In short
- Agree before the day who tells the crew about changes, and how.
- Fix the priority order in advance, so the crew knows what to protect when time gets tight.
- Small shifts the crew can absorb. Longer hours, extra crew or new outputs need a scope decision.
- One named person approves changes. Everyone else sends updates through them.
Agree before the day who tells the crew about changes, what the crew protects first, and which changes are small enough to absorb. If a change needs more hours, more crew or new outputs, the person with authority decides, and the quote reflects it.
Why the run sheet will probably move
Setup runs over, a speaker is late, a ceremony starts later than planned, or a guest of honour arrives early. These are normal, and a crew can work through most of them if they know what matters and who to listen to.
The risk is not the change itself. It is silence: the crew does not hear about it, or hears three versions from three people.
Step 1: decide the priority order now
Before the day, mark each moment as essential, important or optional. If time gets short, the crew keeps the essential ones and drops optional ones first. Our guide to prioritising moments that cannot be repeated walks through this, and the must-capture moments checklist turns it into a list your family or team can agree on.
Step 2: name who tells the crew
Choose one person to be the voice of the schedule. They hold the latest run sheet, see the delays first and speak to the crew lead. Add a backup. Our guide on delegating filming decisions when the main organiser is busy explains how to choose them.
If there is an emcee or stage manager, ask them to alert the crew before key moments. See coordinating filming with the emcee and stage manager.
Step 3: know which changes are small and which need a decision
| Change | Usually handled on the day | Needs a scope decision |
|---|---|---|
| A session starts a few minutes late | Yes | Not usually |
| Two items swap places in the programme | Yes, if positions allow | Only if a new position is needed |
| A key moment moves to another room | Depends on access | If a second operator is needed |
| The event finishes much later than booked | No | Yes: more hours and crew availability |
| A new item the client wants filmed | Maybe | Yes, if it adds time, crew or outputs |
| A guest wants a private moment unfilmed | Yes, respect the request | Tell the approver |
“Scope” simply means what was agreed in the quote: hours, locations, crew and outputs. A scope decision is made by the person who can approve changes to that agreement. Our booking scope checklist lists what to settle, and the coverage and overtime calculator helps you think about extra hours before the day.
Example 1: a product launch with an uncertain reveal time
This is an illustration. A brand plans to unveil a product at 8.00 pm, but the product may not be ready until later. The unveiling is the one moment that cannot be repeated.
Before the day, the plan says:
- The reveal is the essential moment. Everything else is secondary.
- The launch manager is the only person who tells the crew when the reveal is ready.
- If it moves, the crew stays positioned, and the pre-show warm-up footage is shortened.
- If the reveal moves past the booked hours, the launch manager decides whether to extend, and the crew confirms what is possible.
This protects the key moment instead of treating each delay as a surprise. See product launch event videography for what we film at launches.
Example 2: a wedding where the ceremony runs late
Also an illustration. A couple plans a morning ceremony and an afternoon reception. The ceremony starts late, and the reception follows a few hours later.
The couple and planner decide before the wedding what to protect: the vows and family blessings first, then the entrance and speeches, then the portrait time. One named person, such as a family member or planner, tells the crew when the schedule changes. If the ceremony runs long, portraits are shortened first, not the vows.
If the delay pushes the reception beyond the booked hours, the couple or planner decides on extra time, and the crew confirms what is possible for that date. See our wedding videography page and the wedding ceremony guides.
What we confirm for your event
- Who gives our crew instructions on the day, and who is the backup if they cannot be reached.
- What we protect first if the schedule slips.
- Which changes we can absorb and which need a decision.
- How extra time is handled, and who can approve it.
- Whether the crew can stay, or leave and return, on your date.
Share your run sheet and we confirm how we would handle changes for your event videography. Extra hours are what move the quote on a running order that shifts: see pricing.
Send us your run sheet and tell us which timings you think may move. We will help you agree the priority order and who updates the crew, so a late start does not cost you the main moment.
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