What Live Production Workflow Support Costs and What Moves the Price

Why this service is priced the way it is

Live Production Workflow Support is time-based work. We plan the rundown with your producer, run rehearsals in the studio, and put an engineer in the building while the programme goes out. Nothing is shipped and nothing is installed, so the price follows the hours and the people involved rather than a list of parts.

That is why we quote in writing after an enquiry, not from a rate card alone. A weekly half-hour bulletin from a studio that already works well needs far less of our attention than a new two-hour panel show with remote guests. The price page on this site gives the starting figures; this article explains what moves a quotation above or below them.

As Head of Studio Engineering I write many of these quotations myself, and the questions I ask are the same each time: how long is the programme, how often does it go out, and how settled is the team that runs it.

The three blocks of work we price separately

Most quotations are built from three parts. The first is planning: working through the rundown, the segment lengths, the cues between items, and the points where a late guest or a dropped link would hurt. This is mostly desk time, and it is usually the cheapest part per hour because it can be done in a few sessions.

The second is rehearsal. We run the programme as it will air, with the real presenters, graphics and sources, and stop to fix what fails. Rehearsal is priced by the session, and the number of sessions depends far more on the team's experience than on the length of the show.

The third is on-the-day support: an engineer in or near the gallery from call time until the programme ends and the studio is safe to leave. This is the largest line in most quotations, because it is a fixed block of a skilled person's day.

• Planning: rundown review and technical script
• Rehearsal: full or partial runs, priced per session
• On-the-day: engineer present from call time to close

What pushes the price up

Length and frequency come first, but they are not the only drivers. Remote contributors add real work, because each link needs testing in advance and a fallback agreed. The same goes for a live audience, an outside location, or a studio shared with another production that limits when we can get in to rehearse.

Late changes cost more than early ones. A rundown that is reshaped the evening before the show means a second rehearsal, and sometimes a second visit. We would rather say this plainly in the quotation than surprise anyone afterwards.

A team that is new to live work usually needs more rehearsal time and a closer presence on the day. That is not a criticism; it is simply how long it takes to build the habits that keep a programme to time.

• Remote guests and contribution links
• Live audience or an outside location
• Late changes to the running order
• A production team new to live broadcasting

What brings the cost down

Preparation is the most reliable saving. If the producer arrives with a draft rundown, a list of sources and a named person for each role, planning takes a fraction of the time. A studio whose gallery has already been tested end to end also needs less checking on the day.

Repeat series help too. Once we have worked through a format with you, later episodes need lighter planning and often a single rehearsal. We can agree a reduced scope for a run of similar programmes and write it into the same quotation, so you know the figure before the first one airs.

Flexibility on timing matters more than people expect. If rehearsal can happen when the studio is quiet, we do not have to work around other bookings, and that is reflected in what we ask.

What a quotation from us includes

Each written quotation lists the planning sessions, the number of rehearsals, the hours of on-the-day cover and the call time we have assumed. It also says what is not included, such as extra engineers for a second studio, equipment hire, or travel beyond Dorchester and the surrounding area. If your needs change, we revise the document in writing before any work is added.

You send an enquiry through the contact page, we ask a few questions about the programme, and a quotation follows. Once you confirm it, we issue an invoice, which is paid by bank transfer. Cancellations and refunds follow the payment and refund policy, which sets out the terms in full.

• Planning, rehearsal and on-the-day hours stated separately
• Assumptions and exclusions written down
• Invoice paid by bank transfer after confirmation

What to have ready before you ask

A short list will get you a more accurate figure on the first reply. Tell us the length of the programme and how often it airs, who presents it, and how many guests appear in the studio or by link. Say whether graphics, playback or an audience are involved, and which studio you will use.

If you already have a draft running order, send it. If you do not, a description of the segments and their rough timings is enough for us to begin. We would rather start from an honest outline than a polished one that has not met the reality of the building.

Finally, tell us about any fixed dates, such as an anniversary broadcast or a scheduled launch. We will say plainly whether the preparation you need fits before then.

• Programme length and how often it goes out
• Presenters, guests and any remote links
• Draft rundown or a list of segments
• Studio location and any fixed dates

The cost of workflow support rests on three things: how long the programme runs, how much of it is unusual, and how well prepared the team is when we begin. None of these is fixed in advance, which is why we quote each programme in writing. Send us the outline of yours, and we will tell you plainly what the work involves and what it costs.