In short
- A same-day screening needs a filming cut-off. Anything after that time cannot be in the film.
- Decide who approves the film on the day, and how fast they can do it.
- Agree who plays the film, on which screen, and who tests the sound.
- Keep the film short: a shorter film allows a later cut-off.
A same-day screening is a short film shown to guests before the event ends. Adding one to an existing recording means agreeing three things in advance: when filming stops for the film, who approves it, and who plays it.
What a same-day screening needs
The film is made while the event is still happening. That is a different pace from a normal edit, so it needs a plan that a normal recording does not. It is available on request, confirmed for each event.
The three questions below decide whether it works. Our same-day edit deadline planner helps you put them on one timeline.
1. The edit cut-off
The film can only include what has been filmed before the editor starts. Everything after that is left for the full edit afterwards.
Work backwards from the time you want the screening:
- Choose when the film will be shown.
- Allow time for it to be checked and approved before then.
- Allow time for the edit before approval.
- The point where editing starts is your cut-off.
For example, imagine a dinner where the film is to play before dessert at 9.30pm. This is only an illustration of the method. If approval needs some minutes and the edit needs a longer stretch, the cut-off may fall before the main speeches. That means the main speeches cannot be in the screening, and you should decide whether that is acceptable.
Keep the film short. A shorter film leaves a later cut-off and less risk. See what a same-day edit involves for how we approach it.
2. Approval on the day
Someone must say yes before the film plays. Agree before the day:
- Who approves, and who can stand in if they are busy.
- Where they will watch it, away from the crowd.
- What they can change in the time available. In a same-day edit there may be time only for a small fix, such as a name or a clip, not a re-edit.
- What happens if they do not approve in time.
One decision-maker is faster than a group. If several people must agree, the video decisions and approvals planner helps you assign roles.
3. Playback
A finished film still has to play properly in the room. Agree:
- Who plays it: the venue’s AV team, your own person or our crew.
- The screen, projector and sound system, and who tests them.
- The file format the venue’s equipment accepts.
- A short rehearsal before guests arrive, using a test clip.
- A backup copy of the file in case the first one fails.
Many same-day problems come from playback, not editing. Ask the venue early, using the venue questions checklist.
Responsibilities at a glance
| Task | Who usually does it | Agree it by |
|---|---|---|
| Set cut-off time | You and the videographer together | Before booking |
| Choose what the film includes | You | Before the day |
| Edit the film | The videographer | On the day |
| Approve the film | Your named decision-maker | On the day, within the agreed time |
| Test screen and sound | Venue AV or videographer, as agreed | Before guests arrive |
| Play the film | As agreed | Before the day |
What we confirm for your event
- The cut-off that fits your programme.
- Whether the editor works on site or elsewhere.
- What changes can be made after you review the film.
- The fallback if the film is not ready.
- That the same footage feeds the full video later.
For the wider range of time-critical options, see our same-day guides. The full video is still made after the event, as agreed in your original booking.
The cut-off, approval step and playback plan go into your quote. See how the rest of your booking fits in our event videography service page.
Tell us the event date, the time you want the film shown and who approves it. We will confirm whether a same-day screening is possible and write the cut-off and playback plan into the quote.
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