Creating an Amazing Event Highlights Video
Event highlights videos have become essential tools for storytelling, showcasing your company’s achievements, and creating lasting impact. From leadership summits and conferences, to product launches, team-building days, and end-of-year celebrations, a well-crafted event highlight video goes beyond simply recapping the agenda. It tells a story that captures the spirit of the occasion, immersing viewers in the experience. These videos don’t just summarise—they communicate your company’s culture and values, reinforce brand messaging, and showcase accomplishments in a way that resonates with stakeholders, clients, and team members. They’re also great content that your online connections will enjoy sharing across their own social media channels, building brand advocacy.
Here are our tips on approaching storytelling in event highlight videos to keep your audience engaged and connected from start to finish.
Identify Your Audience for your Event Highlights Video
Begin by asking: who is the audience, and what is this video for? Defining the audience and purpose will help guide the production process. For instance, is this end-of-year party video for internal sharing with the team, or is it to highlight your company’s culture in a campaign to attract new employees? Will the flagship conference video be used to encourage delegate attendance at future events, or is it to share key financial achievements with stakeholders? Tailoring your video to a specific audience and objective shapes its tone, content, and messaging.
Story’s Theme and Purpose
Every event has its own unique atmosphere and purpose. Before starting, it’s essential to understand the key theme or message that the video should convey. Is it the excitement of a product launch, financial results or the camaraderie of a team-building retreat? Setting a clear purpose for the video guides all creative decisions, helping to decide which moments to highlight.
Ask questions like:
- What is your event’s primary purpose?
- What is the climax or defining moment?
This theme becomes the foundation of your video, informing everything from visual style to sound design.
Creating a Story Arc: The Beginning, Middle, and End
Like any story, a well-crafted event highlight video has a beginning, middle, and end. This structure guides the viewer through the experience, creating a narrative arc. People like stories.
- Beginning: Start with an introduction to set the scene. Show the environment, the venue, and the initial moments, like guests arriving. These shots create a sense of anticipation and establish the energy and context.
- Middle: This is where you capture the main event and pivotal moments. It could be a grand product reveal, a keynote speech, an impactful stage performance, or a game-winning goal.
- End: A satisfying conclusion wraps up the story. Consider shots that show the aftermath: smiles, farewells, or a quiet, reflective moment. An ending sequence leaves viewers with a lasting emotion, making the event feel complete.
Capture Key Moments and Reactions in Your Event Highlights Video
Capturing smaller moments supports pacing to build energy, drawing viewers into the most exciting and meaningful parts. Small, candid reactions often tell the biggest story. In addition to focusing on main events, try to capture genuine reactions and emotions from attendees. These moments add depth to the video and give viewers a sense of what it was like to be there.
Key moments for your event highlights video:
- Laughter or joyful expressions during speeches or performances
- Emotional reactions like applause
- Candid conversations or reactions that reflect the event’s atmosphere
- Behind-the-scenes moments building anticipation for the grand moment
These clips make the video feel more personal and relatable. Cutting between main action and reaction shots can make viewers feel emotionally invested, even if they weren’t present.
Create Personal Connection and Add Authenticity through Vox Pops
While event highlight videos can be created with scenic shots and energetic music, adding vox pops (on-the-spot interviews) brings several benefits. Including vox pops in an event video can convey atmosphere, add relevant information, and elevate your event highlight video.
- Authenticity and Social Proof: Hearing an attendee talk about their favourite moments and providing a real-time testimonial helps validate the event’s value, increasing its appeal for future attendees and participation.
- Fill in the Gaps: If your event video needs to be kept short, and you’re struggling to include it all, an attendee could quickly mention highlights verbally, such as enjoyment of diverse formats at a conference or the online element of the event.
- Diversity: Attendees can be formal or charismatic. Different personalities add variety and character to your video.
- Increased Engagement: Viewers are more likely to engage with a video featuring people talking directly to the camera. A human connection provides a conversational tone that draws your audience in, as if they were part of the experience.
Use Music to Set the Tone
Music can make or break an event highlight video. The right soundtrack emphasises the story and amplifies the emotional tone, whether it’s joyous, inspiring, or reflective. When choosing music, consider the event’s theme and energy level.
- High-energy events: Concerts or sporting events benefit from upbeat, fast-paced music. Thoughtful editing can also transform a corporate event into an engaging video.
- Formal or ceremonial events: Softer, evocative music works well here.
Sync the music to the video’s structure, with rhythm and volume changes corresponding to shifts in the visual narrative. Crescendos can highlight climactic moments, while softer melodies can punctuate reflective scenes.
Incorporate Natural Sound for Authenticity
While music sets the tone, natural sounds bring authenticity. Including ambient sounds—like crowd cheers, laughter, or a key speaker’s words—helps viewers feel immersed. Rather than relying solely on background music, blend in sound bites to retain authenticity and build a sense of presence.
For instance:
- Use a line from a speech to transition between scenes.
- Capture applause or crowd sounds to build excitement.
- Layer natural sounds in quieter moments to add emotional texture.
Edit for Emotion, Not Just Chronology
Editing an event highlight video isn’t just about putting clips in sequence; it’s about selecting clips that evoke the strongest emotions. Even if the footage spans hours, only a few seconds from each scene might be necessary to convey the feeling of the moment.
Consider:
- Pacing: Fast cuts create excitement, while slow motion accentuates emotions.
- Layering: Combine visuals with meaningful audio, such as quotes, laughter, or ambient sound.
- Transitions: Smooth transitions, like cross-fades or match cuts, maintain flow without breaking immersion.
The goal is to highlight emotions and moments that resonate most with viewers, helping them connect with the story.
Decide on the Editing Style and Feel of Your Event Video
Quick, snappy scenes? Or slower, emotional edits? Faster cuts add energy, while slow motion can provide extra focus on critical moments. These should support the narrative without distracting from it. For instance, slow-motion can work well during pivotal emotional moments, like a first dance or a winning shot. Similarly, colour grading can convey mood—warmer tones for joyous moments, cooler tones for formal or reflective ones.
Text overlays, such as names, locations, or quotes, provide context without distracting from the flow. Subtle visual cues like these help viewers follow the storyline and add polish.
End with a Sense of Closure
The ending is just as important as the beginning. Conclude with a moment that encapsulates the experience. Whether it’s a heartfelt embrace, a triumphant team huddle, or a shot of the empty venue, the closing image should resonate emotionally, leaving viewers with a sense of completion and connection.
Ongoing Value: Repurposing Micro-Moments for Future Event Videos
Just because the event happened once doesn’t mean the footage can’t be timeless. Stage moments, crowd shots, logos, and sweeping atmosphere pans are excellent B-roll shots to recycle for future videos, such as award entries, bids, and presentations.
Crafting a story in event highlight videos elevates them beyond simple documentation. By following these steps—understanding the theme, capturing key moments, using sound purposefully, and editing for emotional impact—you can create videos that not only summarise events but also tell meaningful stories that viewers remember. Event highlights, when approached as storytelling, become powerful tools for reliving experiences and sharing them in a way that feels real and engaging.
Need inspiration?
The Rocket Productions team excel in event highlights video and can help to plan the perfect shot list and edit for your event. To see examples of our work, check out our event highlights page here, or contact us to chat about your upcoming event and creating your next event highlights video.