In short
- Start from what a visiting parent wants to see, then choose scenes that show it.
- Wide shots, teachers talking and pupils who have agreed to appear tell the story without close-ups of every child.
- Decide before the day which classrooms, corridors and groups are in or out of the shot.
- Agree who approves the film and where it will be shown before editing starts.
An open day video works best when it answers one question for visiting parents: what would my child’s day here feel like? Choose a handful of scenes that answer it, and plan them so pupils are shown lightly and by agreement.
What do visiting parents want to see?
Parents deciding on a school usually look for the same things: the people, the spaces and the daily rhythm. A short film can cover this in a few scenes.
| Scene | What it shows | How to keep pupils’ exposure light |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival and welcome | The gate, front office, a greeting | Staff and prefects who have agreed to appear |
| Principal or head of admissions talking | The school’s approach, in their own words | Speaker only |
| A lesson in progress | How teachers teach | Shot from the side or back, or a demonstration lesson |
| Facilities | Library, labs, hall, field | Empty or lightly used spaces |
| Co-curricular activity | Music, sport, clubs | Wide shots, hands and instruments |
| Pupil voices | Why they like the school | Volunteers only, with agreement |
This is an example list, not a fixed package. Cut what your school does not have.
How do we show pupils without exposing them?
Decide a rule, then apply it to every scene. For example: pupils may appear in wide shots; close-ups and spoken lines are only for volunteers the school has cleared. We then film to that rule instead of sorting it out in the edit.
If the school has a photo and video consent list, share only the names or classes that are cleared, and keep the list with one person. Do not ask the crew to judge who is allowed. Our guide to public and family-only versions explains how one event can produce a public film and a more private one.
What should be agreed before the day?
- Purpose and place: where the film will be shown, such as the website, social pages or admissions talks.
- Route: the path visitors walk, and the stops we should film.
- Out of bounds: classrooms, toilets, changing rooms and any pupil who must not appear. See planning filming areas.
- Speakers: who may be interviewed, and in which language.
- Approver: the person who signs off the final film for the school.
The event video brief tool can turn these answers into a one-page brief, if you want one.
What happens on the day?
Visitors come and go, so we plan short filming windows at each stop rather than following the crowd. We keep to the route, avoid blocking corridors and stay clear of parents’ tours. If parents are also filming on their phones, coordinating parent filming covers simple arrangements.
How long should the open day film be?
A film of two to three minutes is easier to share and more likely to be watched to the end, while a talk by the principal can sit alongside it as a separate, complete recording. Choosing the length early also tells us how many scenes to plan. Our page on highlight films explains how a short film differs from a full recording.
For an open day, the film length and the number of scenes move the quote most; see how pricing works.
What we confirm for your event
- Lessons are filmed quietly, from the side or back, without disturbing the class.
- A pupil who should not appear stays out of frame, using the list the school gives us.
- The film is reviewed by the person you name, with the number of review rounds agreed with you and noted in the quote.
- Short clips for social pages can be cut from the same footage.
Our school event videography service covers how we work with schools, and short social clips can be added if you want them.
If you know the open day programme and which areas visitors will walk through, that is enough for us to suggest which scenes to film and which to leave out. Send the date and school and we will check whether we can be there.
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