Choosing an Event Videographer for Your Hybrid Event

Given all that the event industry (and the world!) has gone through to adapt to our new normal, as an event organizer or planner, you have to take extra steps to ensure your next event is spectacular. Whether you are hosting a networking conference, a trade show, or something else in between, practically all events can be shifted to a virtual or hybrid event format. But, to boost attendee engagement, you’ll have to do more than just offer attendees that chance to spend even more time in front of a computer screen!Hiring an event videographer is a great way to set your event apart from the competition. An event videographer will not only know what to do to make your event look good, but their assets can then be used to promote your event for future years as well as a useful incentive for event sponsors. If you’ve never hired a professional videographer before, there are some important questions to consider and things to look for in order to find the right fit. To help you out, here is our guide to picking an event videographer for your next hybrid event![embed]https://youtu.be/7_ok3o0xqYE[/embed]

What is event videography?

Event videography is a professional, or team of professionals, whose sole job is to film, edit, and produce high-quality video recorded footage of your event. This process usually involves the live-action filming of the event and then ensuring that those videos are edited based on the file type and file size, edited for media type, and then handing the assets over to the event organizers or owners. Typically, the person who operates the camera and is actively filming your event is called the videographer. They will record footage from the entire event and then edit it down to tangible video segments. There are a number of videography styles to choose from. Here are some common ones:

• Cinematic: The video is shot and then cut and edited to look like a movie. The scenes might not be in order and might look more artistic. Ideal for parties or celebrations.
• Classic: Video that uses classic editing techniques so that proper tone and context are provided. You might see close-up shots of products or images of VIPs or event attendees to capture and promote the event more functionally. Typically used for company events.
• Documentary: A style of video journalism that documents events chronologically. Editing is straightforward; very common for a wedding.
• Guerrilla filmmaking: The videographer might use a handheld camera to mix in with the guests. This provides a more natural feeling and focuses on candid shots.
• Edgy: A more eye-catching video technique that might use unique angles or stylish edits to create a final product.
• Hybrid: Videographers can mix and match elements of each video style to create a unique video.

The final video can recap the event and be used in future promotional videos to remind past guests of the wonderful time they had and while enticing new potential attendees.

Why you should use an event videographer for your next event

While you may think that any member of your event staff would do a job that is “good enough,” think again! The cheaper option for a videographer may seem like a good idea, but the chances are that this person does not have the skill set that is required for producing a high-quality video for your event. And if you want to record your event or webinar live and share it as a Live Story or Reel on Instagram, you may need more than one person. A member of your event team may have competing demands or become distracted by event attendees. A professional team of videographers, on the other hand, are likely to become “invisible” and allow a virtual attendee to feel like they are at the event, not just watching a video.  Given that over 73 percent of adults in the US watch videos on social media, it’s a good idea to film a professional quality video of your next hybrid or physical event so that it can be shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Sharing these videos will generate audience engagement, interaction with remote participants, and a greater virtual audience reach long after the event is over. High-quality video is also extremely useful if your event is going to be promoted as a hybrid event or as a virtual event! A virtual audience will not have to sit through poor video quality or connectivity issues. Instead, hire that professional videographer and submit the video as a Simulated Live style so that your virtual participants are truly impressed and have a better overall event experience.  The bottom line is that hiring a videographer will dramatically improve the overall quality of your digital efforts and allow you and your team to host a successful hybrid event!

Best practices for choosing an event videographer for your hybrid event

When choosing an event videographer, event management needs to consider a number of things that are vital to the success of the videography. For example, your hybrid event video will be watched by people (potentially) all over the world. The online audience will be learning about your brand through this video, so having it look professional will tell your viewers a lot about where your values and capabilities lie. A video produced by a proper event videography production team will of course be higher quality and allow your live stream to run smoothly. A videographer knows the best angles and lighting tricks and can add things to the video to improve quality. Consider adding a soundtrack as inspiration, event branding over the video image, or other types of pop-ups to inform the remote attendees of presenter details, time changes, and so on. If you are looking to include any of these special requests, you need to be sure that the videographer you choose is up to the task. When booking your videographer, check on the following:

• Make sure that you’ll have access to all the assets that you want when it is finished
• Make sure that your videographer keeps backups of originals as well as editing copies
• Ask how long they keep backups
• Set a firm deadline (x amount of time after the event) so that the videographer knows that they shouldn’t take their time in the editing process
• Inform the videographer of the ways that the material will be used (i.e., will it be on social media? Youtube? Does the branding need to be different for each?). If you are hosting a virtual or hybrid corporate event, it is likely that the material will be used for corporate purposes and should be edited as such.
• Have they filmed for a traditional event before, or do they just have general videography experience?
• Do they do specialty requests? What of requests do they handle and do they charge extra for them?
• How much of their own equipment will they bring? How much will you have to supply? If you have to supply a lot (other than things like background recesses) then you should inquire as to whether or not this is standard practice in the videography industry.
• You’ll want to make sure that you know how many people are on their team and how many people will be attending the physical event. Likely you will have to cover their expenses (like meals) while at the physical event so be prepared for this additional expense.
• Be sure to check past reviews and work history. Dig deeper into their background so you have a good idea of what they are capable of and better understand their work style so you can avoid unnecessary hiccups.
• Inquire about invoicing; are they expecting any amount upfront? If so, what type of guarantee is in place in the event that the videographer bails?
• Be sure that their final product is produced in a format that can be used with your virtual event software. If you are expecting to live stream what the videographer is filming, you will need to set up these integrations well in advance.

Before you finalize your pick, you’ll need to see some of the videographer’s past work to make sure that they are legit! If they are a poor videographer, have an old camera, or can only film in certain styles, you’ll want to know this before it is too late!

If the videography is only done in a certain style and that is not the style that you want, you won’t be happy with the end product. Choose a videographer who is comfortable shooting in the style that you want!

Things to consider when hiring an event videographer for a hybrid event

You’ll want to have a backup plan in place because, from time to time, even the best videographers have issues that cannot be avoided. If the videographer cannot attend the event or if for some reason the tech fails, you’ll want to be prepared and you want to know what your options are. Of course, you most likely won’t (or shouldn’t) go with the first videographer that you meet. Review the industry to see what your options are. You may be surprised to learn just how much the capabilities differ between a freelance videographer and a production team. What is being filmed might be pushed live to a global audience, so you might also want to hire a virtual emcee to better promote the virtual element and improve the virtual experience. You’ll need to choose a videographer who is continually improving their skills and use of technology. If the past work in their portfolio is extremely dated, that might be a red flag that the videographer is not staying on top of the latest trends and technologies. If the content somehow does not integrate into your event planning software or mobile event app, your video might look dated as well. The video should integrate with the event technology of your choice, including a virtual event platform, to enable a livestream or a Simulated Live event!Additionally, pay mind to any negative reviews. If, for example, a previous customer left a positive review but mentioned that it took longer than expected to see the final result, you should expect that potentially the videographer may be delayed, even if you write a clause into the contract that stipulates that the final product is due by a certain date. This could be a problem if you have a post-event follow up deadline that needs to be hit. --If you want to put your event ahead of the competition, then videoing a physical event or creating a Simulated Live event with the use of a professional videographer is one way to do that. Be sure to ask a lot of questions so that you know you’ll like the end product. And, ask about integrations so that your event will go off without a hitch!