In short
- Agree in writing who the videographer answers to on the day, and who approves the films.
- Decide how the crew is introduced to the client, and what the crew may and may not say.
- Brief the key messages, the sensitive moments and who may see the footage.
- Settle who owns and may use the footage before filming, not after.
Protect the client relationship by deciding three things before filming: who gives the crew instructions, who approves the films, and who may use the footage. Put them in the brief, so the videographer works inside the trust your client has placed in you.
What is the agency actually protecting?
An agency usually answers to a client who may also have its own internal teams, other suppliers and senior people. The videographer is one more voice in that room.
What the agency protects is simple: the client’s messages, the client’s confidential material and the agency’s role as the single point of contact. A good brief makes each of these explicit.
Who is responsible for what?
Write the split in the brief. This table is an illustrative starting point.
| Area | Client | Agency | Videographer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key messages and approvals | Final say | Collects and passes on | Films what is agreed |
| Instructions on the day | Goes through the agency | One named person | Follows that person |
| Venue and access | Provides or approves | Coordinates | Follows venue rules |
| Interviews and speakers | Chooses | Prepares and schedules | Films and records sound |
| Files and usage | Decides channels | Manages | Delivers as agreed |
Adjust it to your project. The Video decisions and approvals planner turns it into a table you can share with the client.
How should the crew be introduced?
Some agencies prefer the crew to be presented as part of their team. Others introduce the videographer separately. Either can work, but decide it first and tell the crew.
Tell us what the client should hear, what name appears on the quote and what the crew may say to the client’s staff. Our guide to working with a videographer under an agency brand covers the points to agree.
How do you handle instructions from several people?
On many events the client’s team, the agency and the organiser each have views. The crew should not have to choose between them.
Agree one instruction line, and say how late requests are handled. Our guide on choosing who gives instructions on an agency-led event shows how to write this into the brief.
What do you brief about messages and sensitive moments?
Give the crew what they need to film with care:
- The key messages and the people who carry them.
- Embargoed announcements and when they may be filmed or shown.
- Sessions, slides or areas that must not be filmed.
- Guests who must not appear on camera.
- Who may see raw footage and drafts.
For permissions and publication, see our guide to permissions, privacy and responsible publication and the Filming and publication responsibilities checklist. If you need separate versions for the client’s team and for public use, the Private and public video version planner helps.
Who owns and may use the footage?
Agree this before filming. State which films the client may use, on which channels, for how long, and whether you may show the work in your own portfolio. Raw footage is a separate question, so say whether you need it.
Do not leave usage to be settled after the event. It is a common cause of disagreement on agency projects, and it is easier to settle in the quote than in the review.
What we confirm for your event
- How the crew is introduced on the day.
- How confidential files are stored and delivered.
- What the quote says about usage.
- How late changes from the client are handled.
If your agency adds its own margin or contracts separately, tell us at the start so the quote names the right party; see how event video pricing works.
Tell us the venue and date, and we confirm the crew and travel. The Questions to ask your videographer has a fuller list. For an overview, see event videography in Malaysia. If your agency also coordinates other suppliers on the day, our page for event planners covers that.
If you can tell us the event, the client's expected films and who gives instructions on the day, we can suggest coverage and tell you what we need to agree first. Send those on WhatsApp.
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