Video coverage of events has become an increasingly popular way to capture and share important moments with a broader audience. Whether it’s a conference, music festival, or product launch, video coverage can help bring an event to life and create a lasting impression. This is Vidzu Media’s second year covering the SLU Be Heard Women In Leadership Conference. This annual conference brings together women from various fields to discuss and celebrate their achievements. Hosted by Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, the conference aims to empower women and create a community of support. This two-day event features keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities. This event aims to focus on advancing women’s careers and promoting gender equity in the workplace.
When covering a significant event like this, you need a talented producer to ensure everything is covered. Jenna is an experienced producer who played a vital role in producing high-quality video content for the SLU Be Heard Women’s Conference. In this article, Jenna shares her insights on the challenges she faced while producing video content for the conference, her approach to capturing the essence and energy of the event, and how she worked with other teams to create a cohesive video strategy.
Jenna’s passion for event coverage started when she began her career as an intern in live television. During her time there, she was exposed to the fast-paced and unpredictable nature of live events, which taught her how to think on her feet and make quick decisions in a high-pressure environment. Her love for event coverage grew as she gained experience covering food and wine festivals. These events allowed her to capture the essence of the festival through her video content, and she quickly became an expert at knowing where to be and what to capture to tell the event’s story.
Jenna faced challenges while covering for the SLU Be Heard Women’s Conference. One of her biggest challenges was coordinating the video crew effectively. With multiple sessions and presentations happening simultaneously in different rooms, it was crucial to ensure that each room was adequately covered by the camera crew. “At different points in the day we had to be filming as many as 3 or 4 different rooms at a time so making sure we had coverage (and that people knew where they needed to be) was crucial,” explained Jenna. To overcome this challenge, Jenna had to carefully plan and communicate with her crew to ensure everyone knew where they needed to be and when. She also had to ensure the crew had all the necessary equipment and resources to do the job efficiently without disrupting the conference flow. It was a complex and challenging task, but Jenna managed it effectively.
When asked how she planned and coordinated the video crew for the conference, Jenna emphasized the importance of collaboration. She explained that she spent many hours discussing the event with Meaghan, Vidzu Media’s Production Manager, reviewing all the details needed to be captured, identifying where they might need extra support, and considering who on the team could be doing multiple tasks. As the event drew closer, Jenna expanded the discussion to include the entire Vidzu team. Each team member brought a unique perspective based on their experiences and identified different aspects that needed to be considered to ensure they were prepared for any eventuality. Overall, Jenna’s approach involved everyone in the planning process to ensure they had a comprehensive plan that addressed all aspects of the event.
Capturing the essence and energy of a conference is crucial for anyone covering events; it’s why people bring in a video company. Images can do justice, but when you want to go back and relive the moment, video can have a great way of capturing how you felt. “There were almost two different energies we were trying to capture- one: the excitement and engagement of the conference, and two: quieter, more cerebral discussions in the interviews. For me, this was all about set up. Having a calmer setting for sit-down interviews, and more energetic shots for b-roll,” said Jenna. Her expertise in capturing the right shots and angles, combined with her careful planning and coordination, helped her achieve her goal of producing high-quality video content that accurately captured the essence and energy of the SLU Be Heard Women’s Conference.
Jenna’s best advice is to focus on pre-production when producing high-quality video content for a large event or conference. Having conversations with the crew and team beforehand is crucial to ensuring that everything that needs to be captured is covered and that the final product meets the client’s expectations. Furthermore, Jenna believes that there’s never too much planning or communication. These elements are essential for executing a successful event video shoot.
Producing high-quality video content for large events and conferences is complex and challenging, but it can be done effectively with the right approach. Jenna’s experience at the SLU Be Heard Women’s Conference highlights the importance of pre-production, planning, and communication to ensure the final product is of the highest quality. Vidzu Media has had the privilege of covering the SLU Be Heard Women’s Conference for two years, and they look forward to continuing their partnership in the coming years.
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