Filming a live event video in Sydney requires a great deal of preparation and planning. If you miss something important due to poor planning, there are no second takes and no reshoots. As live events can move quickly and be unpredictable, we had to work on a comprehensive plan to get the shots we needed.
Our recent shoot for the Magic: The Gathering Grand Prix required us to meet specific criteria set by the event hosts and showcase their “escape room” setup, a challenge for Magic players to receive hints about an upcoming card release.
The escape room was styled like a dimly lit gothic dungeon, with flickering lights casting eerie shadows. Inside, participants worked to solve a central puzzle while we captured the action on the Sony A7S, chosen for its strong low-light performance and minimal image noise.
The event organisers supplied a detailed shot list for the final edit, covering full escape room coverage, players’ reactions, and B-roll from throughout the day. This allowed us to map out the shoot in advance and ensure we captured key moments, such as the first group attempting the challenge. Mobility was a priority, so we used a handheld rig with body support and follow focus, allowing us to reframe and adjust focus quickly without being weighed down by excessive gear.
For audio, we paired a boom operator with an on-board microphone, which was connected directly to the camera rig, ensuring clear, high-quality sound throughout the shoot.
As we weren’t editing the footage ourselves and the producers who had provided us with a shot list were on a very tight schedule to send out a finished edit, we had to be very selective with our shots to ensure that our rushes weren’t filled with unusable footage. This meant sticking to our shot list and only deviating when we saw an opportunity for some useful B-Roll.
Camera Equipment
We carefully selected our equipment to achieve the best quality footage without sacrificing mobility. The Sony A7S was chosen with a body-mounted rig and follow focus to allow for a steady, handheld image with the mobility required when moving around a large convention centre.
Sound was recorded with a shotgun mic on a boom pole, into a mixer, which was then channelled into the mounted Sony audio input.
Logistics and Video File Transfer
As the footage was being digitally transferred to the US for editing the next day, having a solid plan was crucial. We had arranged three drop points throughout the day during natural breaks in filming. As the ProRes files from the A7S were large and would take a long time to transfer, we utilised an option on the A7S to simultaneously record a low-resolution proxy as an MP4 file. We uploaded these files first to allow the US editors to begin editing before the full-resolution files were uploaded. The files were transferred to a hard drive, then taken to a transfer facility.
By following our plan and working efficiently throughout the day, we managed to capture all the required footage, and the producers received it on time for a rapid finished edit.
If you need to capture a live event, or for any questions about our services, contact us here.
