Permissions to discuss before filming an event

Before filming, talk through four things: what the venue allows, what your guests and speakers agree to, how music is handled, and where the video will be shown. No single approval covers all four.

This page is a map. Each area has its own guide, linked below, so you can go deeper only where your event needs it.

What are the four areas to check?

These are questions to settle, not a list of laws. Some answers come from the law, some from venue policy, and some from your contract with us. It helps to know which is which.

Why does one approval not cover everything?

Permission is given for a purpose. A venue that agrees to filming does not speak for your guests. A guest who is happy to be in a private recording has not agreed to appear in an advert. A music licence that covers a performance at the venue may not cover a post on social media.

The music collecting society MACP says in its FAQ that a licence does not automatically prevent a takedown when other rights or platform rules are still unresolved. So treat every approval as covering only what it was given for.

What should you do first?

1. Write down the purpose. Is this a private keepsake, an internal record, a public post or an advert? The purpose decides most of the rest. The guide on recording versus publishing helps you separate them.
2. Ask the venue. Request its filming rules in writing, including any notice period. Our venue filming questions checklist lists what to ask.
3. Decide how guests will be told. A notice at the door, a line on the invitation or a consent form may suit different events. See participant notices and filming preferences.
4. Sort out music early. Music played at the event and music added to the video are two different questions.
5. Agree who owns and may use the footage. This belongs in the quote. See ownership, usage rights and raw-file delivery.

Which events need extra care?

Some events raise more questions than others:

• Events with children, such as school events.
• Religious or culturally private moments.
• Confidential presentations.
• Anything that involves aircraft or places that need a permit. Drone filming, for example, has its own approval steps. For a drone request we also plan ground shots, confirmed for each event.

Where does the law come in?

Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act 2010 was amended in 2024. Whether and how it applies to your event depends on the facts, such as who collects personal data and for what purpose. If the event is large, sensitive or commercial, ask a lawyer or the relevant authority, and write down what they say.

What we confirm for your event

• Who is responsible for each permission, written down.
• A note of what was agreed about guests and publication.
• How we film around people who prefer not to appear, once the organiser tells us who they are.
• What happens to the footage after delivery, and who can see it.
• How the agreement is updated if your plans for the video change.

You can write the answers into our filming and publication responsibilities checklist. When you request a quote for event videography, tell us what you already know and we will point out what is still open.

For a legal question about your event, ask a qualified adviser.