Event Video
An event video is a documentary with PR flavour
If an event video is properly done then the impression of Cinema Varieté develops. Event videos should impress the investors and should reflect the PR image and character present during the event. Therefore, it should be agreed upon with the production company, which aspects of the event are to be emphasized. An event takes usually several hours and sometimes even one day. Unfortunately, an event video cannot be produced in all bloom like a documentary film, since the budget normally must hold out for one production day and probably two days of post-production work. A presentation or a speech is often obligatory for such an event and the organizer should provide the script of the speech to the production company prior filmmaking work. It is very helpful if the organizer agrees potentially in advance with the presenter, which 30 seconds of the speech are the most important once. These 30 seconds are later facilitated within the final edit. A production company should know the sponsors and backers of the event in order to catch them during the filmmaking work. Nothing is more embarrassing than an event video, where the logo of the main sponsor is missing.
Cost of an Event Video
An event video is normally between 3 to 8 minutes long and can be produced in about two post-production days. The mayor cost driver of an event video is the post-production work. Therefore it is important, to define before shooting, which substantial elements are desired to be shown at the end. The cost of an event video depends upon the equipment facilitated and range between 1000-5000€. Unfortunately, a variety of companies use low-priced cameras. Particularly in less illuminated situations, cameras show without 2/3” chips only unsatisfactory results, such in the dawn, in auditoriums or more importantly during theatre demonstrations. Artificial light is often no alternative, since the intimacy of the scene is destroyed and the employment of headlights is not practicable during frequently changing actions. For 3000€ an organizer can request a 3-4 minutes long film, which was recorded and edited with professional television equipment.
Most events receive funding from 3rd parties and therefore have a PR-flavour. However, such a PR-flavour might be smaller for some cultural events, sports competitions or music performance. In particular if a performance is on stage the video recording requires at least two cameras. The easiest set-up facilitates a camera for the coverage of the entire stage and another camera concentrates on distinct shots. In particular during complex theatre dialogs two cameras are unlikely to be sufficient, which require additionally production management. The cost of such productions clearly falls in the range of five figures. For such recordings the term event video is also not anymore used.