A birthday lasts one evening, and the person who organised it usually sees the least of it. A birthday videographer is there so that the family can watch the party later: the faces of the guests, the toasts, the cake and the things that happened while the host was busy. This guide explains how to plan the filming of a birthday or a private party in Dubai, how many hours to book and what the price is made of.
What a birthday film is made of
A good film of a private party is not a recording of everything. It is two to four minutes of the moments people want to see again:
- the place before the guests arrive: decorations, the table, the cake;
- arrivals and greetings;
- the birthday person with family and friends;
- toasts and wishes;
- the cake and the candles;
- a show, a game or a surprise, if there is one;
- dancing and the end of the evening.
If the toasts matter to you, ask for a second, longer cut that keeps them in full. For a children's party the list is different: games, the entertainer, the faces of the children and the parents.
How many hours to book
Most birthday parties need three to five hours of filming. The videographer should arrive before the guests, to film the decorations and the first greetings, and stay until the cake and the first dances. The last hour of a long party rarely adds anything to the film.
The minimum booking is two hours. It is enough for a dinner in a restaurant or a short surprise party, when everything important happens close together.
One videographer or two
We recommend two videographers for a party. One stays with the birthday person and the main moments; the other films guests, details and reactions. With one camera you always choose between the speaker and the people listening, and the reactions are often the best part of the film.
For a small family dinner at one table, one videographer can be enough. You choose the number; we tell you honestly what each option gives.
Wishes from the guests
Short wishes recorded during the party are what the family watches years later. Parties are loud, so the microphone on the camera is not enough. For wishes and short interviews we add a sound recordist with all the equipment, and set up a quiet corner away from the music.
Decide in advance who should say a few words, and tell them. People speak better when they have had a minute to think.
What it costs
Our rates for event filming:
- Videographer: from AED 600 per hour when you book 4 hours or more. Shorter bookings cost more per hour, and the minimum booking is 2 hours.
- Sound recordist with all the equipment, for wishes and interviews: AED 2,500 per day.
- Editor on site, if you want a clip the same evening: AED 3,500 per day (up to 8 hours).
- Editing: quoted separately, because it depends on how complex the edit is and how many videos you need.
These prices are approximate and exclude 5% VAT. The calculator on our birthday videographer page shows the estimate for your hours and crew, and our producer confirms the exact figure on WhatsApp. For a general guide to prices, read how much an event videographer costs in Dubai.
Photos as well
Most families want photos and video. When the photographer and the videographers are one team, they agree positions in advance and do not block each other during the cake or the toasts. See photo and video at one event.
The venue
Villas and homes are the easiest places to film. Restaurants, hotels and yachts sometimes ask to approve filming in advance, and some limit where a crew can stand. Tell us the venue when you book, so we can check with them before the day.
For an evening party, look at the light. A dark terrace with coloured lights looks good to the eye and difficult to a camera. A few warm lamps near the table and the cake make a big difference to the film.
Privacy
A private party is private. Tell the crew at the start if some guests prefer not to be filmed, and whether the film may be shown anywhere. The film is yours: if you want it to stay in the family, we do not use it in our portfolio or on social media.
What to send us
A short message is enough:
- the date, the start time and the place;
- the number of guests;
- a rough programme: arrivals, dinner, cake, show;
- the people who must be in the film;
- what you want to receive: a short film, a longer cut, clips for stories, photos.
How we work
Fat Cat Media has filmed events in the UAE since 2012, from conferences to family celebrations. We work quietly among the guests, know the programme in advance and deliver a film the family will watch again. See our birthday and private party videographer page or send us the date and place on WhatsApp.
Need help with event videography?
Conferences, launches, parties and activations: highlight films and full recordings. Send us a short brief and we will come back with an itemised quote.
