Planning video for adaptive and inclusive sports events

Ask the athletes first. For an adaptive or inclusive sports event, the best brief starts with how athletes want to be filmed and described, and then makes sure the film shows the competition as it really was: the skill, the tactics and the result.

How do we respect athletes’ preferences?

Preferences belong to each athlete, so the brief should collect them, not assume them. Ask for these before the day, in a form people can answer in their own way:

1. Are they happy to be filmed in competition?
2. Do they want to be interviewed, and in what setting?
3. How should they be introduced or described, if at all?
4. Where may the video be shared: only with the team, or publicly?
5. Is anything off limits, such as warm-up areas, changing areas or medical support?

Let people say no to any part and say it later too. Keep the answers in one place, and give the crew a plain list of who has agreed to what. Where an athlete is a child, a parent or guardian also needs to agree. Our filming and publication responsibilities checklist helps you list who decides what.

How do we show the competition accurately?

Show the sport itself. Viewers should see the skill, the pace and the effort, the same way they would for any competition. A film that talks only about overcoming difficulty and shows little actual play gives a wrong picture of the event.

• Cover the matches, races or routines as you would any other event.
• Use the sport’s own category or class names exactly as the organiser lists them.
• Keep results and scores correct on screen.
• Let athletes speak for themselves in interviews.

If you are unsure of the right terms, ask the organiser or the sport’s governing body. We write names and classifications exactly as the list you give us. If you are choosing between a promotional film and a training record, our guide to event film or coaching record can help.

What about access for the crew and for interviews?

Good coverage depends on being able to move and to talk comfortably.

Visit or ask about the venue early. The venue filming questions checklist lists what to confirm with the venue.

Which outputs make the video accessible?

Think about who will watch. Captions help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, and also people watching without sound. Translated subtitles can help families who speak other languages.

If sign language interpreting appears in the frame, the camera position and lighting need to include it. See our accessible video and language planning guide and the caption and language specification planner. Captions and subtitles can be added, and we confirm the details for your event.

An illustrative checklist

For example, an organiser of a mixed-ability swim meet might write the following in the brief. This is an illustration only.

• All athletes asked in advance about filming, interviews and sharing.
• A list of agreed names and categories supplied to the crew.
• A quiet interview corner near the pool, with step-free access.
• The final of each category covered from the same positions.
• Captions on the public film, with a private version for the team.

The run-sheet filming planner helps you turn this into a schedule.

Where we can help

We film sports events across Malaysia and plan around the choices athletes make. See our sports event videography service, or return to the sports and active events guide.