Events are expensive, and the video is often the only part that keeps working after the venue is packed up. Yet many event films end up as long, unused recordings because nobody decided in advance what the footage was for. This guide shows how to plan coverage around the content you will actually publish.
Start with the deliverables
Before talking about cameras, decide what you want to have after the event. Typical options:
- Highlight film (1–3 minutes): the atmosphere, key moments and a few short quotes. Used on the website, LinkedIn and next year's promotion.
- Full-length recordings of keynotes and panels: for attendees, internal training or on-demand viewing.
- Short vertical clips (15–45 seconds): quotes, reveals and reactions for Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
- Interviews with speakers, partners or guests: testimonials and soundbites.
- Photos: for press releases and social posts the same evening.
Each of these needs a slightly different plan, so write them down and share them with the production company. Our comparison of highlight film vs full recording explains the difference in detail.
Share the run of show
The run of show — the minute-by-minute programme — is the most useful document you can give a crew. It tells them when the important moments happen: the opening, the reveal, the award, the CEO on stage. Mark the moments that must not be missed. Send updates as soon as they change; late changes to the programme are the most common reason a key moment is filmed from a poor angle.
Decide how many cameras you need
One camera operator can cover atmosphere and short interviews. Recording a full keynote cleanly while also capturing the room usually needs two cameras. Panels, award ceremonies and large stages may need more. Our guide on how many cameras you need for an event walks through common setups.
Plan interviews in advance
Interviews at events are short and noisy, so plan them:
- Choose three to six people and agree on a time slot for each.
- Find a quieter corner with a good background — branded wall, venue view, stage behind.
- Prepare two or three questions per person, aimed at short, quotable answers.
Sound
Clean audio of speeches usually comes from the venue's or AV company's sound desk. Ask your AV supplier early for an audio feed for the video crew; it makes keynotes and panels far easier to use later.
Lighting and venue
Stage lighting is designed for the room, not for cameras. Strong coloured lights, dark audiences and bright LED screens are all challenging. Share the venue details and, if possible, arrange a short walkthrough or technical rehearsal so the crew can test camera positions.
Photography alongside video
If you need both, book them together so the photographer and videographers coordinate positions and do not block each other. See booking photo and video for one event.
Fast turnaround
If you want a highlight clip online the same evening or the next morning, say so before the event. It changes how the crew works: an editor may cut on site while filming continues.
Live streaming as well
If remote attendees need to watch live, the stream and the recorded film are planned together but are different jobs. Our sister team Fat Cat Live handles multi-camera live streams. Read about recording vs live streaming an event.
A simple checklist
- List the deliverables and where each will be published.
- Send the run of show and mark the key moments.
- Agree interview names, times and questions.
- Request an audio feed from the AV supplier.
- Arrange crew access, parking and accreditation.
- Agree who on your team the crew can ask during the event.
Common mistakes
- Briefing the crew for the first time on the day of the event.
- No audio feed from the sound desk, so keynotes sound distant and echoey.
- Interviews squeezed into coffee breaks with no plan or quiet corner.
- Remembering vertical clips for social media only after the event.
- Nobody on the organising team free to answer the crew's questions.
How we cover events
At Fat Cat Media, filming events in the UAE since 2012, we plan coverage from your run of show and deliverables list, film across Dubai and the UAE, and can add photography. See our event coverage service or send us your event date 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.
