Event Tips for Videographers

Events are like a wave, everyone comes crashing in on the first day. In this space of event production for conferences (namely corporate event production services for multifamily and syndication) we’ve learned that if the brokers aren’t there, then nobody is there. Because everyone is there to make money.

Videographers in a similar space or any space wherein conferences serve as networking events for syndication will tell you that on the 1st day, conference-goers close the deal with their newfound network, and then on days 2 and on, excitement and energy slows down. The deals have been closed, now people just attend to eat the good food, maybe continue furthering education, and even to write the attendance off as a business expense, so they drudge through panelists and the like.

What we do differently and would like to advise all videographers that shoot event production and are looking for new prospects is to make sure that these event-going prospects see us working hard. This is OUR time to close the video production deals. What sets you apart as a videographer is to be in control, and if you aren’t then at least look like you’re in control and in the working mode. It’s the impression that matters, so if you don’t have a big camera, make it big! Build a large rig so that your gear impresses all who see it in the room.

An event recap production, event photography, testimonial videos, video advertisements, and event sponsor endorsement videos are the content we happen to be focusing on in our next upcoming 3-day event. So over these three days, our narrative will be BME (Beginning, Middle, and End). To sum this up, can we tell the story within 2 minutes?

After each event production service, you should come away with not only the overall event recap with a solid BME but also multiple smaller content pieces with their own BMEs. You want photos, if you’re part of a team or have one of your own, you and/or your team want to focus on the narrative. For more about using your event photographer, event production services, or video production content in a way that is vertically aligned to your video marketing efforts, read our article on why you should use photography for your business.

Testimonials

Testimonials are very simple, have them speak briefly on who they are, what they do, what they enjoyed about the conference or corporate event, and why they would come back. Use your intuition to source your interviewees among the conference-goers. Have good eyes on the right people.

The interviewee carries weight for the brand you’ve built for your client. This means having the good judgment to be able to find someone well-spoken who can represent your conference as a whole. These are excellent for social media video production for posting, video ad production content and a litany of promotional and video marketing service verticals. Actively scout for these testimonials. Who is asking questions? Who looks intrigued? Pay attention and write these things down. You can also stitch together corporate event production/conference videographer style b-roll footage using this content and boom. You have a phenomenal pitch deck.

Staging the Scene

The frequency of the crowd matters. Is the crowd rich and thin? Are some of these people of the caliber to privately host a dinner at a steakhouse? If you can identify the sponsors in the room, then get photos of them. Have someone shake their hand to stage a shot. If you’re on event photographer or videographer on duty; event crowd shots, individual speakers and panelist videos, and scenes (use a wide-aspect look) are what you want to get.

Another tip that nearly every professional event production company or corporate event production company does is to make the conference look even bigger than it is. Be bullish about pulling people together. Task your event coordinator to shift people into space, move chairs forward and be intentional about the shot.

Make it feel and look like a conference production package and never come home without full SD cards! Hit that shutter like you’re trying to kill the camera. Don’t be afraid to run those memory cards. Nothing should make you more upset than to come home and see less than a full terabyte of data (nope, we’re not kidding). Event when you’re working a small wedding video production, this is critical. You want to be able to then go to these prospects in content shots and sell your event production services and event photographer skills to them in the future.

The Payers Get the Pics

Guests, panelists, and scene – those shots are important. Know who your panelists are. Candidates that are engaged and maybe trying to impress those on stage – are great people to interview. You create digital assets. Make these assets valuable using forward-thinking and a plan for who might want these photos and why. And then make sure the photos match that selling point. 

Imagine we have a panelist that owns a 20K+ apt unit they’re trying to syndicate. If we think about what would be valuable to our panelist, it could very well be footage of people raising their hands to ask questions and visually showing interest. We want to have that footage! They will buy it from us to use for real estate video marketing.

Think along these lines: If you’re a photographer at a VIP dinner, where would you be when people are walking in the door? A scene shot would document from a distance where they’re even at. Be the eagle, jump out and don’t be the troop in the mud, come out of the mud and see the scene. Emotionally charged people about a deal are voyeuristic shots for photos that people want to see. And what they will pay for.

Take Care of Your Team

If you do have a video production crew or are growing in clientele to a point where you’re thinking about hiring a videographer on for some help, 1) we support this 100% and 2)  it’s very important to make sure you and your team are well-rested, takes their vitamin C and always have a plan B in case someone has to drop their pack.

Before an event production service, you need to be at the top of your game. Of course, the hard part is when your event comes on a Saturday after a full week of shooting and editing! A tip from us is to realize that this moment is the one that sets the women and men apart from the girls and boys!

If you’re using the event to feel out new talent from those who came to help you: see who has the follow-through to stay motivated on the final hours of the show and then during post-editing. Note who shows up early, who asks questions, and who can follow directions. Grade your candidates/talent on a scale from one to 5 on items the most important to you such as work ethic, punctuality, expertise, trustworthiness, and the ability to handle stress. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our Dallas event production company and how we view each video production service as a potential opportunity for monetization (beyond the simple event recap video production service), reach out to us or leave a comment below.