Planning participant notices and filming preferences

The organiser runs the notice and preference process, and we film to the plan you agree. Our job is to make that plan workable for a crew on the day.

This guide is about telling people and recording their preferences before the event. Whether a rule applies to your event, ask your venue or a qualified adviser. For what to do when someone objects on the day, see handling people who do not want to appear.

What is a participant notice for?

A notice tells guests, in plain words, that filming is happening and what the footage is for. It gives them a chance to ask questions or choose a different seat before the camera is rolling.

A good notice is short. It says that the event is being filmed, who to speak to with a question, and how the video may be used. It does not need legal language to be useful, though sensitive events should have the wording reviewed.

Where can you place a notice?

Choose the places guests will really see. Most events use two or three.

Match the notice to the audience. A line on the invitation will not help guests who never read it, so an entrance sign or emcee line adds a second chance.

How do you offer filming preferences that a crew can follow?

Keep the choices simple. If a preference cannot be seen from a camera position, it will be hard to follow.

• A no-camera seating area, marked clearly, where the crew will not point the lens.
• A sticker or lanyard marker that tells the crew to keep that person out of close shots.
• Moments that stay unfilmed, such as a private briefing or a prayer, agreed before the day.
• One named contact on your team who handles questions and changes.

Tell us the options you will offer, and we will plan camera positions around them. We also say plainly where a preference limits coverage, for example in a crowded standing reception where a no-camera zone is hard to keep.

Planning employee participation at internal events

At a company town hall, retreat or annual dinner, employees may feel they have to be on camera. Fairness here is something you plan, not something you assume.

For an internal event, a human resources (HR) review is a sensible first step. Ask HR what the company already requires, and do not assume one consent method fits every event. Then plan the options, for example:

1. Say clearly who the video is for: internal use only, or also external channels.
2. Give staff a way to sit in a no-camera area without having to explain why.
3. Show a fair spread of departments and levels, so the video does not feature only the most visible people.
4. Agree who approves the final cut before anything is shared outside the company.

This is an example of a working approach, not a legal checklist. Your HR team decides what is right for your staff.

Who does what?

What we confirm for your event

• How the crew recognises guests who prefer not to be filmed: a seating area, a sticker or a lanyard colour.
• Who on the crew you brief, and who on your side they speak to.
• Where a quiet area fits in the plan without hurting the coverage.
• Preference information you share is used only for the crew’s instructions.

Our filming and publication responsibilities checklist helps you write these decisions down. For the wider picture, start with permissions to discuss before filming and the difference between recording and publishing. Our event videography service page explains how coverage is scoped.