What to Tell Your Videographer Before Your Next Event
This is the short version. I have a full 18-page Footage Capture Blueprint that covers everything from camera setup to wardrobe to audio to B-roll. You can download it at the bottom of this page. But here is what matters most.
The Non-Negotiables
Record the entire talk on all cameras, start to finish. Do not start and stop. I need continuous footage to sync multiple camera angles in the edit.
Landscape mode on every camera. Vertical footage is unusable for a professional reel. Make sure every camera operator knows this before the event starts.
Lavalier mic on you. This is your insurance policy. If you do nothing else for audio, do this. A lav mic clipped to your chest is the difference between footage I can use and footage I throw away.
Two cameras minimum. Camera one is a wide shot from the back of the room on a tripod. Camera two is a close-up from the side or front, manned by someone with a tight lens who follows you as you move. The wide shot can be unmanned. The close-up cannot.
Audience reaction shots on a tight lens, held 10 to 30 seconds each. Close-up individual faces. Not wide crowd shots. Laughing, nodding, leaning forward.
The Things People Forget
Start recording before you walk on stage. The walk-up, the entrance, the first moment the audience sees you. These are some of the most cinematic moments we can use.
Keep recording after you leave the stage. The exit, the applause, the handshakes. These moments signal premium.
Talk to the AV team before the event about getting a direct audio feed from the sound board. This gives you clean, isolated audio without room echo. Your videographer needs to coordinate this at least a week in advance, not the morning of.
Capture B-roll. Walking shots, green room prep, getting miked up, book signings, post-talk conversations. All in landscape. All at 60 frames per second so I can use slow motion in the edit.
The full blueprint covers camera specifications, wardrobe strategy, how to handle bad lighting and small audiences, coordinating with venue AV teams, and a printable day-of checklist. Download it and hand it to your videographer. It is the most valuable free document in the speaking industry.
