In a crowded landscape of events, it can be difficult to not only get people to book your event in the first place, but also to get people to remember and celebrate the occasion once it's over. Likewise, ensuring people can have a fun time whilst you're pushing a camera in their direction. We've worked across all sorts of recognised industry events and we've got some tips to share. For us, we try to figure out what the big picture is, and ensure our filming can make the most of the occasion. Is this event part of a marketing campaign? Designed for profit? Trying to educate a sector? Once we know the key purpose, we can work out the best method for bringing it to life and creating success. 

It’s no secret that when a team of filmmakers is walking around with a large camera, it can be natural for people to feel nervous or unsure of how to act when it’s pointed in their direction. It’s only human for them to become tense and freeze up, leaving a gap of ‘moments’ to capture. In our experience, it’s best to acknowledge the situation openly. Make it clear that you’re there to capture a moment and encourage people to have fun with it. Suggest ideas like laughing with the person next to them, smiling at the camera, doing a little dance, or anything else that comes to mind. Similarly, when people are already enjoying themselves, tell them to pretend you’re not there. You can humorously suggest that you’re a ghost and ask them to act as if you don’t exist.

Filming people having a good time is great, but hearing them talk about their experience is even better. Doing interviews where we ask attendees about the event can catch some really special moments, especially when we show what they're talking about alongside footage from the event. People who are thinking about coming to the next event or are just curious about what it's like usually have some questions. Getting those questions answered by folks who were actually there can make a video that's really memorable.

Of course, the main reason for filming an event is to create one awesome promo video that everyone involved can use to hype up future events and boost ticket sales or attendance. But let's be real, how many times can you share the same video before people start tuning out? That's why during filming, we make sure to capture lots of short clips and photos that can be used for ongoing marketing. And if it's something like an award ceremony, it's smart to also create individual videos for each winner. We did that for the Wales Legal Awards 2023, so every winning firm could share their victory and keep the buzz going after the event.

When you're behind the camera, it's easy to get caught up in two things: making sure the story flows smoothly and ensuring top-notch production quality. After all, nobody wants their audience scratching their heads or noticing inconsistencies in the footage. But here's the thing about filming events – it's all about the emotion. Sure, maybe a shot isn't perfectly framed or it's a tad blurry, but if it packs an emotional punch and gets the audience feeling something, it's golden. And sometimes, you have to ditch the standard beginning-to-end narrative. Forget about your own biases and just focus on creating a video that hits people emotionally.

While it's crucial not to get too caught up in copying others' work because every event is its own special thing, it doesn't hurt to peek at what's out there and get inspired by different ideas. And it's not just about checking out other event videos either; taking a look at different kinds of experience videos can spark some interesting concepts. For example, mixing in event photography with the video footage can add a whole new layer to the memories captured. And jotting down a bunch of ideas – even something as simple as getting everyone to give a thumbs-up when the camera's on them – can lead to some fun little videos that the organizer can use to hype up the event.

We hope these video tips help spark creative inspiration and get you thinking about how your event could look from a customer perspective. We are always happy to offer a free chat to discuss any potential projects you have in mind and provide a consultation on how videos can elevate your event. This blog was written by Haydn Wakeling, Founder of Black Swan Productions.