Event Video: What It Is And How To Make One That Works
An event video captures the energy, moments, and stories that unfold when people gather, whether at a music festival, corporate conference, or community celebration. It's more than just footage; it's a way to extend the life of an experience far beyond the event itself, reaching audiences who weren't there and reminding attendees why they came.
But here's the challenge: creating an event video that actually works, one that drives engagement and builds your brand, requires more than pointing a camera at a stage. You need to understand what makes event content compelling and how to source footage that feels authentic rather than staged.
At SureShot, we've built a platform around the idea that your attendees are already capturing the best moments on their phones. This article breaks down what an event video is, the different types you might create, and practical approaches to production, whether you're working with professional crews, user-generated content, or a combination of both.
What counts as an event video
The definition of an event video is broader than you might think. Any recorded footage that documents or captures an experience where people gather for a shared purpose qualifies, regardless of length, production quality, or distribution platform. This includes everything from 30-second Instagram clips to hour-long documentary-style recaps.
Professional productions
You'll find event videos created by hired videography teams using cinema cameras, gimbals, and professional audio gear. These productions typically follow a structured shot list that includes wide shots of venues, close-ups of speakers or performers, audience reactions, and branded elements like signage. The final output usually ranges from three to ten minutes and serves as the official record of what happened.
Production companies often deliver multiple versions from the same shoot: a full-length recap for your website, a highlight reel for social media, and shorter teasers for paid advertising. Each serves a different distribution channel while drawing from the same source material.
User-generated content
The most authentic event videos often come from attendees filming on their phones. These clips capture spontaneous reactions, unique perspectives from the crowd, and moments that professional crews miss because they can't be everywhere at once. A 15-second video of friends dancing at your festival or a quick interview recorded by an attendee carries different weight than polished promotional content.
User-generated footage shows your event through the eyes of people who chose to be there, which builds trust with future attendees.
When you collect and curate attendee-created videos, you're building an event video library that reflects dozens or hundreds of perspectives rather than just one camera operator's viewpoint.
Why event videos matter
Your event disappears the moment it ends unless you capture and share what happened. An event video extends the experience to people who couldn't attend while giving attendees shareable content that keeps your brand visible for weeks or months afterward. This creates a compounding effect where a single event generates ongoing awareness and interest.
Marketing reach beyond the venue
You multiply your audience when you turn a one-day event into video content. A music festival that draws 5,000 attendees can reach 50,000 or more people through video clips shared on social media. Each share exposes your brand to new potential attendees who see authentic proof that your event delivers the experience you promise.
Event videos work as social proof because they show real reactions from real people, which converts skeptical viewers into ticket buyers.
Videos also give you evergreen marketing assets that promote next year's event. You can repurpose footage into teaser campaigns, email newsletters, and paid advertising that performs better than generic promotional content.
Building attendee loyalty
Sharing event videos creates emotional connections with your audience. When attendees see themselves or their friends in your recap, they feel recognized and valued, which increases the likelihood they'll return for future events and recommend you to others.
How to plan an event video
Planning determines whether your event video delivers results or just fills storage space. You need to decide what you're trying to achieve and how you'll capture footage before your event begins. This means defining specific goals, identifying who will create content, and establishing a workflow for collecting and organizing video files.
Define your objective
Start by choosing one primary purpose for your event video rather than trying to accomplish everything at once. Your goal might be recruiting attendees for next year, showcasing sponsors, creating social media content, or documenting key moments for internal use. This decision shapes everything from shot selection to final video length.
Write down specific success metrics like "generate 10,000 social media impressions" or "increase next event's early registration by 20%." Measurable objectives help you evaluate whether your video actually worked.
Clear goals prevent you from wasting hours editing footage that doesn't serve your business needs.
Choose your collection method
You can hire a professional videography team, collect user-generated content from attendees, or combine both approaches. Professional crews deliver polished footage but capture only what their cameras see. Attendee-generated content provides authentic perspectives from dozens of angles but requires a system for collection and curation.
Consider using platforms that let attendees upload clips directly from their phones during your event, which gives you more raw material to work with.
How to shoot an event video
Shooting an event video requires you to balance planned coverage with spontaneous moments that make your content feel alive. You can't script what happens, but you can position yourself or your team to capture the emotions, energy, and highlights that tell your event's story. This means knowing what shots deliver value and staying flexible enough to react when unexpected moments occur.
Essential shots to capture
Your event video needs establishing shots of the venue that show scale and atmosphere, close-ups of speakers or performers during key moments, and audience reactions that prove people are engaged. Start with wide angles that set the scene, then move in for details like decorations, branded elements, and specific interactions between attendees.
Prioritize reactions over static footage because emotions drive sharing and convince viewers your event delivers real experiences.
Capture transition moments like doors opening, crowds entering, or stage lights changing, which give editors natural points to move between segments. These in-between shots often separate amateur event videos from professional ones.
Working with attendee videographers
When you collect footage from attendees, provide simple guidance like "film horizontally" and "capture 10-second clips" rather than detailed shot lists. Most people already know how to record video on their phones but benefit from basic direction that improves usability. Encourage attendees to film what excites them rather than trying to document everything systematically.
How to edit and share an event video
Editing transforms raw footage into a story that holds attention and drives the action you want viewers to take. You need to cut unnecessary content, arrange clips in a sequence that builds energy, and add basic elements like text overlays or music that enhance rather than distract. Your distribution strategy determines how people discover and share your event video across different platforms.
Editing your footage
Start by reviewing all clips and marking the strongest moments where emotions run high or something unexpected happens. Build your event video around these peaks rather than trying to show everything chronologically. Keep your final cut between one and three minutes for social media or up to ten minutes for your website, depending on where you'll share it.
Short videos perform better on social platforms because they respect your audience's limited attention span.
Add simple text overlays that identify speakers, highlight key quotes, or reinforce your event name without cluttering the screen. Background music should match your event's energy but stay quiet enough that dialogue remains clear.
Choosing distribution channels
Upload your finished event video to platforms where your target audience spends time, starting with your website and primary social media channels. Vertical versions work best for Instagram Stories and TikTok, while horizontal formats suit YouTube and Facebook. Native uploads to each platform perform better than shared links from other sites.
Next steps
You now understand what makes an effective event video, from planning your coverage strategy to editing and distributing your final content. The biggest opportunity most event organizers miss is the footage their attendees already capture on their phones throughout your event. Professional crews can't be everywhere at once, but your audience can be.
Rather than relying solely on expensive videography teams, you can collect and curate user-generated content that shows your event from dozens of authentic perspectives. This approach gives you more raw material to work with while reducing production costs and creating content that resonates better with future attendees because it comes from real experiences rather than staged promotional moments.
SureShot helps you capture this attendee-generated footage through a simple platform that attendees access with a unique PIN during your event. Our AI assistance reviews clips automatically to identify the strongest moments, saving you hours of manual sorting through hundreds of files. Book a 30-minute demo to see how event organizers are building comprehensive video libraries from crowd-sourced content.
