Overview

I started in event production using the familiar setup: a laptop running OBS (https://obsproject.com), a few scenes, and a USB audio interface. That workflow works great for single productions, but it breaks down quickly when you need repeatability, remote teams, or integrations with backend systems.

Today a smarter approach is to treat the video layer like any other software component. We augment tools like OBS with programmatic control through obs-websocket (https://github.com/obsproject/obs-websocket), route sources with NDI (https://ndi.video), move contribution feeds with SRT (https://www.srtalliance.org), and stitch everything together with APIs and small services running on Node.js (https://nodejs.org) or serverless functions. The result is repeatable, auditable, and easier to scale.

Why It Matters

Doing live production by hand creates single points of failure. People are amazing, but manual cues, file-based overlays, and adhoc audio routing make debugging and scaling expensive. APIs let us automate common tasks, enforce standards, and collect telemetry.

Programmatic control adds three big advantages. First, reliability. Automated state transitions reduce human error and let you rehearse exactly what the system will do. Second, scale. Once a workflow is codified you can run dozens of events with the same templates and fewer operators. Third, measurability. When overlays, captions, and stream starts are triggered by code, you can correlate that activity with analytics and business outcomes.

Finally, APIs unlock new integrations. Dynamic overlays driven by CRM data, automated start/stop tied to calendar invites, and emergency fallback paths triggered by monitoring are all possible when the production stack exposes programmable hooks.

Application in Corporate AV

In corporate AV the problems are clear: consistent brand delivery, centralized control for distributed locations, and a need to reduce onsite headcount without compromising quality. An API-first production model addresses all three.

Start by centralizing control through an API layer. Use obs-websocket (https://github.com/obsproject/obs-websocket) to change scenes, recall overlay templates, and control audio levels from a web dashboard. Combine that with NDI (https://ndi.video) for local source routing and SRT (https://www.srtalliance.org) for resilient contribution feeds from remote sites.

Automate repetitive tasks like pre-roll checks and compliance captions. For example, a serverless function can validate incoming streams with FFmpeg (https://ffmpeg.org) probes, trigger a standby slate if metrics fall outside thresholds, and notify AV staff via Slack or SMS. Integrate with calendar systems so a room's hardware preconfigures itself 10 minutes before a scheduled kickoff.

On the people side this approach lets smaller teams support more rooms and events. Operators become supervisors and exception managers, not gatekeepers of every button. For stakeholders the payoff is consistent branding, predictable costs, and data that ties production activities back to business outcomes.

If you run events, start by exposing the parts of your stack that need to be repeatable. Add API controls where you have pain points. Automate the rest. The tech is accessible, and the operational improvements are immediate.