Filming An Event With Multiple Cameras
How many cameras do you need?
Multi-camera shoots are very popular nowadays because they add a lot more interesting angles to the video, it makes it more dynamic, and really add the extra value to the final product. The question you should be asking yourself is how many cameras do you really need for your shoot. Let’s say you’re doing a seminar for your company, one camera might be all you need. If your seminar is a few hours long that one shot from the back of the room will start to look a little boring, after a while. Now, If you have the extra budget, a second camera with a different angle will help make the video more dynamic. You can also use the second camera to film the audience whenever they ask questions. Having three or more cameras makes sense when the budget permits it or if multiple things are happening in the room, such as Q&A’s, testimonials, close-up on the speaker, a wide-shot on multiple speakers; also, it will help you make a more dynamic edit afterward. To conclude, when you’re looking for a video production company, it’s important to keep in mind how many cameras you need based on what kind of event you are hosting and your budget.
How to capture audio?
Audio is probably one for the most underestimated areas of the video production process. First, you need to know how many people are going to be on stage. If one person is the case, then all we might need is a wireless mic to capture the audio directly into the camera. Now, if we have two or more people on stage, we might need to mic them all at the same time or use a handheld microphone to share in between the speakers. Or we might need to connect the camera directly into the audio master board in the room wirelessly or with a cable (in this case we will be using the local PA system). Also, we can’t forget about our audience; during times when they ask questions, we might need to provide a mic for when they speak or just make sure the speaker knows to rephrase the question so we can have it on camera. This is why it’s important to have a video production professional capturing video and audio during your event because he/she will be prepared to solve any situation. Now, if the event requires multiple mics, we might need to bring an audio person just to monitor the audio signal; so you will have to know in advance how many people will be speaking at the same time and also if the camera person will be able to connect to the event’s master board. Some production companies include both camera and audio services in the same package.
How much are you expected to pay for these services?
As a rule, we could say that one camera goes with one camera operator. If you have a project where your setup requires three-cameras, you might also need 3 cameramen operating the cameras at all times. In some cases, two or even one person can run the three cameras, but it is not recommended. Just imagine If one camera goes bad and there is no cameraman monitoring that camera, then that shot will be lost if no one realizes something went wrong the camera. It’s also important to know how long the team will be at the event, where it can be as simple as 1-hour event to a full twelve hour day. Just keep in mind that the team will need to setup and test audio and visuals (angles, lighting, and movement) before the event begins and also there could be some transferring time at the end of the event (in case the client needs the raw footage right away). And remember that after the event is over, the videos need to be edited together. I’m sure you can see how this adds up pretty quickly and it’s important to understand what it is you want and how much is within your budget. If all you really want is a simple video with one camera in the back of the room that’s fine, but sometimes having multiple cameras will make the edit stand out from other videos out there.
How you want your footage to be edited?
We have taken some time to plan our event, set aside a budget for our video production company to film, we need to have an edit in mind or an idea so that the video production team can know how to shoot the event. If you want a highlight reel to showcase some of the key points of your event the video production company can plan it from their side and this will also affect the quality of the edit. Let’s keep it simple, it’s harder to engage the viewer when the information is presented with only one camera. That’s why multi-camera edits exist, to make sure the viewer engages and the message actually gets across.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are quite a few things that go into filming an event with one or multiple cameras. It’s important to understand what you might need when bringing a video production company to film your even. This will allow you to set aside the right amount of money for the video project, and decide what works best for you and your company. It also helps to understand what the video production company might ask you when shopping around, in order for them to give you a more accurate quote.