In short
- Add three columns to your run sheet: the view needed, the sound needed and who is responsible.
- Check the gaps between segments. Moving a camera takes real time.
- Flag the times that are not fixed, so the plan can allow for them.
- A good plan lists what is not covered, as well as what is.
Take your run sheet and add what the camera needs at each line: which view, which sound, who is responsible, and how long it takes to get there. That turns a list of events into a plan a crew can follow. Our run-sheet filming planner gives you a printable version.
Step 1: Keep the time and place for every moment
List each segment with its start time, its expected length and its location. Include the unglamorous parts too: guests arriving, a rehearsal, a tea break, the move from the hall to the lobby.
The gaps matter. If the opening ends at 9:45 am and the next segment starts at 10:00 am in another room, the crew has fifteen minutes to move, set up and check sound. If the gap is five minutes, that may not be enough.
Step 2: Add the view and the sound
For each segment, write what you want to see and what you want to hear. Use plain words.
- View: speaker at the podium, audience reaction, the whole stage, close-up of the awardee, the guest of honour arriving.
- Sound: podium microphone, handheld microphone, music from the PA system, natural sound from the room.
Sound is often the part that decides whether a recording is useful. If a speech matters, say so clearly, and see our guide to planning intelligible event audio.
Step 3: Say who is responsible
Note who can answer questions at each segment. This may be the emcee, the stage manager, the venue contact or the organiser’s coordinator. If the crew needs a cue before a key moment, write down who gives it. Our guide on coordinating filming with the emcee and stage manager covers this.
Step 4: Mark what can move
Some times are fixed, such as a sunset prayer or a livestream start. Others slide, such as a speech that may run long. Mark each as fixed, flexible or to be confirmed, so the plan allows for it.
An illustrative example
This is an example, not a real event. It shows a short run sheet with the camera columns added.
| Time | Segment | Place | View | Sound | Contact | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 am | Guests arrive | Lobby | Wide shot, registration | Natural | Coordinator | Flexible |
| 9:30 am | Opening speech | Main hall | Speaker, wide stage | Podium microphone | Emcee | Fixed |
| 10:15 am | Awards | Main hall | Each winner, handover | Emcee microphone | Stage manager | Order may change |
| 11:00 am | Tea break | Foyer | Guests, details | Natural | Coordinator | Flexible |
Read the table row by row. Between 9:30 and 10:15 the crew stays in the main hall, so no travel is needed. At 11:00 the crew moves to the foyer, which needs a gap. The note “order may change” tells the crew to ask the stage manager before the awards start.
State what is not covered
A useful plan says what will not be filmed or only partly filmed. For example: “No coverage of the VIP room”, or “The tea break is filmed for ten minutes only.” This avoids disappointment later. It also helps you compare quotes, because you can see what each one covers.
What we confirm for your event
- Which segments in your run sheet leave too little time to move between places.
- Where we need a cue from the emcee or stage manager.
- Which sound source we use for each important moment.
- What we film first, and what we shorten, if the schedule overruns.
When the plan is ready, turn it into a filming brief for the crew. To rank moments you cannot repeat, read how to prioritise one-time moments. If the running order shifts on the day, see what to do when the running order changes. We can review your run sheet with you as part of event videography planning.
Send us your run sheet with the date and venue, even if some times are marked as to be confirmed. We will mark where we see gaps and tell you what we need to confirm.
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