Capturing a seminar event on video

This week saw us shooting one of my favorite kinds of videos, the Speaker Seminar event...specifically an event put on by the Arizona Regional MLS system, who brought in two speakers to discuss real estate issues at a Harkins Theater in Scottsdale.

Why do I like these events so much? Mostly because if a company has spent money on these speakers, they usually have something pretty interesting to say, and as the videographer, I get to attend and learn while I'm getting paid, so it's a double win for me.

Many companies are turning to video to capture events like this so they can reach a higher audience by putting the video on their website, but if it's the first time a firm has video'd a speaker seminar, there can be a few pitfalls to avoid.

One often overlooked issue is lighting the speaker. In the dark Harkins theater, the slides look great, but no one could see the speaker, and he certainly wouldn't show up on video. Anticipating this, we brought a light with us and set it up (you can see it in the above photo). It washes out a little of the slide show presentation behind the speaker, but not enough to be unreadable, and it certainly allows the video to capture the speaker in a much better 'light' (literately!).

Another concern is the sound. The speakers were using handheld mics here, which were attached to the PA in the theater (as you can see, it was a full house). The techs at the theater weren't prepared to send us a line from the house system, however, so being prepared ourselves, we brought our own clip-on mics for the speakers. Once adorned, the speakers didn't have to worry about them, and we had control over our own sound without worrying about the theater's system.

This was a two-camera shoot (thanks to Jay Lee, my favorite cameraman!), where we'll add the slides in later in 'post-production'. Not every client has the budget for two cameras, but it adds a degree of professionalism to the shoot. Costs can be kept in check, however, by just having one camera, and by capturing the slides by shooting the screen, rather than editing them in later on.

All in all, it was a great event, and the video will allow ARMLS to reach a far greater audience than just those who could attend today. If you have an upcoming event you'd like to capture. Drop us a line at 480.240.9270, or email me at ben@PrimeImageMedia.com