Corporate Event Video Checklist

Corporate events are exciting, but they can also be stressful.  Add video coverage to the mix, and there’s another layer of complexity to manage.  But considering the marketing value of event videos, it’s worth getting everything right, and optimizing the assets you get from each event.

We highly recommend bringing in a professional video team early in the planning process to make sure all details are covered.  The team will also provide input on how to achieve the best results.

Here are some key things we discuss with our clients when planning a corporate video.

Logistics is the key to a successful event video

We’re putting on a show and that means everything has to be scheduled, organized and prepped for efficient execution at showtime.  There also has to be contingencies built in because though we want everything to run like clockwork, things come up.

Especially for conferences or livestream events featuring executives, time is crucial.  Executives don’t have time to wait around for lighting adjustments or other delays.  Once they arrive, they need to go straight to make-up and then start rolling.

During our pre-recorded event for Intuit, we had several executives with schedule limitations.  They were only available for a short period of time on the same day.  In order to make this work, we built two different sets, each with three cameras, two teleprompters and a full crew.  This required considerable amount of logistical planning to make it all happen.

For coverage of an event where several things are happening at once, we create a shotlist that prioritize the events the client wants to cover.  For example, during a PagerDuty Summit, we had a couple teams covering the key note while another team focused on workshops and seminars.  It’s imperative to have a plan to make sure we get the footage the marketing team needs.

Rehearsals, sets, and equipment for corporate event videos

Even if the event is not live, rehearsals ensure that everything runs smoothly at showtime.  As mentioned above, executives and other talent have limited availability so the event has to be technically sound.

We also discuss with clients about sets.  For Ducati, we built a video wall since they had a unique background they needed to show for their pre-recorded conference.

For PagerDuty’s Summits, we had an interview set as well as a step-and-repeat.  Depending on the event, different sets may be required, which has to be planned out in advance.  Step-and-repeats and other custom sets often take several weeks to be made and delivered.

Other equipment to consider are teleprompters, aerial videography, gimbals, and various monitors.  These are not required for every event, but can be helpful for talent, and also for elevating the quality of the marketing assets.

We’re also often asked to include still photography.  Stills can be grabbed from videos in most cases, but it’s ideal to have that planned out in advance to make sure that we have the right resolution and settings.  Often, it’s better to have a separate still photographer on hand to get the most stills from an open event.

Corporate event videos with a tight turnaround

Most of our pre-recorded events have a tight turnaround.  For Intuit, we had to deliver a video several hours long within a week after the shoot.  The final deliverable not only included footage but also animated demos.  We had several editors and animators working on various segments around the clock to make this happen.

For Ducati, we had three days to deliver their dealer conference video.  We also had several editors working on different segments.  We delivered segments as completed to the client for their review and feedback.  Once all the segments were approved, we stitched everything together and did a final review and quality check before the event video was streamed.

To learn more about preparing corporate-event videos when the production window is tight, check out this article from our good friends at Nitro Media Group.

Takeaway: Planning is the key to a successful corporate event video

Sounds obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing.  Corporate event videos are valuable marketing tools.  They reach your audience directly but also keep them engaged to your brand’s messaging.

To learn more about how Picturelab can help with your corporate event videos, contact us at info@picturelab.com.  We are a full-service creative video production company based in Mountain View, CA, and Irvine, CA.