I have just completed a new video showreel for an annual event for one of the leading companies in the field of learning technologies.
This short video is designed to be placed on the companies web site to help promote the event for next year.
What I did was to attend the event over a 24 hour period, stick pretty much to the background and capture shots that I felt would depict the pace, energy and mood of the event. I also needed to get some sound bites from a few attendees to help present why people would attend and if they felt the event was good or not.
There was little more to the brief than that, which in some ways is good but you spend the whole time hoping you are producing something to match the clients expectations.
The main challenge was editing the showreel as I went and having a product to play back at the wrap up session at the end of the event. Working on my own I needed to grab required footage but also shoot back to my mobile editing desk and start importing and editing the content down. As the deadline grew closer the more I had to add the finishing touches to the showreel to make sure the pace, energy, appropriate shots and music all timed in together to refelct the event and grab the audience approval.
Click here to watch the showreel.
Sure it was time pressured but its great fun to work on the fly and let the creativity take you through to an end product without any real knowledge of what it was going to be like before you even started.
Thankfully, I got the basic showreel prepared in time to show at the wrap up session and it seemed to go down very well which in its way seemed to fuel the sense of a succesful event for everyone involved.
Once back at my office i could then go through and add the finishing touches and publish the video for the client to post on to their web site.
The client recognises that its never good to sit back and assume you will get a good attendance each year and so you need to make ongoing steps to grab new audience attention. My own personal experience is that it can be difficult to know if an event or conference is suitable or a worthwhile investment. I like to know what it will be like if you were there and a video is a fantastic way to do that and I am glad to say the client has been very pleased with the end result too.
Please feel free to add comments if you have had a video showreel made of one of your events or you have made a showreel. Lets us how did it go. Was it a success or disappointment? Did you use it for internal reference or external marketing?
Also, if you would like to know more about getting a showreel of your events made then email me at duncan@sousproductions.com and i will get in touch to discuss your needs and budget etc.
Cheers for now
