The best trade show videos take preparation. When determining how to prepare for your video shoot, a few tips can make the process quite a bit easier.
Not just for trade shows, corporate event videography can serve as powerful marketing material for your brand, but getting the message across does require having a vision of the end result in mind.
Using your vision for the end product, your preparation checklist should include.
Create a Timeline of Your Shots
Your trade show or event video should tell a story, and like any good story, chronological telling will be required.
One of the first things you should do when approaching how to prepare for your video shoot is to create a timeline of shots you’d like incorporated into your video.
This rough sketch of an outline should include your intro, any specific types of shots you’d like to tell your story, and an inspiring conclusion that wraps your video up nicely.
Prepare a List of Shots
Along with your timeline, you should also prepare a list of specific shots and where you’d like those to happen.
They can be on location at the trade show or the corporate event, or they can take place elsewhere.
This prepared list of shots lets your videographer know exactly where they need to be and how they need to prepare to ensure they can create the best video content.
Interviews and B-Rolls
Your interviews and B-rolls aren’t just “filler” for your video, they’re the supporting characters helping to build a foundation and a mood with your video. If you wish to include interviews, make sure the individuals you’d like to have interviewed are on location and prepared for the shoot. A
dditionally, know who will be asking questions to these individuals, if the questions will be part of the video, and just who you want the interviews framed in each shot.
- Do you want the interviewer in the video, or just the interviewee?
- What will be the setting for these interviews, and how will these shots best represent the atmosphere at your trade show booth or corporate event?
B-roll footage is footage used to supplement or support your main video. This footage can come from stock footage archives, archival photos, crowd shots at a trade show, or a simple “setting up” montage at your trade show booth. T
hese scenes are often used to establish the atmosphere of a scene or smooth out a transition between two different parts of your video.
If you wish to include B-roll footage in your video to create an atmospheric foundation for your storytelling, make sure to include a list of B-roll ideas for your videographer.
How You’d Like Your Space Prepared
Before your videographer gets to your event, make sure you have your trade show booth or corporate event space prepared to film.
A good rule of thumb to follow is to use your smartphone camera to take simple photos around your trade show booth. You can use these photos to gauge how your trade show booth will look in scenes, what may need to be moved around, and what spaces could work best for filming.
When considering how to prepare for your video shoot, preparation of your space should be a top priority.
Make Sure the Videographer has Access to Shoot Locations
You can’t expect your video vision to come to life if your videographer is not granted access to certain spaces. When preparing for your videography, make sure to get any required permissions necessary to have your videographer film in all of your desired locations.
Prepare Examples of Video Styles
Style is a big deal when it comes to videography, and there are an infinite number of approaches your videographer can take when it comes to bringing your video to life.
Before meeting with your videographer, it’s important to prepare by researching different video styles you believe would resonate best with your audiences.
For trade show or corporate event videos, the video is an extension of your brand voice. The styles selected should be fitting with your brand and how you want your brand viewed by your desired audiences. For instance, a brand that values innovation and sustainability might opt for a more contemporary videography style that emphasizes stylish minimalism and modern effects.
Prepare as Much Information as Possible
Your videographer needs to be prepared to make the absolute most of your shoot, and this means being informed about your booth, the location of your trade show booth at the venue, the venue layout, and the event itself.
It’s best to pass this information along to your videographer before the day of the event so any questions can be answered, and you both come to an equal understanding of just what your wants or expectations are.
Provide a List of Must-Have Images
If group shots need to be arranged, specific photos or images of your team, or highlights of speaking engagements, demos, or interactive displays, make sure to have a comprehensive list ready for your videographer. These images are excellent for use as B-rolls throughout your footage, and some (like demo or speaking shots) may only have a small window to capture.
Ensuring your videographer is prepared is a key element in how to prepare for your video shoot successfully.
Event Videography to Capture Your Brand Voice
Event videography with a professional trade show or corporate event videographer provides you with a valuable souvenir commemorating any professional event.
Video has a unique way of being able to provide an accurate representation of emotion, which businesses can use in marketing, training videos, onboarding content, and so much more. Because it’s so important, learning how to prepare for your video shoot is important as well as open communication with your videographer.
If you’d like to discuss your videography needs for your next corporate event or trade show, contact Expo Ease to learn more.
