Craig Holden is a DJ from Bolton, England who specialises in House music DJ sets. He’s known across the North West of England to be someone for big occasions and live events. He pumps out big late night sets at venues across the region, creating huge atmospheres for the crowd. When approached for this job, the aim was pretty simple, capture the energy and unique experience DJ Craig Holden generates at his live events in video form.
Capturing Live Moments
One of the most difficult tasks in video production is the capturing of live moments. Everyone has a different experience at live events and as a result have unique memories. So, the challenge is to produce a piece that can connect with everyone without losing the special atmosphere created in that one moment. To achieve this a certain level of research is required to make sure you are going into the shoot prepared. This is exactly what we did, getting a feel of Craig Holden’s personality and performance style was key in our preparation. This meant we went into the filming knowing exactly what we needed to capture.
The big pressure of live events is that you only have one shot at capturing that moment in time. Unlike staged shoots, a shot cannot be re-done, once the moment has passed it has passed. Therefore, a plan of key shots is integral to a successful live shoot.
Working With The Artist
Going into the filming with DJ Craig Holden, we identified the main areas that needed to be covered. Videos in nightclubs usually necessitate a certain collection of camera angles and focal points. Firstly, as it is a promotional video, the DJ needs to feature heavily in the final edit. Therefore an amount of shots need to be filmed that feature the DJ to give variety and focus when it comes to the final edit. Secondly comes the crowd. There is no point having a promotional video for a DJ if you can’t see and experience what it’s like to be there.
Finally, these two elements need linking up to show how the whole experience works together. With promotional videos of this nature, it must always be in mind who the viewer it. Primarily in this case it will be venue owners/bookers and potential event attendees. Therefore, both audiences need to be catered to throughout.
Dealing With Unique Settings
Each promotional video is unique, especially when filming a live event. The final stage that needs to be considered is marrying up the performer’s unique style with the key elements of the promotional video. With DJ Craig Holden we knew that a big trancy atmosphere needed to be captured. Various techniques were utilised to achieve this, but for us the use of slow-mo and tight angles focusing on the action were the drivers. This enabled us to really get hold of the personal emotion and feelings of both the DJ and the crowd, whilst offering a sense of feeling that was beyond just your usual live performance.
The Edit
The final edit of this production consisted of a combination of close, fast action shots of the DJ and slow motion atmospheric moments from the crowd. Due the nature of the event and the video, fast cuts were effective in conveying the beat and intensity of the music, yet juxtaposed effectively with the slow motion to play with the viewers’ emotions.
Collaboration with the artist regarding music choice was obvious on this production and we worked closely to choose a track that effectively portrayed his style. Although practically, planning and filming at a live event is the most challenging part, all this can be wasted if the music choice is wrong. This can often be rushed, however we are always aware of how key this decision is and is often the making of a great promotional video.
With a video production from a live event, it can be tempting to produce a long video detailing every happening of the night. However, this will only appeal to very few people and as a result lose the attention of the rest. Keeping it around the 60 second mark is a perfect viewing length and ideal for optimal use on social media. Although we want to capture a special moment that will live on forever, the primary purpose of the video is promotional and this should therefore come first. By sticking to this rule we were able to produce a video that the client could successful share across social media but also send out to his potential clients and effectively translate what his style is all about.
Want to work with Glacé Media? Contact us now to discuss how we can turn your video visions into creative realities.
