Shoot Every Session: The Key to Creating a Killer Speaker Reel

Wanna make your event organizer shake in their boots?

Just ask them if you can bring a bunch of extra cameramen, mics, and equipment to their event.  They’ll start quivering in their Nikes before you can say “please.”

Why? 

Well, an outside crew focused on filming your speech becomes just one more thing for your event organizer to worry about.  Remember, they’re already stressed about a million-and-one details on their own.

These extra bodies can feel intrusive to an event, the organizer, and any footage of the audience… well, signed consent forms become a whole other headache.

That’s why I want you to ditch the notion of bringing a crew to one event instead of focusing on the three Vs of video – volume, variety, and visuals.

Today, we’re going to go deeper into these topics and give you specific tactics you can use to shoot a greater volume of video with a variety of content and then edit it into something visually stunning for your speaker reel.

Shoot. Every. Session.

Yes, every single session.

If you caught my Speaker Tech Tuesday post a few weeks back, you saw exactly which portable camera equipment I recommend for your next gig.

The Simple, High-Quality, Camera Rig I Use to Shoot on the Road (Video)

I’ve had to develop a little travel camera kit to make my shooting on the road efficient, high-quality, and not too complicated.

SpeakingGigs.ProAndrew Davis

Regardless of which model you end up getting, remember…

• Your rig needs to be compact,
• Your battery needs to have a long life,
• And the camera needs to be simple yet high-quality.

Once you have purchased your camera (and maybe a few accessories), you’re all set to take it on the road.  And then record…

Every. Single. Session.

Get there early before your speech and find a spot to set it up.  Since the camera is smaller than an entire film crew, chances are it will go completely unnoticed.  This means you’ll get some good footage of your speech without causing a distraction.

Honestly, I’ve never been stopped from doing this.  And I can’t think of a time someone even complained.

Sometimes, an event organizer will ask to wait to hit record until a previous session is over… this happens when that speaker is talking about super secret numbers and stuff.  

But it’s no big deal to wait until they’re done, hit record, and then head up on stage for the speech. (There's usually a few moments before my intro where I hit record.)

This one tip will drastically increase the video volume you’ll have for any given speech.

“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission."  

This was actually first said by Admiral Grace Hopper of the U.S. Navy.  I’m not sure exactly what her context was, but this applies perfectly to our camera situation.  Go ahead and shoot.  And if it’s a problem, you can apologize and not use the video.  

But, honestly, 9.9 times out of 10, it won’t be a problem.

Shoot Your Own Reaction Shots

If you think back to some of the best speaker reels you’ve seen, chances are the shots of the speaker are mixed in with shots of the audience laughing, thinking, and furiously taking notes.