Booking video before your venue or programme is final

Ask for a provisional scope. Share the date, the area and what you expect of the programme, and say plainly what is still open. The scope then becomes firm as each open item is decided.

What should I share when plans are not final?

Sort what you know into three groups. This is more useful to a videographer than a half-guessed full plan.

Marking each item is not a promise. It lets us say which parts of the scope depend on the open items.

Which changes affect video coverage the most?

Some changes matter more than others. These are the ones to tell us about first.

1. A different venue. Layout, lighting, power and sound all change. Some venues also ask for notice before commercial filming.
2. A different start or finish time. This changes the hours and who is available.
3. A new session or second room. Two things at once may need a second camera position.
4. A different guest of honour or speaker list. This changes the moments that must be captured.
5. A move indoors or outdoors. Weather and sound conditions change. See the weather and venue-change filming plan.

Small changes in timing or seating rarely change the scope. Tell us anyway so we can plan around them.

How do I keep the quote from becoming false certainty?

A quote based on guesses can feel firm when it is not. Two habits help.

• Ask the scope to state its assumptions. For example: “assumes one hall, evening start, one speaker at a time”.
• Agree the change rule early. Which changes are absorbed, and which would lead to a revised quote?

Ask for these in writing. Read what a good videography proposal should explain to see how assumptions and exclusions should appear.

What should I ask the venue once it is chosen?

When the venue is confirmed, a few questions will turn the provisional scope into a firm one.

• Does the venue require notice or approval for commercial filming? Some do, such as the KL Convention Centre, which asks for advance notification and coordinates camera positions and cable runs. Ask your venue for its own rules.
• Is there a house sound system, and who runs it?
• Where can the crew set up, and what time can they enter?
• Are there limits on lighting, tripods or moving around during the programme?

The venue filming questions checklist lists these in order.

How early should I enquire if the date is certain?

As soon as the date is fixed. The rest can be settled afterwards, and an early enquiry lets us tell you whether we are likely to be free and what to confirm first. For a more general list of details, see what to decide before asking for a videography quote.

If the plan is already fixed and you only need to add video late, read hiring coverage after the event plan has already been agreed instead.

How does the final quote work?

Each event is quoted from its own scope: date, area, hours, crew, films and travel. With open plans, you get a provisional scope first, and a confirmed quote once the open items are decided.

To mark what is open, build an event video brief you can send. You can also read about our event videography service or message us directly.