Every semester, students in COMD 308 (Multi-Camera Production and Live-Recording) step into a professional broadcast environment to record Bilkent Symphony Orchestra concerts. They handle everything from planning and directing to camera operation and post-production, working as a real crew under real concert conditions. It’s one of the most demanding and rewarding experiences in the program, producing broadcast-quality recordings while building the kind of skills that only come from live production.

Production Setup

The crew works with five cameras and a remotely operated PTZ camera, connected via a digital AV mixer, an intercom system, and a monitoring setup. During each concert, the director calls shots while a dedicated mixer operator cuts between cameras in real time. The recording is then refined in post-production for its final version. Around 15 students crew each production, filling roles including Director, Production Manager, Camerapersons, Mixer Operator, and DIT. Roles rotate throughout the semester, and by the end, every student has worked both sides of the intercom.