challenges and solutions
As a producer, this means Reacting quickly and responding flexibly to journalists’ requirements. For example, we often had to adapt the video format: from 25 frames per second to 60 frames and back again. Or the camera angles should rather film the presenter from the front. So quickly switch the PTZ camera to the desired position. Thanks to remote control, our PTZ cameras can be flexibly repositioned and operated centrally via a control panel.
Celebrities in front of the lens: a list of interview guests
But who was in front of our lens to answer journalists’ questions? Here is an incomplete list of representatives from politics, think tanks and NGOs:
- Marietta Slomka, Anchorwoman, ZDF
- Sigmar Gabriel, former Vice-Chancellor of Germany
- Jan Philipp Burgard, Editor-in-Chief of Welt TV
- Wolfgang Ischinger, Former German Ambassador to the United States and long-time organiser of the Munich Security Conference
- Ingrida Šimonytė, Prime Minister of Lithuania
- Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece
- Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister
- Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives USA
- David Cameron, Foreign Secretary Great Britain
- Brad Smith, Vice Chairman and President of Microsoft
- Düzen Tekkal, German author and television journalist
After three eventful days, the entire MSC studio had to be dismantled relatively quickly so that normal hotel operations could resume the next day. But when five people are rolling up cables, packing up cameras and unplugging lights at the same time, the dismantling goes quickly. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Lobeco in particular, with whom we successfully broadcast interviews with politicians for the third time. For us, the MSC studio is a unique opportunity to be close to the political action for three days.
