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After a company event, the production company delivers several video pieces, each designed for a different use. The main one is the aftermovie, a short video, usually between 2 and 5 minutes long, that captures the energy and key moments of the day in a cinematic style. It is meant to be published on social media and to announce the next edition. It does not cover everything that happened, nor does it include the full speeches. Many other pieces can be commissioned alongside it: social media clips, individual interviews, cuts of talks, short learning videos, pieces for sponsors, content for email marketing and material for future presentations. Some production companies also deliver the files already prepared for each social network, so the company can publish them as they are, without any retouching.
How long each piece takes
The turnaround depends on what is requested and, above all, on when it is requested. If it is requested in advance, some production companies deliver the highlights video in under 24 hours after the event closes, in time to share it while people are still talking about it. The longer pieces arrive later, because editing interviews, talks or sponsor videos means going through hours of footage. Delivering the full coverage several days later is not organised in the same way as handing over edited photographs while the event is still under way. That is why the delivery deadline shapes how the team works from the very first minute.
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A polished corporate video takes weeks
A more elaborate corporate video moves at a different pace. If it involves a script, brand messaging and several rounds of revisions, one industry reference puts the usual timeframe at between 4 and 8 weeks. The same source warns that when an agency promises a high-quality corporate video in 7 days, it is probably sacrificing strategy. It is best not to mix up the two cases. The quick highlights for social media come out in hours or a few days. An institutional piece intended for clients or investors needs weeks.
Filming is planned before the event
One detail makes a big difference to the result: filming is planned before the day begins. If the company wants immediate content for social media and also a more polished piece for later, it has to say so before the event. That way the production company can bring along a person dedicated to editing on the fly, decide whom to interview and spread the cameras between the stage, the audience and the stands. If this is requested once the event is over, many shots can no longer be recovered.
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What to prepare before contacting a production company
The practical step at this point is to gather three pieces of information before speaking to a production company: which pieces are needed, where they will be published and by what date each one is needed. If the highlights video has to be ready the following day, it must be requested when the commission is signed. It is also worth knowing in advance who gives the go-ahead within the company, because revisions lengthen any timeframe. And before the day of the event, a notice for attendees must be prepared explaining that photographs and videos will be taken during the day.
