Filming Ideas, Stories, and Community
On the evening of Friday the 7th of November, I was back at the Dundee Rep Theatre to film the annual PechaKucha Night - a much-loved event where a range of speakers each present using the same number of slides, with the same limited time, on any topic they choose. It’s always a sold-out night, full of creativity and inspiration, and this was my second time filming the event for Creative Dundee.
A Night of Short, Powerful Talks
PechaKucha events are fast-paced by design, and this one was no exception. The evening featured 12 speakers, each with roughly eight to ten minutes to share their ideas, stories, and passions. Every talk was completely different, which made the event incredibly engaging - and also very rewarding to capture on film.
Deliverables and Workflow
For this project, I delivered individual videos for each of the 12 speakers. Each video needed to include:
- Footage from the live event
- The speaker’s slides integrated clearly into the edit
- Captions for accessibility and social sharing
Creating twelve separate, fully edited videos - each around eight minutes long - was a significant amount of work, but absolutely worth it. Every speaker had something unique and thought-provoking to say, and it was a real pleasure to bring each of their presentations to life on screen.
Filming in a Packed Theatre
Due to the size of the audience, space was extremely limited within the auditorium. I was positioned at the bottom left, which offered the best balance of visibility and access without disrupting the event.
My setup included:
- Two cameras on tripods - one tight shot on the speaker and one wide
- Ambient audio captured in-camera
- A direct feed from the sound desk to ensure clean, professional audio
- Additional footage of audience reactions, applause, and interaction to reflect the lively atmosphere of the night
The only real challenge? Standing for over two hours straight - my feet were definitely feeling it by the end. I must be getting old!
Always a Pleasure to Work with Creative Dundee
It’s always a joy to work with Creative Dundee, an organisation that does such brilliant work supporting creativity across the Tayside region. Every time I collaborate with them, I come away having learned something new - which feels like a bonus on top of the work itself.
I’m really looking forward to working with Creative Dundee again in the future and capturing more events that celebrate ideas, people, and community.
If you’re organising a talk, conference, or live event and are looking for professional videography that captures both content and atmosphere, I’d love to help. You can get in touch via my contact page.
