Multilocation Livestream Production
Rivercide was a live investigative documentary presented by George Monbiot, investigating the pollution of Britain’s rivers and asking why the organisations responsible were failing to stop it.
Directed by Franny Armstrong and produced by Spanner Films, the programme was broadcast live online from the River Wye on 14 July 2021. Billed as the world’s first live investigative documentary, it combined the immediacy of a live broadcast with the structure and scrutiny of an investigative film.
George travelled along the river on foot, by canoe and by car, interviewing campaigners and people directly affected by pollution. The programme also connected with scientists, public officials and campaigners in locations across England and Wales, alongside performances and contributions from Charlotte Church, Benjamin Zephaniah and Feargal Sharkey.
I worked as Livestream Director, managing the live programme output from the production base in Hay-on-Wye. Using vMix, I brought together moving camera feeds from the River Wye, live drone footage, remote camera crews, Zoom contributors, pre-recorded films, maps, graphics and other programme elements against a tightly timed running order.
Preparation included checking connections and equipment for remote contributors, coordinating rehearsals and preparing backup material for sections dependent on mobile or drone connectivity.
The central challenge was maintaining a continuous programme while the presenter and camera teams moved between locations and forms of transport. Live, remote and pre-recorded sources had to be combined without interrupting the narrative or losing the immediacy of the investigation.
The project demonstrated how an editorially complex, geographically dispersed production could be delivered live without the infrastructure of a traditional television outside broadcast.
