A tech book comes in two forms: the email your crew gets when a manager sends the tech book, and a PDF a manager can download from the event. They're built from the same event, but they don't show exactly the same things. The biggest difference is the stream key.
Short version
The email has the event info, technical setup, crew and talent tables, contacts, notes, links, every attachment and the rundown PDF. It hides the stream key. The downloaded PDF shows the stream key in full, so share it only with crew.
The email, top to bottom
| Section | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Header | "Production Tech Book", the event title and date |
| Message from Production Manager: | The manager's custom message, if there is one |
| Event Information | Date, Event Time, Crew Call, End Time ("TBD" if none), Location, address, and the sport line if a sport is set |
| Technical Configuration | Internet Source, Production Software, RTMP Server (if set), and the broadcast key line |
| Crew Assignments | Position, Crew Member and Status for every crew slot |
| Talent Assignments | Game Title, Day, Time, Talent Member, Position, Phone |
| Contact Information | Venue, association, producer and coordinating producer contacts, with email and phone links |
| Production Notes | The event's notes, with line breaks kept |
| Sponsorship Information | Commercial download link and commercial notes, if set |
| Important Links | "Open Schedule" and "Open Stream" buttons, if set |
| Attached Documents | Each attachment's file name, and the rundown as "<title>.pdf (Event Rundown)" |
The message, contacts, notes, sponsorship, links and attachments sections appear only when there's something in them. Empty crew and talent tables say "No crew assignments yet" or "No talent assignments yet".
Every event attachment comes with the email as its original file, plus the linked rundown as a PDF.
The footer asks readers to keep the information inside the production team, and says replies go straight to the event's owner.
Read these lines carefully
- The crew table includes declined crew, with Status "Declined". Status is "Confirmed", "Declined" or "Pending". It shows no crew phone numbers or emails.
- Talent phones are listed. For multi-day events with games, the talent table is built per game. Otherwise it uses the event's talent, with the event title as the game.
- Blank setup fields show defaults. If no internet source was chosen, the email says "Hardwired". If no production software was chosen, it says "Producer". Check those fields on the event so crew don't read a setup nobody entered.
- The sport line fills gaps. If gender or level is blank, it shows "Mixed" and "Regular Season".
The PDF
The downloaded PDF covers the same event with a few differences:
- Event Details includes the event type and a "Status:" line. That status is an older internal field (for example "upcoming"), not the event status you see in the app.
- Event Information lists Sport, Gender, Season, Level, State and Timezone, if a sport is set.
- Technical Configuration shows raw values, such as "venue_wifi", and the stream key in full.
- Crew Assignments lists each position and name, the crew member's phone if it's on file, and a raw status such as "assigned".
- Talent Assignments has Game, Day, Time, Talent, Position, Number and Email columns. The Time column doesn't display correctly yet: it shows a cut-off date string instead of a time.
- Attached Documents lists each file's name, size and type, but the files themselves aren't inside the PDF.
- The rundown isn't included. Only the email attaches it.
Keep the stream key private
| Stream key | |
|---|---|
| Masked: "Broadcast Key: [CONFIDENTIAL - SEE PRODUCTION MANAGER]" | |
| Downloaded PDF | Printed in full: "Broadcast Key: <the key>" |
The PDF shows the stream key
Anyone who gets the PDF can read the stream key. Share the PDF only with crew who need it. Don't forward it to venue or association contacts, talent or anyone outside the production team. Send them the email version instead.
Only managers with access to the event can send the tech book or download the PDF. Crew who need the key have to ask the production manager, as the email says.
Things to know
- The email is a snapshot. It shows the event as it was at send time. A "Coming Up" reminder is rebuilt on its day, so it can differ from the first email.
- Everyone gets everything. Venue and association contacts receive the same email as crew, with the full crew list, talent phones and all attachments.
- No calendar file. The tech book doesn't carry a calendar invite; crew get one when they accept their assignment.
Checklist
- Internet source and production software set on the event
- Contacts, notes and links filled in
- Rundown linked and attachments added
- PDF shared only with crew