What an amazing weekend! Excuse our absence, but lets just say we were in hair slay HEAVEN! This past weekend was EPIC as we covered the Show Me the Beauty International Hair Expo. While we would love to dish out all of the details from the show, we will do that very soon on another post, as this post serves a greater purpose. A lot of bloggers have asked us how do we cover events for the simple fact that this information is almost non existent. Out of all of the research I've ever done, I think I was able to successfully find 1 video 2 years ago specifically tailored to bloggers and covering events. Which is complete and utter bullshit if I didn't already mention that. So, we have you guys covered, from the equipment to the do's of event covering, Just Bloggers has delivered!:
What to Bring
Camera
Camera
A DSLR camera is a MUST when it comes to covering events. One of my best investments for this blog was the DSLR that I bought. If you're a Canon type of person, I highly recommend the Canon Rebel SL1 as a starter DSLR. It gives you the ability to learn all of the settings such as ISO and start to train yourself but also has the ability to use settings such as Creative Auto. Depending on where you get your Canon however, you might be getting more bang for your buck. I personally bought my camera from QVC for $459, this came with both a macro and micro lens, carrying case, software, and other amazing goodies, so I definitely suggest doing your research and shopping around for the best deal. And the best part is, it's very compact which is good for covering events!
If you're more of a Nikon person, then the D3200 is a good starter camera for you as well. Once again very lightweight and perfect for that amateur who is looking to enhance their skills and upgrade from a point and shoot to a DSLR. The D3200 has very much some of the same qualities as the Rebel SL1, so it's all about what your preference is. Me personally, I like Canon over Nikon, and I've owned both brands.
Going back to the point and shoot cameras, I honestly believe it is good to have a least one. A point and shoot is good for getting those quick shots while the DSLR is for those quality up close shots and priceless videos.
Tripod
A tripod is definitely something that is needed because it eliminates the "shakyness" of your hands. What I mean by this is when you're holding your camera, your hand isn't built to be steady, no matter how hard you try, so when recording videos, sometimes the "shakyness" is a no no. Tripods help to keep the camera steady, and if you get a flex tripod, every angle is virtually a possibility!
Microphone Equipment
If you're covering an event that has a lot of speaking interaction or if you plan on getting interviews, than using some type of microphone system is something that is highly recommended. There are two types of microphones I suggest getting, either the set that can be mounted to the top of your camera, or the small microphone that you clip on for hands free use. Which ever microphone system you plan to use, the most important thing is LEARN HOW TO USE IT BEFORE COVERING THE EVENT!
I say this because of personal experience. We bought a new set in hopes for interviews. Strapped up, and did our first interview, went to play back the video....no sound. We had forgot to use the adapter that came with the set. So please, make sure to do a test run before making the mistake of fucking up an interview...for everyone's sanity.
Event Bag:
Notebook & pen-for taking down names and notes during interviews and important segments.
Business cards-obviously to get your name out there. You never who you will meet, so make sure to always be ready and get your name out there.
Extra camera batteries-you never realize how quick a camera battery dies until you're in the middle of taking a million dollar shot. Amazon is the best place, obviously, where they sell camera batteries for cheap, sometimes 2 in a pack with the charger.
Extra phone chargers/battery banks-another aspect of covering an event is social media coverage, so to make sure you're phone doesn't KO on you, battery banks will become one of your key tools.
Water and snacks-you never know what kind of appetizers the event might have so just keep yourself energized and pack some granola bars and water.
What to Wear
With dressing for an event, there are two rules I try to abide by. First, try to have some type of uniformed theme, whether you're working closely with the production staff, or you're part of a blogging team covering the event, matching helps identify the guests with who's part of the production. Usually black is the go to color when covering most creative events, and it's slimming, win win situation!
Furthermore, dress according to your personality because you're representing yourself along with the blog's brand, dressing dull and boring isn't what I recommend. No one said you couldn't dress professional and fun at the same time!
What to Do
Do Your Research
Come into the event prepared. Know the history and the background of everyone responsible and participating in it. This gives you leverage on building a raport with everyone around you.
Get a Good Night Sleep (for both you and your equipment)
You will not be productive if you're tired as shit, or if all of your equipment is dead. Go to bed at a reasonable time, charge everything, and wake up early to start the day!
Recruit Help!!!
I can only imagine trying to cover an event by myself (thank god for my girls). So if you need a set of extra hands, get your friends or family who identify with the niche of the event. Most of them will do it for free because it's a free way for them to get into the event and network with people they need to come into contact with. If worse comes to worse, bribe them with liquor, works for me.
Get Diverse Content
Let's put this into perspective. The company who you're covering the event for is your client. We always deliver diverse content to our clients including original pictures, video, interviews, AND recaps both written and videos and/or podcasts. They'll see you care about their event as much as it took for them to produce it, and they'll keep you around for more events to come.
Plan Your Time
Having a set plan on how you want to cover the event can be what can set you apart from everyone else. Make sure to plan time to go backstage and get video and pictures of the key people apart of the event. Also plan time to record intros and/or outros for the event (which is where the extra help comes in handy) that you can use for social media promotion.
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