Carmen Mac Williams and Richard Wages
Video Conducting the Olympic Games 2008: The iTV Field Trial of the EU-IST Project LIVE
Abstract: The EU IP project LIVE investigates novel iTV formats,
production methods and tools for staging of live media events in a professional broadcast
environment. The vision of LIVE is to change the role of the traditional live TV Director
to become a future 'Video Conductor' communicating in real-time with his audience. The concept
of 'video conducting' can be likened to a modern day operatic performance on screen.
To deliver live stage performances the Conductor must in real-time direct the actors on stage,
the orchestra in the pit, and respond to the audience’s mood to ensure a quality of drama. In
the upcoming field trial of LIVE the public Austrian TV Station ORF will video conduct the
Olympic Games 2008 in a closed wall IPTV environment for 500 test end users.