The Keys to a Successful Event Video
HELP, I'M DROWNING!
We understand. Planning an event can feel that way sometimes. That’s because there's a lot to keep track of: Guest lists, catering, scripts and approvals, programming, transportation, schedules, goody bags, location, even the weather....you get the picture. Now add event video production to that list - ready to pull your hair out yet? But really, it's an incredibly important thing to get right. Your event is what we call a one-time non-repeatable event. That means the production needs to be done right to make sure you can get the most out of your video content.
STEP #1: PREPARATIONS
A production team needs to be looped in as soon as possible. There are a lot of moving parts to synchronize. It’s important to give the production team with enough time to scout the location to understand the space and where equipment can be set up. During the location scout we meet the venue staff we'll be working with. This is extremely important and should be done whenever possible. We talk with other vendors and with the venue about things like loading in and out, set up times, not stepping on each other's toes, electrical challenges, lines-of sight issues and more.
Some of the ways you can help are by providing contacts for the venue, sharing the event schedule, telling us which aspects of the event you’d like filmed, and providing a map or layout of the event, where people will sit, where the stage will be (see diagram below for an example), where the gathering places are, and where the 1-on-1’s may be happening.
Some of the things our team will need to figure out are:
What type of lighting will be available for the event? Will it be just house lighting, or lighting brought in for the event by your team or ours?
Will we be shooting multi-cam or single cam?
What is the plan for audio? Will there be a dedicated audio line for us to hook up to our cameras, or will we need to provide that?
Working with you in the prep stage we’ll be able to answer all these questions and more for a smooth production.
A diagram of a recent event shared with us by our client. Things like this are very helpful.
STEP #2: DECIDING WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU
We’ve had clients whose events consisted of presentations, Q&A sessions, panels, 1-on-1 meetings, live learning lessons, interviews, cocktail hours, breakfasts and more. Some clients want every single thing filmed. Others only want one or two things filmed. It’s helpful to know well beforehand what we’ll be focusing on for you so we can adjust our team accordingly.
When deciding what you want us to film, you should also consider what you’ll be doing with the content post-event. Think about how you can use on-the-spot interviews (use them as testimonial videos for example), what kind of social media posts you will make (which parts of your event can you get makes quick, interesting, little nibbles from for Instagram?) and how you might use expert training sessions to reach new customers.
STEP #3:
Trust the process. You’ve put a lot of work into the event, and the production company has everything they need. Even still, on-the-spot challenges come up. But the better the prep, the easier those things will be to identify and fix in the moment.
Our team consists of photographers, cinematographers, project managers, audio and video experts and just about any other position that can help with your event. We’ve worked with Google, Spotify, the US Military, NY Philharmonic and others. Reach out today to find out how we can help you capture your event on camera.