The Ultimate Planning Guide To Filming Your Conference Presentation

When organising videography for your conference, you first need to be clear on the type of video you want to create.

To ensure your video delivers above and beyond, there are some key considerations you should take into account beforehand, which will help your production crew both on the day and during the editing process afterwards.

Providing your production crew with certain information before your event, will ensure they are as prepared as possible for the big day!

In this article, we explain the key considerations you should take as well as the information you should supply to your production crew, in advance of your conference, to ensure you get the most out of your event.

Pre-Event Key Considerations

Confirm Your Objective

It sounds obvious, but knowing exactly what you want to achieve by filming your event is hugely important, and yet often overlooked. Are you looking to record the event for an audience unable to attend on the day?

Provide a recap for those who were in attendance? Or are you looking to create a promotional video to boost sales and marketing for your next event? Just three examples, but all benefitting from a different filming approach.

Create A Filming Schedule

Try to avoid ‘winging it’ on the day and deciding what to film while the event is actually in progress. Working with your video supplier to develop a filming timetable beforehand that corresponds to your event programme will help you to make sure that you’re getting all you need and can highlight any logistical issues – particularly when multiple cameras are involved and more than one type of video is being created.

It’s not unusual for requirements to change on the day and the crew will need to be flexible, but a schedule provides an important starting point.

Consider Combining Videography And Photography

One of the challenges of running an event is having to deal with many different suppliers. Using the same team for both video filming and for stills photography can help with this, saving you time when it comes to briefing people on what you need, and generally simplifying the process.

Of course, you need to be absolutely sure that the team you’re working with has the capability to deliver on both fronts.

Decide How To Use And Distribute Your Video

Many don’t think about this until the video has been created, but it’s worth considering – will it go on your webpage, social media channels, how will you notify people when the video is ready?

Knowing the answers to these questions beforehand can influence the filming approach taken by the crew, and will lower the risk of hold-ups and delays in post-production since the distribution strategy has already been agreed.

Review Previous Experiences

If you’ve worked with video production teams at events before, make the most of this and think about what worked and what you would like to do differently. Focus less on the process but more on the outcome of the video – did it achieve what you wanted it to and why/why not? Refining the process is an important part of ensuring that each video surpasses the one before.

Having provided video and photography services for a wide range of events, both across the UK and Internationally, the team at Dead Ready Productions are no strangers to working with a brief that’s less than fully developed, but we can work with you to ensure the end result exceeds your expectations.

Pre-Event Information To Supply Your Production Crew

Nine times out of ten you will have an audio visual team at the venue operating a sound desk and managing microphones on the stage, in addition to the camera crew. Clean, high quality audio is absolutely essential when filming a conference presentation, so ensuring everyone involved shares their contact details prior to the event is key.

Arranging a pre-conference call between the camera crew and the audio visual team is also the simplest way to ensure that both parties are aware of what’s needed and can communicate with each other without any issues both pre and post the event should they need to.

Agenda And Slide Content

It’s useful for the production crew to know the event agenda in advance as it will allow them to plan the day with maximum efficiency. It’s also helpful to give them as much information as possible about the content of the slides – how intricate and detailed are they; are there animations and/or videos involved? Are they in a format other than PowerPoint? Will the crew be able to get hold of the original PowerPoint files on the day?

The answers to these questions may affect the filming approach. Of course, not every presenter uses slides, so it’s useful to know if that is the case as well.

Number Of Presenters

If there will be more than one speaker talking at a time, or a panel discussion, this will have implications for the number of cameras needed, the positioning of those cameras and the approach to audio recording on the day.

Be sure to confirm the number of presenters prior to the event and update your production team if there are any changes, no matter how last minute, so they can make the necessary alterations to the set up.

Audience Involvement

Everyone loves an interactive presentation, with the exception of an unprepared camera crew! If there’s a great deal of audience involvement and you want to feature this in the video, then you need a minimum of two cameras and you need to consider how audio will be handled.

A roving handheld or boom microphone is the most common solution as this type of microphone is critical to getting clear audio for the video – you just have to make sure there are people in position to move these microphones swiftly to where they are needed.

Lighting

A common misconception is that the biggest lighting challenge for the camera crew is the amount of available light in a conference venue. In practice, it is usually the contrast between a very bright screen and a dimly lit lectern or podium that causes the biggest challenge.

A regular occurrence at conferences is having a very narrow spotlight on the stage, which in most cases the presenter will promptly step out from under and then deliver the rest of their presentation from the shadows. There are various ways to deal with these issues, so knowing the lighting set up at the venue will allow your production crew to come prepared.

Room Layout

Knowing the layout of the room is very useful, particularly for multi-camera shoots, as it allows different camera positions to be considered. If time permits, a pre-shoot location recce, where the room is set up as it would be on the day, is the best way to do this.

Filming Notices 

Check if any of your presenters have any sensitive or copyright material in their presentations which should not be recorded. It also helps to inform them if you are filming their presentation in full, or simply capturing a few snippets for inclusion in a short promotional film.

Ask anyone who is filmed directly at the event to sign a release form as this will help avoid any issues at a later stage when you come to share and promote your event. Template release forms can be provided by the production company in advance, which you can tailor to your event.

If you are in the process of arranging a conference and you were considering filming the presentations, then we hope these useful tips have been helpful.

If you would like to discuss how Dead Ready Productions could help with filming your event, please feel free to get in touch via the button below or by calling +44 (0)208 339 6139.

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3 More Top Tips For How To Look Good For Video Conferences

We all know where to put the camera and how to light ourselves for a decent looking video call these days (and if we don’t, check out our earlier vlog), but now that everyone is used to meeting online, we’ve noticed some of the more subtle traps that people are falling into.

In this update, Dead Ready Director, Chris Tongue, takes us through his top tips to make sure you come across perfectly in your web conferences.

Here’s the transcript for fun:

Hello! Back at the beginning of the lockdown I posted a tips video on how to look good in video calls. Since then, we’ve recorded hours of interviews for several clients over the web and have noticed a few extra traps people can fall into, so thought I’d post a short update with a few more tips.

Extra Tip #1

Be mindful of reflective surfaces and how they have a habit of giving away ugly or embarrassing things in the rest of the room. This applies not only to windows and mirrors in the background, but also to those who wear glasses – a bored attendee may choose to make your window full screen, where it might be obvious through reflections that the discussion doesn’t have your undivided attention… (I’ll then zoom in on my glasses which will show that I’m playing solitaire or minesweeper).

Extra Tip #2

Remember to keep eye contact. This doesn’t mean that you have to look at the camera, just that you should keep looking at the people you are talking to on screen.

It can be tempting to look away while you form your responses, but you’ll lose your audience’s attention if you don’t appear to be talking to them. This counts double if you’re being interviewed or are delivering a presentation as you’re on screen for much longer.

If it helps, have your notes on screen, it’ll keep your focus in roughly the right place.

Extra Tip #3

Value your production values. If you’re being filmed taking part in an interview or you’re a guest speaker at a virtual conference – remember that your video quality reflects whoever is posting the video, so getting your setup correct is more than just a vanity exercise and can affect whether or not you’re invited back.

Good luck out there and thanks for watching!

How To Look Good For Video Conferences

Web conferences are the new normal and all of us are bound to need to collaborate over Skype, Zoom, Gotomeeting etc over the coming weeks/months. This vlog from Dead Ready Director Chris Tongue, offers three tips on how to make sure that you stream/webcast yourself clearly – and look good doing it!

Transcript below:

Hi. With most of us working from home now and all events and meetings taking place online, it’s important to not only know how to look good in a web conference, but to also make sure that you can be clearly seen and understood. This counts double for anybody who is used to presenting at a large scale event, where there might be a whole technical team there to make sure you’re both lit beautifully and can be heard very clearly by everybody in the room.

Online, you’re going to have to get used to being your own technical team, but fortunately, the essentials are pretty easy to get right. So here are three tips on how to look good for video conferencing.

Tip 1.

It’s essential to get your light source falling on your face, to make sure you don’t appear as a silhouette, so make sure you don’t shoot with your back towards a window. Natural light is often most flattering, so try to set your camera up underneath a window, where the light from outside can illuminate your whole face. This isn’t possible for everyone, it’s not possible for me, so alternatively, to increase the light on your face, consider just putting in a household lamp behind the camera. It really does make a massive difference.

Tip 2.

Poor quality audio is arguably worse than poor quality visuals as people have a far lower tolerance for content they can’t hear. Most laptops have built-in microphones, which are usually pretty good these days, but just remember that the further you are away from your laptop the worse the sound quality will be. I’m shooting this video with a professional microphone that I happened to have in the house when the lockdown was announced but your laptop microphone is usually ok. I would just consider buying one of these options if you’re going to be doing this on a regular basis.

Tip 3.

This one isn’t the most important, but a standard approach is to put yourself in the middle of the frame, with a little bit of your shoulders showing. It’s also a good idea to try to keep your camera at eye level, because shooting from a low angle is pretty unflattering.

Remember also to have a look at what you’re capturing in the background to make sure that you’re not capturing anything sensitive, personal or embarrassing. Neutral backgrounds are usually a safe bet, but just try not to put yourself right up against a wall, because it’ll make you look like you live in a broom cupboard.

So there you go, three simple tips to make sure that you represent yourself clearly in a video conference and look great doing it.

Stay safe. We’ll see you next time.

Filming Conference Presentations: Pre-Shoot Checklist

On the surface, filming a presentation at a conference seems incredibly straightforward. You just need your video production crew to put a camera on a tripod at the back of the room, point it at the front and hit record, right?

Well, sometimes that can work – but to ensure you always get the best results possible, it’s important to try and provide information that will allow the crew to plan the most effective filming approach.

So what are the kind of things it’s helpful for us to know?

1. Your A/V team’s contact details

Clean, high quality audio is absolutely essential when filming a conference presentation. 9 times out of 10, you’ll have an A/V team at the venue operating a sound desk and managing microphones on the stage, so the best option is for our camera crew to connect to their sound desk via a cable. This avoids the speaker having to double up on microphones, or any conflict in equipment. A pre-conference call between the camera team and the A/V team is the simplest way to ensure that both parties are aware of what’s needed.

2. Number of presenters

Will there be more than one speaker talking at a time? Will there be a panel discussion? If so, this has implications for number of cameras, positioning of cameras, and approach to audio recording.

3. Presentation Slide Content

It’s useful to know a little bit about the slides being used by the presenter – how intricate and detailed are they; are there animations/videos involved? Are they in a format other than PowerPoint? Will the crew be able to get hold of the original PowerPoint files on the day so they can overlay slides on the footage? The answers to these questions may all affect the filming approach.

Of course not every presenter uses slides, and it’s useful to know if that’s the case as well.

4. Audience Involvement

Everyone loves an interactive presentation, with the exception of an unprepared camera crew. If there’s a great deal of audience involvement and you want to feature this in the video, then you need a minimum of 2 cameras, and need to consider how audio will be handled. A roving handheld or boom microphone is the most common solution; but you have to make sure you have people in position to move these microphones swiftly to where they are needed – otherwise people have a tendency to just shout out to the room. Fine for people who are in the room with them, but a problem for the edited video.

5. Lighting

A common misconception is that the biggest lighting challenge for the camera team is the amount of available light in a conference venue. In practice, the bigger problem is usually the contrast between a very bright screen and a dimly lit lectern or podium. Another thing we see regularly is a very narrow spotlight on the stage, which the presenter promptly steps outside and then delivers the rest of his presentation from the shadows. There are various ways to deal with these issues, but knowing whether they may happen allows us to come prepared.

6. Room Layout

Particularly for multi-camera shoots, the layout of the room is very useful to know so that camera positions can be considered, as well as the freedom of movement for individual cameras. If time permits, a pre-shoot location recce where the room is set up as it will be on the day is the best way to do this.

Having an idea of the above will make sure you’re best prepared to get top quality results when filming presentations.

If you would like to discuss how Dead Ready Productions could help you to further enjoy the benefits of video for your business, please get in touch via the button below or by calling +44 (0)208 339 6139.

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Event Filming – How Much Does It Cost?

“I want to film an event coming up in a couple weeks time. How much would it cost to produce a video of the event – can you give me an approximate price?”

It’s fairly often that we receive an enquiry similar to the above. Of course, every event video is unique and deserves a specific, tailored approach. Simply put, providing a set price and rigid filming and editing methodology can lead to you failing to get what you need, and paying for something you don’t.

However, as a client you’re often looking for some kind of rough price just to get the ball rolling and to help you factor video production into your marketing plans. Maybe you don’t have all the information you need or maybe you’re just not ready to have a detailed discussion yet – what then?

Event videos can vary widely in cost but as a rough guide tend to start at around £800 and go up from there depending on complexity and time involved. Here’s a few quick questions that can help you to quickly get a ballpark cost for your event video:

1. When/where is the event?

The first variable to determine, and usually the easiest to answer, is when and where the event is taking place. Price is dependent on number of days/nights filming required, whether it’s during the week or at a weekend, and accessibility of the location.

2. What exactly do you need to film?

This will depend on the type of event involved. Conferences have different requirements to awards ceremonies, which in turn are different to trade shows and launch events.

The main purpose of this question is to determine what size of crew and what equipment is needed for the shoot. Sometimes you may require speeches/presentations to be filmed, sometimes you’ll need interviews, other times just general footage of the event as it happens. Are there things that need to be filmed that are happening concurrently?

3. What video deliverables do you require?

Usually our clients are looking for short 2-3 minute footage-based promotional videos, deliverable via the web. But if you require more than one video, or longer videos, or anything involving more complex motion graphics, then price is affected.

4. Do you have specific budget restrictions?

Given the multitude of possibilities, sometimes it’s easier to start with a fixed budget and then discuss the best ways to achieve your goals.

Once you have some idea regarding the above, then it’s possible to put forward some options and give you an idea of the costs that are likely to be involved.

If you would like to discuss how Dead Ready Productions could help you to further enjoy the benefits of video for your business, please get in touch via the button below or by calling +44 (0)208 339 6139.

Contact Us