Notes from our crews on camera work, live signal management and getting feeds to broadcasters cleanly.
We publish short, practical articles drawn from our daily work in broadcast feeds. They cover location shooting, signal routing and delivery, written for producers and event organisers.
Distribution
A step-by-step look at choosing between satellite, fibre and secure internet transfer, and what to settle with the receiving control room before the feed leaves the venue.
Daniel Okafor
Continue reading
Event Feeds
A checklist from our senior camera operator for producers weighing up switched multi-camera coverage of a stage or large event, covering venue, crew, signal path and delivery.
Priya Shah
Continue reading
Camera crews
Most problems on a location shoot start days before the cameras roll. Helen Marsh sets out six common mistakes we see with on-location crews, and the simple habits that prevent them.
Helen Marsh
Continue reading
Pricing
A plain look at how we price live signal management, which parts of a job raise or lower the figure, and what to tell us when you ask for a quotation.
Priya Shah
Continue reading
Customer story
Aisha runs a regional evening news desk. One autumn afternoon a council story broke an hour before her bulletin, and we built a live insert around it. Here is how that hour went.
Tom Eccleston
Continue reading
Distribution
As autumn weather sets in, delivery paths need more thought than in summer. Daniel Okafor explains how to choose and test satellite, fibre or secure internet routes before the winter schedule fills
Daniel Okafor
Continue reading
Trade Terms
A plain-words guide to three terms that come up whenever a multi-camera event is booked for television, and why getting them straight early saves trouble later.
Helen Marsh
Continue reading
Camera Crews
Two ways to staff an on-location shoot for broadcast: a crew drawn from near the venue, or a crew travelling from Shrewsbury. Where each works best, and which we would choose.
Tom Eccleston
Continue reading
Behind the scenes
A camera operator's view of what happens between the lens and the studio: the checks, the monitoring and the quiet routines that keep a live feed stable from venue to control room.
Priya Shah
Continue reading
News Support
The question we hear most from news producers is how fast a live insert can really be arranged. Here is the plain answer, with what we need from you and what shapes the timing.
Helen Marsh
Continue reading
Company news
A look at the delivery stage of Content Distribution: how a finished feed leaves our hands by satellite, fibre or secure internet transfer, and what a control room expects to receive.
Helen Marsh
Continue reading
Behind the Kit
A look at the cameras, cabling, switching and checks we rely on when covering a stage or large event, and why each choice is made for the broadcaster at the other end.
Helen Marsh
Continue reading
Camera Work
A practical guide from a senior camera operator on what to send a crew ahead of a news, concert or festival shoot, so the day starts with answers rather than questions.
Priya Shah
Continue reading
Signal Checklist
Before you commit to a live signal provider, work through these questions on routing, monitoring, backup paths and hand-offs so the feed stays stable from venue to studio.
Helen Marsh
Continue reading
News Support
Most failed live inserts trace back to a handful of avoidable errors made before the camera goes on. Tom Eccleston walks through five common ones and what to do instead.
Tom Eccleston
Continue reading
Distribution
A plain look at how delivery of a finished feed is priced, from satellite booking to fibre and secure internet transfer, and which details change a quotation.
Tom Eccleston
Continue reading
Customer case
Marcus runs a small arts trust and needed a charity concert switched live for a regional programme. This is how the multi-camera feed was planned, cut and handed over.
Helen Marsh
Continue reading
Seasonal advice
Short days, wet ground and early sunsets change how an outdoor shoot is run. Helen Marsh sets out what we prepare for in the coming months before a camera crew goes on location.
Helen Marsh
Continue reading
Trade Terms
A plain-words guide to three terms heard in every control room, return feed, talkback and cue, and why each one matters when a live signal travels from venue to studio.
Tom Eccleston
Continue reading
News Support
Two ways to bring live pictures into a bulletin: a dedicated feed for a single programme, or a shared insert slot. A comparison from signal operations, with a clear recommendation.
Daniel Okafor
Continue reading
Distribution
A senior camera operator follows a recording from the end of a shoot to the broadcaster's control room, and explains what the distribution team does with it along the way.
Priya Shah
Continue reading
Event Feeds
One question comes up on almost every enquiry: what do we actually need to send you, and what do we get back? Here are the plain answers on switched coverage of stages and large events.
Tom Eccleston
Continue reading
commonra supplies broadcast-ready video feeds, camera crews and live signal management to news and television producers from its base in Shrewsbury.
News by email
SubscribeThis website uses only the cookies and browser storage it needs to work, for example to remember your choice on this notice. Cookie policy