TikTok Vertical Video Awards 2022
Mobile multi-camera production in portrait mode for the TikTok VERTIES 2022.
On May 13, all screens are being rotated 90 degrees! With our mobile cameras and live studio, we are making sure you can be there when Germany’s best TikTok creators are honored with the Verties Vertical Video Awards in ten categories. Starting at 7 PM CET.
Preparations are in full swing for us and our partners at Truemates GmbH. For the VERTIES 2022, the Potsdamer Palais am Stadthaus is being transformed into the VERTIES House. On Friday, behind every door lies an exciting new themed world that can be explored by 100 on-site guests and millions of livestream viewers.
On the main stage, the Vertical Video Awards will be presented in ten categories based on the latest TikTok trends. For the first time this year, awards are also being given for gaming, music and good cause content. The jury has also been refreshed: among others, Younes Zarou, Vanessa Mai, Patrox and Frank Thelen are on board.
Experience the colorful world of VERTIES and join us live: On May 13, 2022 via TikTok livestream, exclusively on @dailypie.tv.
Wireless Camera Shooting in Portrait Mode
We are on site with four mobile, wireless Easyrig cameras and a control room studio for live mixing of the video and audio signals. The fiber-clear transmission quality alone is a real challenge. The lighting has to be set up for changing daylight conditions during the two hours from 7 to 9 PM, and that includes outdoor blue carpet interviews, the main stage and changing sets across eleven themed rooms. Everything then goes out as a multichannel stream via the dailypie.tv channel on TikTok and Instagram.
It’s going to be exciting! We are looking forward to this new format, a unique case with a great location and an interesting crowd. Join us and support the format if you like. Friday, May 13, from 7 to 9 PM CET.
Why Vertical Video Is the Future of Livestreaming
Vertical video has evolved in recent years from a niche format to the dominant form of mobile content. TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have made the 9:16 format the new standard. For livestream productions, this means a fundamental shift in how we conceptualize, shoot and broadcast content.
The reason is simple: over 80 percent of all social media content is consumed on smartphones, and most users hold their device vertically. A horizontal livestream on TikTok would only use a fraction of the screen area and looks out of place in the feed. Anyone who wants to achieve reach on these platforms must produce natively in portrait mode.
For production teams, this brings specific challenges. The entire image composition needs to be rethought. Instead of wide stage views, the focus is on vertical elements, close-ups and dynamic camera movements that work in portrait format. Graphics, lower thirds and text overlays also need to be optimized for the narrow format.
The Challenge: Mobile Livestream Production
Producing a professional portrait-mode livestream at a live event is technically and logistically demanding. Unlike a stationary studio production, all cameras must be mobile, camera operators need to move freely through different rooms and areas, and yet consistent, broadcast-quality transmission must be guaranteed.
At the VERTIES 2022, we faced a particularly complex situation: eleven different themed rooms, a main stage, a blue carpet area for interviews, and everything in a historic building, the Potsdamer Palais am Stadthaus. Each area had different lighting conditions, acoustic properties and spatial constraints.
The timing factor added another layer of difficulty. The two-hour show from 7 to 9 PM fell exactly during twilight, meaning the daylight conditions changed continuously throughout the production. Particularly for the outdoor shots on the blue carpet, lighting had to be constantly adjusted to guarantee consistent image quality.
Our Technical Setup: Multi-Camera Wireless in Detail
Four Wireless Easyrig Camera Systems
For the VERTIES 2022, we deployed four mobile camera systems with Easyrig support systems. The Easyrig relieves camera operators from carrying heavy broadcast cameras by distributing the weight across the body via a spring arm system. This is essential during a two-hour live production with constant movement through the building.
Each camera was equipped with a wireless video transmitter that transmitted the portrait-mode signal to our control room in real time. The challenge with wireless video transmission lies in latency and signal stability, especially in a building with thick walls and across multiple floors. We used professional wireless links in the 5 GHz band, enabling near-zero latency transmission at broadcast quality.
The Mobile Control Room
All four camera signals converged in our mobile control room. Here, our directing team handled the live mixing and switched between different camera feeds in real time. In addition to camera signals, lower thirds, graphics and transitions were also played in live.
Audio signals were transmitted separately via wireless microphone systems and mixed in the control room. Since camera operators moved through different acoustic environments, a consistent audio source for presentations and interviews via wireless lavalier microphones was essential.
Multichannel Streaming on TikTok and Instagram
The finished mixed signal was streamed as a multichannel stream simultaneously via the dailypie.tv channel on TikTok and Instagram. Multichannel streaming requires a high-performance encoding pipeline, as the signal must be processed in parallel in different formats and bitrates for the respective platforms.
TikTok livestreams also have specific technical requirements for resolution, bitrate and encoding settings. Our team had optimized the streaming parameters to platform specifications in advance to ensure the best possible image quality for viewers.
Best Practices for TikTok Livestream Productions
From our experience with the VERTIES and other mobile livestream projects, we have gathered key insights for successful TikTok livestreams.
Image composition for vertical: All visual elements must be planned from the start for the 9:16 format. This means vertical stage elements, tight framing and focus on the upper two-thirds of the image, as TikTok overlays comments and interaction elements in the lower area.
Encourage interaction: TikTok livestreams thrive on community interaction. Hosts should actively respond to comments, and the production team can display live reactions or polls. The higher the interaction rate, the better the algorithm will distribute the stream.
Redundant connectivity: For professional livestreams, you should never rely on a single internet connection. We work with bonded cellular connections and WiFi as backup to ensure a stable broadcast even at events without fixed network infrastructure.
Pay attention to sound design: Good audio is at least as important as the picture in TikTok livestreams. Many viewers drop off immediately with poor audio. Professional wireless microphones and dedicated audio mixing in the control room are therefore mandatory.
Test, test, test: Before every live event, we conduct extensive tech checks where we test all wireless connections, the streaming link and the camera routes through the building. For the VERTIES, we completed a full dry run the evening before to identify potential trouble spots.
A New Chapter in Livestream Production
The VERTIES 2022 were more than just another project for us. They marked an important milestone in the development of our mobile livestream capabilities. The combination of portrait-mode production, wireless multi-camera setups and multichannel streaming on TikTok and Instagram placed new demands on our team and technology that we successfully mastered.
The vertical video movement is not going to slow down. On the contrary: more and more brands and events are recognizing that native vertical content production is the key to reach and engagement on the most important social media platforms. As a production partner for such formats, we bring the experience, technology and creative know-how to deliver professional livestream experiences even under the most demanding conditions.
