With over a decade of live production experience, we put together this checklist of the things worth knowing and preparing for before you walk in the door.
So you’re doing your first show. Whether it’s an art installation, commercial shoot, live event, or music performance, every production shares common elements and a handful of small details that separate someone who looks like they’ve done this before from someone who clearly hasn’t. This blog won’t go deep on pre-production or negotiating compensation (both topics worth their own dedicated posts), but will focus on what you need to know for show day so you can walk in feeling like a pro.
Questions to Ask the Venue Before the Show
Don’t wait until load-in to figure these out. Get answers to these ahead of time, and you’ll avoid a lot of unnecessary scrambling.
What equipment does the venue provide, and what are you expected to bring?
Never assume. Some venues are fully stocked; others expect you to bring everything. Know before you arrive.
Is there a rental house involved?
If so, contact them early. Find out what’s being rented, whether there are spares for the gear you’re depending on, and who to call if something goes wrong on the day.
Can you get a layout of the space?
Know where you’ll be positioned during the show. If you need to see the stage to do your job, make sure you can from your position or flag it now so you can address it.
How will you communicate during the show?
Are there headsets? A radio system? A group chat? Know the communication plan before the show starts, not during it.
What’s the power situation?
How much power do you have access to? What voltage? Does the venue supply power strips and extension cords, or do you need to bring your own?
What is the show running on?
Your laptop, their server, or your own server? Is there a main machine and a backup? Know the technical setup end to end before you arrive.
What are the inputs and outputs?
SDI, HDMI, DisplayPort — clarify signal types early so there are no surprises at patch time. What is the output resolution?
How much time do you have to test on site?
This is critical. An hour of testing before doors is very different from ten minutes. Know what you’re working with and plan accordingly.
Is it a ‘show black’ setting?
Many productions require backstage crew to wear solid dark clothing: no bright colors, no logos. It’s a small thing, but showing up in the right attire is an easy way to signal that you know how productions work.
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Basic Equipment Checklist
These are the things worth having in your kit regardless of what the venue provides.
Laptop or server — Whatever the show is running on. If at all possible, have a backup machine. A show stopping because of a hardware failure with no fallback is a bad day for everyone.
Power strips — Ideally the venue provides these, but don’t count on it.
Gaffer’s tape — Many venues have it, but always carry a roll. Gaffer’s tape is easy to rip, easy to remove, leaves no sticky residue, and is strong enough to actually hold things down. It’s the professional standard for a reason. Don’t substitute duct tape or packing tape.
Necessary cables — main and backup — Label them so people know they’re yours and so you know which is which in the dark.
Headlamp — Most production environments are dark. If you’re checking cables under a table or troubleshooting in a server room, you need both hands. A headlamp in your bag costs almost nothing and makes you look like you’ve been doing this for years.
Sharpie — Label your cables, label your power strips, label your water bottle. Someone nearby will also need to borrow one, and you’ll be the most prepared person on the call.
Closed-toe shoes — Show environments have heavy equipment, sometimes above you. Protect your feet. This is non-negotiable on most professional sets.
Hard-wire everything — Avoid Bluetooth peripherals and stacks of dongles wherever possible. Bluetooth connections fail at the worst moments. Dongles are extra failure points. If you can get a laptop with a built-in Ethernet port rather than relying on a USB-C adapter, do it. A Bluetooth keyboard failing mid-VJ set is exactly as bad as it sounds.
Show Day Checklist
Pause updates and background processes.
Before the show, pause Windows updates. If you don’t need internet during the show, turn off WiFi. Quit Dropbox, Google Drive sync, or anything else that might consume resources, trigger a notification, or, worst case, restart your machine mid-show.
Gaffer tape down all cords.
Tape down your power strip. Tape down cables running along the floor. Keep it neat. Tripping hazards aren’t just a safety issue; a cord getting kicked loose during a show is a production problem. Run it clean, tape it flat, and use gaffer’s tape, not duct tape.
Dedicate a power strip to your production.
Don’t charge your phone on it. Don’t let anyone else plug into it. You want to know exactly what’s on that strip at all times so nothing unexpected gets unplugged or plugged in during the show.
Little Things That Matter
Never unplug a bulb projector without letting it cool down first.
After turning it off, wait. Unplugging a hot lamp projector significantly shortens its life. It’s an easy mistake to make once and a painful one for whoever owns the projector.
Learn how to wrap a cable properly.
How someone wraps a cable is one of the quickest ways to tell if they’re new to production. Messy wrapping is inconvenient for everyone and shortens the cable’s life. If you’re not sure how to do it, there are plenty of short videos online; worth five minutes of your time.
Be on time — or better, early.
Load-in schedules are tight, and other people’s work depends on yours being done. Being late is noticed.
Be kind to everyone on the call.
The best way to get rehired is to be someone people enjoy working with. That means the person in charge, yes, but also the security guard, the catering team, the PA running cables at the other end of the room. Everyone notices how you treat people, and the production world is smaller than it looks.
Wrap Up
Your first show will have surprises no checklist can fully prepare you for — that’s just the nature of live production. But walking in with your equipment sorted, your questions answered ahead of time, and the right habits already in place means the surprises you do hit are smaller and easier to handle.
The details on this list might seem minor individually, but together they’re what separate a smooth show from a stressful one. Take care of the small things, show up prepared, and be someone people want to have on a call again.
