8 TIPS ABOUT FILMING AT EVENTS

Since I am doing Public Relations and Film at Curtin University. My workplace have taken that into account and have decided to use my creative side. I have been filming their events from a charity walk, to a river cruise and even a soiree at Linneys surrounded by jewellery and champagne. It is so awesome to have extra skills such as the ability to film as they would make you do all these creative things and here are some tips I have learnt along the way. 

1.       Having the right gear

One of the most important aspects of filming an event is having the right cameras and lens to get the look that you want. I personally use the Nikon D5100 DSLR with a 35mm lens. Using a handheld camera or your phone camera will not only produce low quality video, but will seem unprofessional and make your event management look cheap.

2.       Understanding the venue

Before the event starts, make sure you have an understanding of the venue. Understanding the venue will allow you to know where and what shots to take. For example, I had a great knowledge of the Perth CBD when filming for the homeless walk event. I filmed interesting shots from the bridge, from inside the mall and could travel from one end to the other faster because I knew shortcuts.

3.       Plan your filming style

Filming style refers to the way your film will look. Will it have saturated colours? Will it have people acting? Will it be a series of candid shots? Will it look like a film or a documentary? Ask yourself these questions because when you are shooting, you would want a clear idea of what the final product will look like and to have a certain consistency between the shots.

4.       Find your subjects of interest

One of the things that made films interesting is the people or things that you show that catch people attention. When filming the homeless walk, I noticed that there were little kids attending the event. I decided to shoot them and when the video was put together, it enhanced the emotion of the video. It makes people think about ‘what if they were on the streets?’ or ‘These kids should not go ever go through something like homelessness in their life’. Find your subject of interest!

5.       Weather conscious

If you are shooting outside, you are bound to face some difficulties with the weather. Knowing the weather forecast for the event day will help you plan the gear and even the settings on the camera. Bring an umbrella! Bring a jacket! Look at the weather channel!

6.       Having enough battery and memory

The camera’s battery life and memory space must always be in mind throughout filming an event. Make sure you plan your shots and not film too much at the beginning of the event because you will most likely run out battery/memory towards the end.

7.       Can you hear it right?

Recording the sound will always be as important as filming the video. People will not like the video no matter how good the filming was if the sound is not very good. Make sure you test out the sound before filming. Understand its limitations and how far the subject should be from the microphone before filming them.

8.       Having enough footages

The worst thing that could possibly happen in putting together a film is not having enough footage. Your videos will be short and the clips wouldn’t be long enough. Always shoot 30 or 1 minute more than you are supposed to. Never hurts to have more than having nothing to edit with!