SmartPhone capture of Podcaster

When We Can’t Be There, Here’s What To Do

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Last week, we received a same-day request to film an event happening just a few hours later in a neighboring town.  The requestor admitted the last minute nature of the request, and we wanted to help.  Generally speaking, we always try to say yes. In this case, between timing, distance, and an already full schedule, we simply couldn’t get a crew there.
That’s not an uncommon situation, and it raises a bigger point worth sharing.
Coverage Doesn’t Have to Stop
Even when WHCA staff can’t attend, that doesn’t mean your event can’t be captured.
In fact, in many cases, you already have everything you need.
Over the past several years, we’ve been developing an approach we call “Partner for Coverage.” Sometimes that means staff support, sometimes training and equipment, and sometimes it means helping you capture something yourself and letting us take it from there.
This situation fell into that last category.
A Simple Way to Capture an Event
If you find yourself in a pinch, here’s a method that works surprisingly well:
  • Set up one phone in the back of the room on something stable
  • Hit record and leave it alone
  • Use a second phone (or audio recorder) closer to the speaker to capture clear audio
That’s it.
The most important things are:
  • A steady shot
  • Clean, intelligible audio
Everything else is secondary.
What Happens Next:
Once you’ve captured your footage, you can submit everything to WHCA.  From there, we can:
  • Sync audio and video
  • Add any PowerPoint or other presented materials (if they were supplied)
  • Edit the program
  • Prepare it for cable and online distribution
You don’t need to worry about the technical side after submission.
This Is Still “Partner for Coverage”
This approach isn’t a fallback. It’s part of the model.
Sometimes we film for you.
Sometimes we work with you.
And sometimes we help you make sure it gets captured when we can’t be there.
If you’re planning an event, we always encourage reaching out in advance. But if timing is tight, know that there are still ways to make it work.