5 Tips for Agencies to Enhance Their Event Videos

July 15, 2024

David Aguilar

1. Encourage Your Videographer to Shoot for Sequences

A sequence is a group of related shots — as few as two — that demonstrate the progress or completion of an action. Every story has a beginning, middle, and end and event videos are no different. Think of your event video as a collection of mini-stories to make it more engaging for the viewer and make them feel a part of the story.

Ways to Do This

Clear Beginning, Middle, and End: Tell the story of an activity during the event by covering each phase.
Variety of Angles and Perspectives: Mix up your shots—wide, medium, and close-ups—to keep things dynamic in your video, which turns into higher engagement from your viewer..
Maintain Continuity: Keep an eye on the lighting, color, and even the axis of action.

Not sure about some of the terms used in production? Check out our free resource on Decoding Video Production Terminology! This will help you keep up with your production team so you can speak the same language.

Example

Picture this as a 6-shot sequence from top to bottom:

A wide shot of the lecture room.

A medium shot of the speaker.

A wide shot of people reacting.

A close-up of people writing things down.

A wide shot of the speaker finishing.

A wide shot of a group of people applauding.

2. Cover the Event from Beginning to End

Just as the videography team should be shooting a beginning, middle, and end for sequences, the same should be considered for the event as a whole. This means capturing the overall story of the event. This will help let the viewer know what to expect from the event in its entirety.

Example

Beginning: Set the scene by capturing people arriving, grabbing their name tags and swag, then mingling with other attendees. Don’t forget to capture exterior shots of the venue during the day to establish the setting.

Middle: Document the heart of the event, including presentations, panels, and activities. Even the seemingly mundane moments, like people watching someone on stage, can be made interesting with shots of people writing, laughing, nodding, whispering, and applauding.

End: Capture the evening’s final moments, people leaving, and exterior shots of the venue at night to create a sense of closure and completion.

Want to see this in action? Check out our recap video for NAMIC’s Annual Convention!

Bonus

Start and end with exterior shots to give the viewer a sense of closure to help bookend the video.

3. Capture Audio

When it comes to video as a whole, audio is just as crucial as the visuals. Incorporating recorded audio creates higher production value and opens up the opportunity to create additional content.

Note: It is important to let your videographer know well in advance if on-site audio is needed!

Types of On-Site Audio

Interview Audio: Personal insights from attendees or speakers that build the foundation of the narrative.
Presentation Audio: Essential for full-length videos of the event’s lectures or building out different deliverables.
Natural Audio*: Ambient sounds like laughter or glasses clinking can bring your video to life and add immersion.

* Note: Natural Audio can be emulated through sound effects added in post during the audio mixing phase.

4. Connect with the Viewer through Attendees

The attendees represent what the viewer could experience if they attended the event, so it’s important to focus on them and their reactions and experiences. Attendees are the heart of the event and create a strong connection to the viewers.

Tips

Smiles: When capturing people mingling, wait for them to smile or laugh before panning away or turning off the camera.
Faces: Capture people’s faces instead of the backs of their heads.
Variety: Aim for a mix of close-ups of individuals and wide shots of groups.
- Bonus points for getting a mix of shots for the same groups of people.

5. Gather Extra Content for More Deliverables

Events present tons of opportunities to capture content outside of what will be used in a recap video. With some strategic planning and a keen eye, your videographer can gather additional content for you to use in furthering your business and establishing new connections.

Types of Extra Content

Testimonials: Record quick interviews with your clients during the event to highlight the success of the event and your specific contribution. These can be used for your agency in future promotions and referrals.
- Make sure to communicate this goal with your videographer beforehand so they have the necessary audio equipment to record an interview.
Vendor Clips: Ahead of the event, identify key vendors that you’d like to form a relationship with. Ensure you have the vendor’s consent, and ask your videographer to capture shots featuring them. After the event, you can then deliver short, edited vignettes centered around each vendor.
- These clips can be: them interacting with attendees, displaying their items, or even setting up.

Bonus

Capture quick on-site interviews of the vendor and/or people visiting their booth for added production value

Conclusion

To recap, here are the five tips to enhance your event videos:

Encourage your videographer to shoot for sequences.
Cover the event from beginning to end.
Capture audio.
Connect with the viewer through attendees.
Gather extra content for more deliverables.

These tips will not only help your event videos shine but allow your own business network to grow!

For more production-focused tips, such as camera settings, audio, and interview tips, check out our Production Best Practices resource on our website.

If you found these tips helpful, share this with others who could benefit. We’d love to hear your own tips or questions about event video production in the comments below.