Automated Video Production at re:publica 2026 with ifbbw and WECAP – A Case Study

For several days, re:publica 2026 in Berlin brought together people from politics, society, culture, and technology. Numerous presentations and panel discussions were recorded or broadcast live, making the content accessible long after the event.

For one of the stages, ifbbw, WECAP, and MiruSuite joined forces. MiruSuite supported the team with automated person tracking and live switching. The aim was not to replace the directing team, but to automate recurring tasks and free operators to focus on the schedule, content, and special situations.

The Challenge: Many Program Items, Long Production Days

Conference productions often follow a familiar workflow: lectures, presentations, and discussion rounds alternate, with stage modifications and speaker changes in between.

For the directing team, this requires sustained concentration over many hours. Cameras need to be tracked, framing checked, and suitable perspectives chosen. At the same time, audio, presentations, the schedule, and the stream must be monitored closely.

The continuous control of PTZ cameras and recurring standard cuts demand a great deal of attention. These are precisely the tasks where MiruSuite can make a difference.

Talks and discussions were produced over several days of the event on Stage 5.

The Setup: Two Cameras, vMix, and MiruSuite

MiruSuite was deployed on Stage 5, where two PTZ cameras were installed on the ceiling of the hall. Their video signals were routed into the production system via SDI using Blackmagic DeckLink cards. The team used vMix as its video mixer, while the individual microphone signals were fed directly to MiruSuite via Dante.

MiruSuite analyzed the video and audio signals and handled two central tasks:

• Automated Person Tracking: The PTZ cameras followed the speakers autonomously.
• Automated Live Switching: MiruSuite supported switching between available perspectives and coordinated camera movements. The separate microphone signals helped identify who was speaking and detect audience applause.

Using an Elgato Stream Deck, the team could quickly access the most important functions, allowing MiruSuite to integrate directly into the existing workflow.

Automation Under Human Control

During presentations, MiruSuite detects the relevant person in the camera image and controls the PTZ camera according to their movement. During discussions, the individual audio signals are also used to detect speaker changes and prepare appropriate perspectives.

The operators remain in control at all times. In the MiruSuite interface, they can track which person is speaking, which camera is active, and what decision the software is preparing or executing. The team can intervene manually at any time and then hand the production back to MiruSuite. Automation and manual directing therefore complement each other within the same workflow.

In the MiruSuite interface, tracking, camera states, and switching decisions can be monitored.

Presentations and Discussions With One System

The deployment was particularly valuable because different formats followed one another on the same stage.

In a classic presentation, the task mainly consists of keeping the presenter steadily in the frame and switching between camera and presentation views. In panel discussions, multiple people, frequent speaker changes, and different framing come into play.

MiruSuite could be used for both formats within the same setup. As a result, the production team did not have to trigger every camera movement and standard cut individually.

The attention gained could then be devoted to tasks that are difficult to automate: the content of a conversation, schedule changes, and unplanned situations—as well as necessary breaks during long production days.

What We Learned From the Deployment

The multi-day operation, with alternating presentations and discussions, provided us with valuable feedback for further development.

A live deployment differs significantly from a prepared test. Speakers move differently than expected, program items change, and the directing team must be able to react quickly even in unusual situations. At the same time, it must always remain understandable what the software is detecting and why it is making a certain decision.

The deployment showed us where setup, monitoring, and the handover between automatic and manual operation can be simplified further. These insights flow directly into the development of MiruSuite for conferences, panels, and comparable multi-speaker productions.

Conclusion: Automation as Part of Directing

The joint deployment with ifbbw and WECAP showed how smoothly MiruSuite can be integrated into an existing conference production:

• Two PTZ cameras were automatically controlled and used for different program items.
• vMix, DeckLink cards, and Stream Deck remained part of the existing production workflow.
• MiruSuite took over recurring tracking and switching tasks.
• The operators were able to monitor the production and intervene at any time.
• The experience from live operation feeds directly into further optimization for conference and panel productions.

We would like to thank ifbbw and WECAP for the collaboration and open feedback during the production.

Collaboration under real production conditions: ifbbw, WECAP, and MiruSuite at re:publica 2026.

Would you like to see how MiruSuite can be integrated into your existing production workflow? Try MiruSuite for free or schedule an appointment to discuss your specific use case with us.