Live AV Production: Why Gamers Were Right All Along
Over the years, gamers have gotten really good at digging into systems and figuring out clever ways to push them further. Whether it’s strafe jumping in old shooters or those weird NES rolling tricks, we’re always finding solutions to problems nobody else even notices.
Sure, you might be thinking, “I don’t exactly use an NES controller to run my lights.” And you’re right. It’s not really about clicking buttons faster. It’s about the mindset — spotting problems where other people don’t see any, and then fixing them.
Take esports players. Most of them ditch the default keybinds right away. They rearrange everything so their fingers aren’t fighting each other under pressure. If one finger is stuck doing too much, everything slows down.
We do the same thing in live AV without realizing it. When the speaker’s mic comes up, can you actually fire graphics, tweak lights, and handle audio all at the same time? Or are your hands tangled? What if your main AES line dies mid-show — do you have a quick backup ready, or does everything grind to a halt? And when the client drops a last-second change (because that never happens, right?), can you slot it in safely without messing up what’s already live?
The best approach is to go through every part of your workflow with that same gamer mentality. Think about redundancy, hand positioning, hotkeys, and what-ifs. It’s all about building a setup that lets you move fast and stay in control when things get chaotic.