Aftermovie

In practice an aftermovie is one or two shoot days followed by weeks of editing. On site there is a camera operator on the main camera, a second on a handheld, and someone on sound if interviews are being recorded. You collect b-roll: people arriving, details, hands, reactions in the room. Without it you end up with a recording of speeches. The editor then builds two or three minutes out of dozens of hours.

Why clients care: a tech conference that runs every year sells the next edition with its aftermovie. Send it to partners in November when the next edition is in March and you have something to justify the partnership price. If the video only lands in January, it misses the weeks when budgets are decided. The delivery date matters more than one extra camera.

How it is done: before the event you agree a list of what must be on camera, meaning the keynote speaker, the partner logo in the right place and at least two audience reactions. You shoot during the day and back up every evening. Editing usually takes two to three weeks; a 48 hour turnaround carries a surcharge. You supply music or a licence budget and one person for feedback.

When it is not worth it: an internal Christmas party that will never repeat and cannot be used anywhere. Photos are enough. A common mistake is a five minute aftermovie because the client wanted every partner included. Nobody watches that to the end. Two minutes plus short vertical cuts for social will serve you better.

During events we do one extra thing: every evening we pick ten of the best shots and send them to the client immediately. It is not an edit, it is proof that things are going well, and the client finds out what is missing while there is still time to shoot it. Ask for that at your next event.