Role: Disguise Media Server Programmer & Operator
Clients: High Res x Indiepics x RTÉ One
Aired: Nov 2022 (S3)
This was my first live TV event as a Disguise programmer and operator. I had been learning Disguise for just three months having op’d The Pope’s Exorcist just a few weeks prior.
Although I had previously worked in live television at ShinAwiL, this was different. For the first time, I was directly responsible for what went to air, taking live cues from the director and responding in real time. It was a steep learning curve and, in hindsight, a significant amount of pressure.
Technically, the show consisted of one main LED screen and five vertical pillars. The pillars carried VTs, remote Skype contributors, and dynamic layouts that required live Picture in Picture compositions. I built and triggered these PIP setups within Disguise and used a Stream Deck to call looks quickly and cleanly. It was my first time integrating a Stream Deck into a live workflow, and it proved invaluable for speed and precision.
An additional detail that makes this show unforgettable: during load in, I left to play a rugby match and tore my ATFL. I returned to the studio on crutches and operated the show that way. Thankfully, the studio was on the top floor of the UCD Science Building and accessible by lift.
It was an intense introduction to live broadcast operation. A lot was new. The stakes were higher than I had known. But the show went to air smoothly, and it marked an important step in my development as a live operator.