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Video Equipment Overview

What You’ll Be Working With

Section titled “What You’ll Be Working With”

As a video volunteer, you’ll be working with professional AV equipment to record and livestream FOSDEM talks. Don’t worry - you’ll receive training and work alongside experienced volunteers!

This page gives you a high-level overview of what to expect. For detailed technical instructions, see the full AV manual (PDF).

Typical Devroom Setup

Section titled “Typical Devroom Setup”

Each devroom (presentation room) has video equipment for recording and livestreaming talks. While setups vary slightly by room, most include:

Camera System

Section titled “Camera System”
  • Camera(s) - Usually one or two cameras capturing the speaker and/or slides
  • Camera controls - Pan, tilt, and zoom to frame the speaker properly
  • Video switcher - Allows switching between camera views and presentation slides

Audio System

Section titled “Audio System”
  • Microphones - Wireless or wired mics for speakers
  • Audio mixer - Balances speaker voice with computer audio (for demos)
  • Monitoring - Headphones to check audio levels and quality

Recording & Streaming

Section titled “Recording & Streaming”
  • Video boxes - Captures the video and audio
  • Streaming encoder - Sends live video to FOSDEM’s streaming platform
  • Network connection - Dedicated network for reliable streaming

Presentation Input

Section titled “Presentation Input”
  • HDMI - Captures speaker’s slides or demos

Your Role as a Video Volunteer

Section titled “Your Role as a Video Volunteer”

Before Talks Start (Setup)

Section titled “Before Talks Start (Setup)”
  • Check equipment - Verify everything is powered on and connected
  • Test the video feed - Make sure camera and presentation capture work
  • Test audio levels - Check microphone and speaker audio
  • Coordinate with speakers - Help them connect their laptop, adjust mic

During the Talk (Monitoring)

Section titled “During the Talk (Monitoring)”
  • Monitor the recording - Watch that video and audio are being captured
  • Adjust camera - Frame the speaker properly (if they move around)
  • Watch audio levels - Make sure sound isn’t too quiet or distorting
  • Switch video sources - Camera view vs. slide view (if applicable)
  • Troubleshoot issues - Fix problems quickly if something goes wrong

After the Talk (Wrap-up)

Section titled “After the Talk (Wrap-up)”
  • Prepare for next speaker - Reset equipment for the next talk
  • Report any issues - Let the team know about problems or fixes needed

What Makes Video Volunteering Unique

Section titled “What Makes Video Volunteering Unique”

It’s Technical, But Approachable

Section titled “It’s Technical, But Approachable”
  • You don’t need to be an AV expert
  • Training is provided (Saturday morning in Janson)
  • Experienced volunteers will mentor you
  • Equipment is designed to be relatively user-friendly
  • The AV manual explains everything step-by-step

It’s Time-Sensitive

Section titled “It’s Time-Sensitive”
  • Talks start on schedule - recording must start on time
  • You need to be reliable and punctual
  • Problems need to be solved quickly (but help is available)

It’s Teamwork

Section titled “It’s Teamwork”
  • Usually 2 volunteers per room (when possible)
  • You’ll work closely with your partner
  • Support available via Matrix chat
  • Experienced volunteers are always around

It’s Rewarding

Section titled “It’s Rewarding”
  • You’re making FOSDEM accessible to thousands of viewers worldwide
  • You gain real AV production experience
  • You work with professional-grade equipment
  • You see talks from a unique perspective (at the back of the room, with all the tech)

Common Equipment Tasks

Section titled “Common Equipment Tasks”

Here’s what you’ll actually be doing (simplified - see the AV manual for details):

Simple Tasks

Section titled “Simple Tasks”
  • Power on equipment - Turn on cameras, computers, and monitors
  • Connect speaker’s laptop - Plug in HDMI/DisplayPort cable
  • Adjust camera position - Point and zoom to frame the speaker
  • Check audio levels - Make sure the microphone volume is good
  • Start/stop recording - Press the right buttons at the right time

Intermediate Tasks

Section titled “Intermediate Tasks”
  • Switch video sources - Toggle between camera and slides
  • Balance audio levels - Adjust mixer to balance speaker and computer audio
  • Troubleshoot connections - Fix video or audio that’s not working
  • Monitor stream quality - Check that the livestream is working

When Things Go Wrong

Section titled “When Things Go Wrong”
  • Speaker’s laptop won’t connect - Try different cables or adapters
  • Microphone not working - Check batteries, connections, or switch to backup
  • Camera image is blurry - Adjust focus or clean lens
  • Recording software crashed - Restart and resume
  • Network issue - Switch to backup streaming method

Remember: You won’t be alone! Experienced volunteers and the video team are there to help.

Physical Requirements

Section titled “Physical Requirements”

Be aware that video volunteering involves:

  • Standing or sitting for extended periods (monitoring equipment)
  • Lifting equipment occasionally (cameras can be heavy)
  • Working with cables - Setup involves running and connecting cables
  • Working in the back of rooms - You’ll be at the tech desk, not sitting with the audience
  • Staying alert - You need to watch the recording throughout the talk

What You’ll Learn

Section titled “What You’ll Learn”

Video volunteering teaches you valuable skills:

  • AV production basics - Recording, mixing, streaming
  • Troubleshooting - Quick problem-solving under pressure
  • Technical equipment - Professional cameras, mixers, encoders
  • Livestreaming - How real-time video broadcasting works
  • Video workflows - From recording to publishing online

Equipment Don’t Worry List

Section titled “Equipment Don’t Worry List”

Things you DON’T need to worry about:

  • ❌ You don’t need to bring equipment - Everything is provided
  • ❌ You don’t need prior AV experience - Training is provided
  • ❌ You don’t need to memorize everything - The AV manual is your reference
  • ❌ You don’t need to solve every problem alone - Help is available
  • ❌ You don’t need to know video editing - You just record; others process later
  • ❌ You don’t need expensive tools - All equipment is provided by FOSDEM

Before Your First Video Shift

Section titled “Before Your First Video Shift”

  1. Download and skim the AV manual (PDF)

    • Don’t try to memorize it - just familiarize yourself
    • Focus on the overview sections first

  2. Attend the training talk

    • Saturday morning, first talk in Janson auditorium
    • Covers the basics and answers common questions

  3. Join the Matrix channel

  4. Arrive early

    • Come to Infodesk K 20 minutes before your shift
    • Get your green t-shirt, meet your partner

  5. Ask questions

    • Experienced volunteers expect questions
    • Better to ask than to make a mistake

Questions?

Section titled “Questions?”
  • Before the event: Email video@fosdem.org
  • During the event: Ask in #video:fosdem.org Matrix channel
  • On-site: Find an experienced video volunteer (look for green t-shirts!)
  • Technical details: Check the full AV manual

Ready to Sign Up?

Section titled “Ready to Sign Up?”

Video volunteering is technical but rewarding. If you:

  • ✅ Have basic technical interest
  • ✅ Can be reliable and punctual
  • ✅ Don’t mind working behind the scenes
  • ✅ Want to make FOSDEM accessible to the world

Then we’d love to have you on the video team!

Sign up on volunteers.fosdem.org →

Back to Video Documentation | Read the AV Manual (PDF)