In short
- Agree the split of filming time and videos in writing before the day, not on the spot.
- Separate what everyone shares (the event film) from what belongs to one brand (its own clips).
- One person on the organiser side should decide when two brands want the same moment.
- Each brand should know in advance what it will and will not receive.
The fair way to share an activation is to decide before the day who gets filming time and which videos each brand receives. When this is left to the day itself, the crew ends up choosing between brands, and nobody is happy with the result.
This guide helps an organiser or lead brand settle that split. Our brand activation and roadshow videography page describes what we film at activations in general.
What is shared and what belongs to one brand
Start by sorting the video you want into two groups.
- Shared: the overall event film, wide shots of the space, crowd moments, the opening, the stage or main programme.
- Brand-specific: a clip of one booth or product, a spokesperson speaking, a short social clip for one brand’s page.
The shared film serves all the brands together. Brand-specific clips need dedicated filming time, and that time is limited. Most disagreements start when a brand expects a brand-specific clip but was only planned into the shared film.
Three ways to divide filming time
| Approach | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Equal slots | Each brand gets the same planned block, for example the same number of minutes | Simple to explain, but a small brand and a headline brand rarely need the same time |
| Priority by tier | The organiser sets tiers (for example title, main and supporting) and time follows the tier | Fair if the tiers are already agreed in the sponsorship terms |
| Moment-based | Time follows the programme: each brand’s key moment, such as a product reveal, is covered | Fits live programmes well, less suited to a booth-only activation |
Many activations mix these. The shared film follows the programme, and a short slot per brand is added on top. Whichever you choose, write it down and share it with every brand before the day.
A worked example
This is an illustration, not a claim about a specific event. Imagine a one-day activation with a lead brand and two partner brands, and a filming window of about six hours.
- The organiser lists the shared moments first: opening, a stage segment and a closing moment. These go into the shared event film.
- The lead brand asks for a spokesperson clip and a product demonstration. The two partners each ask for a short booth clip.
- The crew’s time is planned in blocks: shared moments are fixed by the programme, and the brand clips are placed in quieter gaps agreed with each brand’s team.
- The organiser names one contact who decides if two brands want the same gap.
The result is a plan every brand has seen. If the crew cannot fit everything, the plan already says what comes out first.
Who approves what
Shared activations often have more than one person who can say yes. Settle this early.
- One organiser contact decides on timing conflicts on the day.
- Each brand reviews its own clip.
- The organiser or lead brand approves the shared film.
- Logos, products and people appearing in frame should be checked by whoever owns them. If a brand’s logo or a sponsor’s product appears in another brand’s clip, agree in advance whether that is acceptable.
A simple table of role and decision works well, and our video decisions and approvals planner can help you draw one. Our sponsor video coverage checklist is made for exactly this kind of split.
Responsibilities and limits
- A shared film cannot give every brand the same prominence. It follows the programme and the space.
- Permission to film in the venue, and any rules on branding, come from the venue and organiser, not from us. See our guide to filming activations in shopping malls if the activation is in a mall.
What we confirm for your event
Tell us the venue and date, and we confirm the crew and travel. We then settle these points with you:
- How many brand clips fit in your filming window.
- Whether two areas need to be filmed at once, which can call for a second crew (see multi-camera event recording).
- Which videos each brand receives, and who gets which files.
- How many review rounds the quote covers, and for which videos.
- Whether short clips for social media are included (see event social video clips).
Use the event video brief builder to write down what each brand expects before you send it to us.
If you can tell us the date, the venue and which brands take part, we can suggest how to split filming time and which videos each brand receives. Send those details and we will check your date.
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