Planning video for badminton tournaments

Start with what cannot be repeated. Finals, medal matches and prizegiving come first, then semi-finals, then everything else. One crew cannot be at every court, so the plan is really a list of what you will not film.

How do you rank matches when many courts run at once?

Rank by value to the people who will watch the video, not by court number. This table shows one way to think about it.

For example, picture a one-day club tournament with six courts and four categories (an illustration). The finals might be the only matches that deserve a full recording. Everything before them could become highlights and clips for social media.

Can finals be arranged so they are all covered?

Often yes, if the organiser staggers the start times. Four finals starting together on four courts means three of them go unfilmed. Moving them to a show court, or starting them a little apart, lets one camera catch each one.

If that is not possible, a multi-camera set-up can put a crew on each final. It needs more people, so enquire early. We confirm extra crews for your date.

What should you agree about the hall?

Badminton halls are usually well lit, but courtside space is tight, and some halls limit where cameras may stand. Ask the venue and the referee:

• Where can a camera stand without blocking players, officials or spectators?
• Is a balcony or raised position allowed?
• Are there lighting rules, or limits on using a flash?
• Can the crew use the hall’s sound feed, or should it record its own?
• Who approves the camera positions on the day?

Sports halls are loud, so spoken moments such as announcements and prizegiving need planning. Our guide to planning intelligible audio explains the options.

How should prizegiving be planned?

Treat it as its own scene. Tell us the order of categories, who presents, where winners stand and whether sponsors expect their banner in the shot. A fixed spot for each presentation keeps it quick and keeps winners in frame.

If prizegiving happens while matches are still running, decide in advance which gets the crew. The run-sheet filming planner helps you mark these clashes on paper. For wider planning of time and people, see mapping simultaneous moments.

What should you tell players and families?

Tell players what you will actually provide: finals in full, a highlight film, a set of short clips. “Every match” or “every player gets a clip” needs a camera on every court, so promise only what the crew plan covers. Before posting footage of juniors, check consent with parents, as the permissions guide explains.

What we confirm for your event

• How many cameras and operators the plan needs, and which courts each one covers.
• Which matches are filmed in full and which appear only in the highlights.
• What the crew does if the schedule runs late: we follow your priority list, finals first.
• Which outputs the quote lists, and which of them are meant for sharing.
• Who keeps the footage, and when you see the first edit.

Once you know your court and category numbers, our sports event videography page explains what we cover. You can also ask for an event highlight film as the main output.