With the much-needed return to live events comes video production, and all the associated event video production cost and hassle that comes with filming recap videos for the employees unable to attend. And as you know all too well, prices for everything have been rising rapidly over the past year. After a few years of saving money on virtual conferences (or none at all in many cases), these video production costs can give a lot of companies sticker shock. Not only is there an event to pay for, but a crew, equipment, travel, lighting, catering, and all the other budget-draining necessities. 

However, that doesn’t need to be the case at all. You have employees at the event with smartphones, and they’re perhaps the most passionate ambassadors you can tap into. And that’s exactly what global agency Merkle did for the Adobe Summit. 

Forget “traditional” video production. Your people ARE the crew.

It may sound out of left field, but it’s actually a really smart way to approach event filming. The latest smartphones are more than up to the task of recording cinema-quality footage. And who better to put their genuine enthusiasm on camera than the people excited to be there, rather than using paid actors and a film crew?

Meghan Eckman, Creative Director, Marketing at Merkle, is as forward thinking as her employer. She knew the best way to capture the experiences and perspectives of Merkle employees at the Adobe Summit was to use them front and center. And from her point of view, it was a no-brainer to tap Cinebody for this event (and many more to come).

“It may sound a little cliché but we prefer to work smarter, not harder,” said Eckman. “Why spend a ton of time and money to produce an event video recap when we already have charismatic and interesting employees, all armed with smartphones, ready to step up and host? All we needed was a pioneering production partner like Cinebody to help us make it happen.”

How Merkle captured the sights and sounds of the Adobe Summit.

Working in tandem with the Cinebody team, key Merkle employees recorded the event through their eyes. Two hosts stepped up to not only narrate and highlight what was happening, but also to interview experts and get the freshest perspectives. They even got some killer bloopers, and who doesn’t love a good blooper reel? 

And through it all, Cinebody was there to manage the project, work with the filmers on a variety of b-roll, and assist in the direction of the hosts on camera. And this was all turned around and edited in just two business days for initial review. Try doing that with a traditional event or conference film production (actually, don’t, you’ll go mad trying).

“What we got from Cinebody was a polished, authentic, and quick-turn video recap to showcase Merkle’s wonderful time at the Adobe Summit,” continued Eckman. “And this is just the beginning as we have more conferences on the agenda, and more Cinebody-produced conference videos to produce. This is a partnership I’m very proud to have spearheaded.”

The lesson to be learned here is that the way we all pivoted during the pandemic does not have to be forgotten as we return to live events. In fact, with the costs of putting on and/or attending conferences only going up, the smart strategy is to find a way to recap it that saves time and money without sacrificing quality.