What could possibly be a more fun video project than an event promotion video? Well, unless you are the guy who has to run around with the camera shooting and interviewing and not actually fully participating in the event, just vicariously experiencing the event with the tremendous amount of pressure to not miss a single event, statement, or beautiful B-Roll moment… but no pressure, and no, I’m not bitter…
But seriously, creating an event promotion video, or event recap video are really showcasing your best side, the funnest moments, the coolest activities your event has. How neat is that? It’s pretty neat.
Here are 5 tips for making the most intriguing, captivating, and motivating event video:
Don’t forget the story!
Remember the purpose of the event and decide how you want to convey that to your audience. You could open with the purpose statement, or start out with a bunch of personal statements from attendees, or just go with shots of the signage. It’s very effective to have the people actually attending the event (not just the employees or volunteers) to share your story. It resonates more personally and impactfully with your viewers to hear it from people like them, not the people paid to say those positive things.
Ask the right questions, get the right responses!
Have the regular interview questions for your interviewees (example, why are you here tonight?) BUT! If there is a “theme” to the event, try and come up with a similar theme of questions to set the tone for the video. If it’s a costume party, for example, ask the interviewees dressed up as super heroes how their super hero would use their super powers to support the event. Know what I’m saying?
Give your viewers a taste!
Sure, you’ll shoot the main events at the event, but get more involved with your footage. Take your camera right out onto the dance floor and put your audience in the middle of the cha cha slide. You could do a chronological approach: showing the main entrance, registration table, main area, food, dancing, thank you speeches, etc. Or you could get crazy and go with a fast paced montage of the whole event. Decide what feeling you want your viewers to have towards the event (party? donate? get involved? party?) and then show the appropriate experience.
Shot selection!
Let’s get creative-camera-techy for a second. Everyone will probably experience the event from their perspective. I’m talking eye level perspective. So if they’re watching something they could see with their own eyes, while it may be cool, it still is a fairly routine, expected stimulus. So, vary up your shots! Climb up on top of the balcony and get that overarching establishing shot of the dance floor. Then get down on your stomach for a shot of all the variety of legs out on the dance floor. Weren’t expecting to see that, now were you? Now you’re intrigued.
End with a call to action!
Sounds pretty simple, but do make sure you let people know how they can get involved for the next event. Again, figure out how you want to do it, how you could best communicate that to your viewers, but make it unique to the event. Straight forward end screen text works, an attendee looking right into the camera and telling people to come to: “the best event EVARRRRR!!!!,” or providing a link to RSVP. Don’t make it too busy or complicated. Everything they’ve seen prior to the call to action should have them eager to hop on the bandwagon, so just tell them where that bandwagon is and when to hop.
Also, keep in mind that you could get multiple videos out of one event. If there are several aspects to the event step back and see if it is worth breaking up into other stories. For example, check out the series of videos we made from DigIN 2014.
Your event is important and means a lot to you, so show (don’t tell) that to your viewers. Be real, be creative, and have fun with it.
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