6 weeks to go until the event. The location is booked, your preferred caterer has agreed and the agenda is set – now all you need is a really good event videographer. Someone who fits your event perfectly, understands you almost without words and is really reliable. But how do you find one?
Here are 11 tips on how to recognize an experienced event filmmaker.
A good event filmmaker has the right portfolio
A look at an event filmmaker’s website reveals the type of events for which the event filmmaker is most experienced.
Not all events are the same. A wedding reception has different challenges to a medical conference or a metal concert.
It’s not just about knowing the typical procedures, but also about the cultural circles and social conventions that are common. How do people treat each other? What language is spoken? What appearance is accepted?
But also bear in mind that, for various reasons, the event filmmaker may not want or be allowed to show all the films on their website. In addition, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) must be observed in order to protect personal rights.
It is therefore always worth finding out in a personal meeting what other types of customers or events he looks after.
The professional asks in advance about the purpose and target group of the event film
Trade fair, congress, sales conference or anniversary celebration: the type of event often defines the purpose and therefore also the target group. At a medical congress, the camera movements are somewhat more deliberate and the cuts are calmer. At a trade fair for fitness equipment, a more dynamic visual language is usually desired. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
It is highly recommended if the client can provide references that the event filmmaker can use as a guide.
Hybrid formats are a trend in events. An example: a company uses an anniversary event for product presentations, employee retention, PR, recruiting and networking at the same time. This means that it books an event filmmaker and the filming at the event can later result in several films. It is therefore all the more important to clarify the purpose and target group in advance.
Three typical examples:
The recap video of the conference, which will only be shown internally
It was beautiful: the magical light, the beautifully decorated buffet and the speech from the Executive Board. These are special moments that everyone remembers fondly – if they were at the sales conference.
Such a video is oriented to the course of the event and is self-explanatory.
It can be a little longer – at least more than the classic 60 to 90 seconds for videos for social media. Participants are curious to see familiar faces or recognize themselves in the video. They are interested in the most exciting acts and discover details from a different perspective.
The organizer definitely wants the conference motto or core message to be reflected in the video. For him, an event film is a great opportunity to build on the mood of the event and to launch further activities:
- Answers to questions that arose during the event
- Feedback from the participants – to make it even better next time
- New information material on the product highlights
The social media video from the trade fair
Videos of events are perfect content for social media. The well-known basic rule for storytelling also applies to event films: people are interested in people – even if they were unable to attend the event themselves.
The video for social media primarily reaches the audience that was not at the event. In contrast to the recap video, it must generate attention right from the start and keep the viewer interested!
- the edited video should be published as soon as possible
- it can be short and snappy – no longer than 60 seconds
- It’s all about emotions and highlights
- Testimonials from guests are worth their weight in gold – preferably with subtitles
- the viewer must have the feeling that he has missed something
- a call-to-action at the end makes sense! For example, to visit the trade fair to experience the product live
The marketing video to attract new participants
Those who use an event film to attract new guests, sponsors, partners or keynote speakers have other priorities. The marketing video focuses on the personal or economic benefits of the event. Because the viewer does not know the event and has little time, a length of 45 to 90 seconds is ideal.
These scenes should not be missing in a marketing video:
- great atmosphere of the venue
- Facts and figures about the venue, participants and benefits
- Explanatory subtitles
- Crowds
- Interactions with the audience
- Keynote speaker
- Guests from business and politics
- Entertainment program
- Networking opportunities
- Testimonials from guests or customers
The event filmmaker knows the location and the course of the event in order to be well prepared
Even when packing his equipment, the experienced event filmmaker knows whether he will need a tripod and the extra-large telephoto zoom, because:
- he knows the agenda and the location
- he prepares his camera settings and checks the technology
- he knows when he has to be at which place on time
- he can’t be rattled if things go differently than planned
Despite all the preparations, it reacts to the unpredictable – triggered by a heavy downpour, an unexpected guest or a sudden power cut.
Experienced event filmmakers have a visual style
While the beginner concentrates on setting the aperture on the camera correctly, not overdriving the sound and finding the right lens, the professional is more concerned with the visual language, image details and movements. By movements, we mean not only the actions in front of the camera but also the movement of the camera itself.
Videos live from movement! 25 frames per second! Time is running out.
The presenter announces the next speaker. The event videographer runs towards him so that he enters the picture and the handshake can be seen. He continues to walk around the people and now also has the audience in the shot. Cut.
The professional creates his own movement in harmony with what is happening in front of the camera.
Changing image sections make videos dynamic. They stimulate the viewer: this is just a part of the whole – but wait, I’ll show you more in a moment!
- Drone shots of the location
- alternating long shot of the stage and close-up of the speaker
- a condensed telephoto shot from a height of 5 meters
- Dynamic wide-angle perspective from the edge of the stage
But be careful: it’s not about wild image jumps! A change of perspective should always have a purpose.
The viewer would like to be introduced to the motif and understand what they are seeing. This is the trade fair stand – here is the product – here I am showing you an important detail.
The art for the event filmmaker is to arouse curiosity with the video and to keep it.
The visual language also includes the design with sharpness and blurring and the image look. This refers to the design of colors, image contrast, brightness and saturation. The image look is the fine-tuning that mainly takes place in video post-production. The choice of lens alone influences the final look. Ultimately, the style is always determined by the personal preferences of the event filmmaker. It is not good or bad, but simply individual. And this style must match the style of your event.
A professional adapts to the event through his clothing and behavior
The professional event filmmaker behaves as a guest and integrates himself into society. He asks the organizer about the dress code. If in doubt, choose business casual (jeans, shirt, blazer) – smart, but not too formal.
He remains inconspicuous in the background, but sometimes secures a place in the front row if the “better” picture requires it.
His camera technology is smart – and not conspicuously large. Under no circumstances should the participants get the feeling that they are being tricked by the camera.
And most importantly: if the event videographer meets the guests in an interested and appreciative manner, the best shots are guaranteed.
Speaking of appearances: The noises made when walking or opening the camera case can also cause guests to shake their heads when everything else in the room is as quiet as a mouse. That doesn’t happen to a professional!
Good event filmmakers have a feel for sound, language and music
How important are speech, music or sounds for the event film?
This question is often “forgotten”, but should definitely be clarified before filming begins!
Many event filmmakers do not attach any particular importance to sound. Even the clients are often unaware of the effect that sound can have!
Imagine three different videos of a panel discussion:
A: without speech and sounds, the video is only accompanied by music
- Here the discussion seems abstract. The music conveys the mood, the content has no meaning. It was discussed.
B: with music, but at the same time you also hear important cues
- Although the music dominates the mood here, the video is not quite as abstract as in the first case due to the cues.
C: without music, the discussion is easy to understand
- The video has a very documentary feel, because it’s all about the words. There is no additional meaning through the music.
Which variant is the best depends on the intended use!
If in doubt, it is always a good idea to record the speech from the organizer’s mixing console using a separate audio recorder.
If no professional voice transmission is planned at the event location, a clip-on radio microphone for the speaker is the solution. The experienced event filmmaker has the right sound equipment with them and will clarify with the speakers and the organizer who will be recording the sound.
It is always advisable to take wireless microphones to events! Also to be able to shoot spontaneous interviews in good sound quality.
An expert in event filming uses a camera that delivers good results even in low light
Subdued lighting and candlelight. This creates a cozy atmosphere for the guests – but leaves the inexperienced event videographer with beads of sweat on their forehead. At evening events, the cozy lighting at the venue is always a challenge: in low light, the image signal is simply too weak for most cameras.
The result: crackly image noise and dull colors
Professionals use special cameras that make very high-quality video recordings even by candlelight – even better in combination with fast lenses!
A professional filmmaker can work well in a team with photographers and other videographers
Teamwork is always the order of the day at larger events. Several videographers are out and about at different locations at the same time. A second cameraman films the speaker from a different perspective. This creates particularly varied videos.
The event filmmaker and an event photographer often work together. Both should not be in each other’s picture, even if the subject is the same. The professional knows the problem and thinks for his colleague.
Photographer and videographer discuss together whether it is possible to shoot without flash. In the video, the flash is perceived as distracting unless there is a cheering mood and the flash in the picture supports the meaning of the applause in the sound.
An event filmmaker can (!) cut and edit a film himself
If the event filmmaker can do the video editing himself, this has various advantages.
- He specifically searches for the motifs he needs for the cut because he is largely responsible for the overall result.
- He thinks about the opening scene and the final image and knows what pitfalls there are in video editing that he can avoid during filming.
- Viewing the filmed material is quicker because he knows whether there is a second shot of the pan across the audience or not. He also doesn’t have to puzzle over where he might be able to find it.
- Video editing is quicker because he knows the context and can suggest alternatives if the customer requests changes.
- The video is finished faster – without the quality suffering.
Of course, there are occasions where teamwork with a video editor is the better choice. The professional event videographer can find himself in both roles!
It ensures a high level of security during production and when handling data
Anyone who has ever experienced this is a burnt child: the camera suddenly gives up the ghost. The memory card is suddenly unreadable. Data loss – the worst case scenario! All your efforts for nothing!
There are several options to prevent such scenarios:
- Take a spare camera or double equipment in general
- Write data in parallel to two separate memory cards
- Back up the data as soon as possible after the end of filming or during a break
- Back up data on physically separate media and store it in different locations – alternatively in the cloud. This protects the data from theft and technical faults
- Perform data backup in this way during the entire production process
Long-term archiving of the final videos and also the raw data can be useful – it is best to discuss this with the client.
The cost calculation for the event film is transparent
Anyone looking for an event filmmaker is also interested in the prices. These are not always listed on the homepage and there is a good reason for this, as there are several factors that go into the fee:
The experience factor
Because the professional achieves results faster and more reliably, he is therefore not cheaper than the beginner, but will rightly charge a higher fee.
The value factor
In principle, the fee for the event filmmaker is based on the value of the video for the client. How does the client benefit from it? A video of the financial congress of a large bank has a different “leverage” than a video of the vernissage of a local art gallery.
The time factor
Regardless of the value of the video, there is always a time investment in the production process. This includes not only the pure shooting time, but also time for preparation, material review, video editing, music selection and so on.
The click factor
The more often a video is viewed, the more valuable it is for the customer. However, the attention it receives is not clearly measurable and certainly not predictable. It is strongly related to the topic and the clientele of the video, i.e. the value factor.
The cost of living factor
This refers to the basic cost of living for the filmmaker. If you live in Munich, Hamburg or Frankfurt, it will probably be more expensive than your colleague from Schwerin.
The mixture of fixed costs, variable costs, non-material and commercial values makes a calculation extremely difficult. There is no “fair” price, it is rather a mixed calculation. For this reason, an experienced event filmmaker will prepare an individual quote for each request.
The offer should clearly state what the customer will receive:
- how long the finished movie will be approximately
- Which technology is included in the price, such as: tripod, light and wireless microphone
- how many personnel are calculated with which shooting times
- what travel costs and travel expenses are incurred
- which image format the finished video has
- on which platform it is shown
The offer should state what additional costs could be incurred on the basis of comparable productions, for example through:
- Overtime
- Additional technology, for example for super slow-motion recordings
- Live production and streaming
- Effort for graphic animations, image editing and retouching in post-production
- Music selection, language adaptations, off-screen speakers etc.
Conclusion
It can be quite a challenge to find the right event videographer.
Which aspects are important in each individual case depends on the client’s experience and expectations. In addition to the topics listed above, it is of course also important whether he is available, where he is located and whether the “chemistry is right” (I call this the “nose factor”).
You can always recognize an experienced event filmmaker
- in the questions he asks in the briefing interview,
- the way he communicates with you
By the way: I have been filming events since 2009 and have already produced event films at more than 130 events and for clients such as Adidas, Audi, Deutsche Börse, Fresenius, Obi, Roche and Siemens. Find out more about my work here
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