What to put in a brief before we film your event

Most of the best frames from an event are decided before anyone picks up a camera.

Not in a dramatic, creative-vision way. In a practical one. Who is speaking when. Which door the awards come through. Whether the CEO actually wants to be filmed during the dinner, or only for the keynote. The difference between a smooth day and a slightly frantic one usually sits in a short brief that arrives early enough to be useful.

This is what we ask for when we cover corporate and cultural events in London, and why each bit matters.

A real run of the day

A pretty agenda is fine for guests. For photo and video, we need the working version.

That means approximate times, room changes, and who is running each section. If the awards start "around 8" but the trophies are still being unboxed at 8:15, we would rather know that than guess from the stage wings. Flag the moments that cannot be missed: speeches, product reveals, group shots with partners. And be honest about anything that might slip.

We do not need a novel. A clear timeline, even if it shifts on the day, is worth more than a mood board with no clock on it.

Faces and priorities

Tell us who the must-haves are, and who is optional.

That is not about hierarchy for its own sake. In a crowded reception, we have a few seconds to catch a handshake, a reaction, a quiet conversation in the corner. If three people absolutely need to appear in the highlight reel, say so. If the brief is "capture the energy," we will. But we will also miss the one board member who left early unless someone pointed them out.

A simple list of names, roles, and (if possible) a photo or LinkedIn link helps more than you might expect. Same goes for any VIP who prefers not to be filmed; we would rather protect that boundary than fix it in the edit.

The rooms and the light

A five-minute walk-through, or even phone snaps of the space sent the day before, saves time on the morning.

Where will speeches happen? Is there a window wall that blows out at 4pm? Will the stage lights turn the room red for branding? We can work with all of that: colour, contrast, awkward corners. But it is easier when we are not discovering it while the first guest arrives.

If there is a quiet side room for interviews or sponsor grabs, mention it. If the venue has a no-flash rule or restricted areas, mention that too. Small constraints are fine when they are known.

What "done" looks like for you

Some clients want a clean set of photos for LinkedIn the next morning. Others want a longer film with interviews and B-roll. Both are valid; they are not the same job.

Say how you will use the work. Internal recap, press, social cuts, a full event film. That shapes how we shoot and how we edit. It also stops the awkward moment where everyone assumes the other person meant something different by "highlights."

If you already have brand colours, logo files, or previous event films you liked, send those. We are not trying to copy another studio. We are trying not to invent your tone from scratch at midnight.

A note on the day itself

Once we are there, a single point of contact is gold. Someone who can answer "has the speaker arrived?" without a group chat of twelve people.

We will still adapt. Events move. Speeches run long. That is normal. A solid brief does not make the day rigid; it gives us a map so we can notice when the map is wrong and still come back with something you can use.

If you are planning an event and are not sure what to send us, start with the run sheet, the must-have faces, and how you want to use the final work. That alone puts you ahead of most briefs we see, and it usually shows up in the pictures.