Technical Rehearsal Guide: A Checklist for Live Events
• John Barker
A tech rehearsal is the production equivalent of a dress rehearsal — it’s where you discover that the video doesn’t play, the microphone feeds back, and the lighting cue is three seconds late. Better to find all of that now than in front of 500 people.
What is a technical rehearsal?
A technical rehearsal (or “tech rehearsal” / “tech run”) is a run-through of the entire show focused on the technical elements — audio, video, lighting, graphics, staging, and transitions. It’s not about the content being perfect; it’s about making sure every cue works and the crew knows the flow.
The goal is simple: by the end of the tech rehearsal, every crew member should be able to run the show from their position without surprises.
When to schedule it
The day before the event is ideal. This gives you time to fix any issues that come up without the pressure of an audience arriving in two hours.
If you only have the venue on show day, schedule the tech rehearsal as early as possible — typically right after load-in and basic setup. Leave enough buffer between the rehearsal and doors opening to address problems.
Duration: For a two-hour show, plan at least two hours for tech rehearsal. Complex productions (awards shows, broadcast events, multi-segment conferences) may need four or more hours.
Before the rehearsal
Finish setup first
Don’t start a tech rehearsal until all equipment is set up, connected, and basically functional. Troubleshooting a cable run while the rest of the crew waits is a waste of everyone’s time.
Pre-rehearsal checklist:
- All audio equipment set up and signal-checked
- All cameras positioned and outputting to the switcher
- Lighting rig focused and basic looks programmed
- Graphics system loaded with all content
- Video playback loaded and tested individually
- Comms system working across all positions
- Confidence monitors and teleprompters displaying correctly
- Streaming / recording tested if applicable
- Rundown distributed to all crew with the latest version
Brief the team
Before you start, gather the crew and walk through the rundown. Explain:
- The overall flow of the show
- Any segments that are complex or unusual
- Which cues are time-critical (hard starts, live broadcast moments)
- What you’re specifically looking for during the rehearsal
Running the rehearsal
Go cue by cue
Don’t rush through the show at performance speed. The tech rehearsal is your chance to test every individual cue:
- Call each cue as you would during the live show — this trains the crew to respond to your calls
- Pause after each cue to verify — did the right video play? Did the lighting change look correct? Did the audio level sound right?
- Note issues but keep moving — write down problems to fix later rather than stopping to troubleshoot each one (unless it’s blocking subsequent cues)
Test transitions
The moments between segments are where most problems hide. Focus on:
- Walk-on and walk-off timing — how long does it take talent to get to their mark?
- Set changes — can the crew change the set within the allotted time?
- Audio transitions — fading between live mics, playback, and music
- Lighting transitions — do cross-fades between looks work smoothly?
- Video transitions — switching between live cameras, VTs, and graphics
Use stand-ins if talent isn’t available
If presenters or performers aren’t available for the tech rehearsal, use stand-ins. Someone needs to walk the stage, speak into the microphone, and stand on the marks so you can check camera shots, audio levels, and lighting.
Run the full show at least once
After working through individual cues, do a complete run-through at show speed. This reveals pacing issues, crew fatigue points, and timing problems that don’t appear when you’re stopping and starting.
What to check
Audio
- Every microphone works and is correctly assigned
- Audio levels are balanced across all sources
- Monitor mix is correct for performers and presenters
- Playback audio (videos, music) levels match live sources
- No feedback in any microphone position
- Comms audio is clear at all crew positions
Video
- Every camera shot is framed correctly for each segment
- All VTs play from the correct cue point
- Graphics trigger correctly and display properly
- Confidence monitors show the right content
- IMAG screens display correctly
- Stream/recording output looks correct
Lighting
- Every lighting look is programmed and triggered correctly
- Transitions between looks are smooth
- Spotlights (followspots) can track talent to all positions
- No unwanted shadows or dark spots on stage
- Lighting works with the camera (no flickering, correct color temperature)
Staging
- Talent can move between positions safely
- Set pieces are stable and secure
- Props are in position and accessible
- Cable runs are taped down and not a trip hazard
- Backstage pathways are clear and lit
After the rehearsal
Debrief immediately
While everything is fresh, gather the key crew and go through the issues list:
- Critical fixes — things that must be resolved before the show (broken equipment, wrong content, safety issues)
- Adjustments — timing changes, level tweaks, cue reordering
- Nice-to-haves — improvements that would be great but aren’t essential
Update the rundown
Any changes made during the tech rehearsal need to go back into the rundown immediately. If a segment was reordered, a cue was added, or timing was adjusted — update it now. The crew should wake up tomorrow with the final, accurate version.
Fix, don’t panic
Issues during tech rehearsal are normal. That’s the entire point — find problems before the audience arrives. A tech rehearsal where nothing goes wrong either means you’re incredibly well-prepared or you didn’t test thoroughly enough.
The bottom line
A tech rehearsal isn’t optional — it’s the difference between a crew that’s confident and a crew that’s guessing. Invest the time, test everything, and go into your show knowing that every cue has been proven at least once.
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