Guides
Corporate Videography Shot List Template
Corporate videography shot list template for event coverage, with blank field columns, a filled example, the shoot sequence, and fixes for common coverage gaps.
What to take away
- A corporate shot list is ordered by event flow, not camera position.
- This corporate videography shot list template covers arrivals, speaker singles, slide cutaways, audience reactions, and LinkedIn-ready b-roll.
- You know the edit is safe when every speaker line has a cutaway or reaction within five seconds.
- The common failure is a missing cutaway between two speaker singles; the fix is a two-shot rescue.
What you need before starting
Pack two camera bodies, a 24-70mm lens, a 70-200mm lens, two lavalier microphones, and a shotgun mic. Add an audio recorder and four 128 GB cards. Confirm the speaker list and slide deck 48 hours before load-in. Ask for the room diagram and the A/V tech contact. Write the speaker order on the back of the shot list. Include the break times so you know when to grab b-roll. If the venue is public, check city permit requirements before you travel. The relevant authority is the city's film office or municipal permitting office; requirements and forms vary by jurisdiction, so confirm the applicable process with the venue and that office before you travel.
Pre-shoot gear and prep checklist
- Two camera bodies
- 24-70mm lens
- 70-200mm lens
- Two lavalier mics
- Shotgun mic
- Audio recorder
- Four 128 GB cards
- Confirm speakers and slides 48h before
The sequence
- Arrive at least 60 minutes before doors open. Record the building exterior sign, lobby, and registration table.
- Set one camera on sticks at the back for a locked wide shot. Set a second camera near the stage for speaker tight singles.
- For each session, start the tight camera on the speaker's first five minutes. Assign the wide camera to slide screen cutaways.
- Move the tight camera to audience reaction two-shots after each strong statement or question.
- During breaks, capture networking b-rollcoffee station, handshakes, name badges, and the event hashtag sign.
Use the field copy below as a field copy.
Shot list field copy
Shot
- Building exterior sign
- Before doors open
- Registration table wide
- 30 minutes before start
- Speaker tight single
- Each session, first 5 minutes
- Slide screen cutaway
- During each talk
- Audience reaction two-shot
- After a strong statement
- Networking b-roll
- Break and lunch
When to capture
- Building exterior sign
- Annual report opener
- Registration table wide
- LinkedIn teaser
- Speaker tight single
- Main talk edit
- Slide screen cutaway
- Hides jump cuts
- Audience reaction two-shot
- Annual report clip
- Networking b-roll
- LinkedIn and website
Primary use
- Building exterior sign
- Registration table wide
- Speaker tight single
- Slide screen cutaway
- Audience reaction two-shot
- Networking b-roll
Blank field copy
| Shot number | Time/order | Camera | Lens | Shot type | Audio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Worked example: ballroom general session and networking
| Shot number | Time/order | Camera | Lens | Shot type | Audio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive 60 minutes before doors | Camera 1 | 24-70mm | Exterior sign, lobby, registration table | Shotgun mic / room sound | Establish the venue and arrivals. |
| 2 | Before the first session; as slides change | Wide camera at the back on sticks | 24-70mm | Locked wide and slide-screen cutaways | Shotgun mic / room sound | Keep the wide camera available for slide cutaways. |
| 3 | First five minutes of each session | Tight camera near the stage | 70-200mm | Speaker tight single | Speaker lavalier | Capture the speaker's opening; keep the lavalier track clean. |
| 4 | After a strong statement or question | Tight camera moved to the audience | 24-70mm | Audience reaction two-shot | Room sound | Use the reaction as a cutaway between speaker singles. |
| 5 | During breaks | Camera 2 | 24-70mm | Networking b-roll: coffee station, handshakes, name badges, event hashtag sign | Shotgun mic / room sound | Capture the listed details for the recap. |
If you plan to hand off the syncing and rough cut, review the In-House vs Outsourcing Video Editing trade-offs before the shoot.
Where judgement replaces the recipe
Not every room fits the same lens. A U-shaped boardroom needs a 35mm lens instead of a 70-200mm for the wide shot. A ballroom with a raised stage allows a safe two-camera cross shoot. US corporate events often run a ballroom general session followed by breakout rooms. Capture the main stage first and the breakouts second. A storyboard helps you mark these changes on the printed shot list before the first speaker stands up.
Keep the cinematography simple: match the speaker's eye line to the lens, not to the slide screen. If the speaker looks at the audience, the tight camera can sit slightly off axis. If the speaker reads a teleprompter, place the tight camera beside the prompter glass.
On a corporate shoot, the client does not ask for more angles. They ask for coverage that cuts cleanly into a two-minute recap.
How to tell it is right
Check your timeline before you leave the venue. Scrub the audio first.
- Each speaker has a clean lavalier track with no clothing rustle.
- Every slide change appears as a separate cutaway clip.
- No shot lasts longer than eight seconds without a cut or camera move.
- You recorded 10 seconds of room tone after the first applause.
If a speaker asks for a change after the first cut, use the Videography Revision Requests process before you agree to another pass.
Fixing it when it is not
The most common failure is a missing cutaway between two speaker singles. The edit jumps from one talking head to another with no visual bridge. The named recovery is a two-shot rescue: pull the wide camera or a reaction shot and insert it over the jump cut. If the client then asks for a same-day highlight, review your rush-editing policy before you agree to extra work.
If the wide shot is soft, cut to a slide or a name badge close-up instead. Do not promise more than you can cut.
