Filming 20 Live Podcasts on the Expo Floor at Human X, RAI Amsterdam
ISMG brought us in to capture Human X at RAI Amsterdam. Over two shooting days we filmed 20 podcasts on the expo floor, recorded short interviews with attendees about the future of AI, and covered the event in photo and behind-the-scenes footage. Add one set-up day and that made three production days on site.
Here is how the shoot worked, what went wrong along the way, and what we would tell any event team planning live interview content.
The brief: a podcast studio in the middle of a trade show
ISMG wanted a newsroom-style podcast set on the expo floor, with speakers and guests coming to us throughout the day. The content was going to LinkedIn, YouTube, event recaps and ISMG's own news page, so it had to look good on a big screen and sound clean on a phone.
ISMG has an in-house production team, so they handled the edit. We focused on capture and handed over the footage the same day. We normally take care of post-production ourselves, but working this way kept the client's budget down and got the content into their team's hands quickly.
Three cameras and a lit set
We used three camera angles: two close-ups on the participants and one wide shot on a motorised slider. The slider adds slow movement to the wide, which makes a stationary set feel more dynamic on screen.
We brought large studio lights, which raised the image quality and made the set look bigger than it was. Plenty of people walking past stopped to watch and take photos. We also directed the guests on camera, because most people who sit down for a podcast on an expo floor are not used to it, and a bit of direction makes a big difference to how relaxed they look.
Getting clean audio in a loud hall
An expo floor is one of the hardest places to record speech. We chose high-end microphones that isolate the voice of the person speaking and reject much of the room noise. The result was better than we expected for such a loud environment.
Early on, one of the main stages was running its audio too loud. It did not affect our recordings, but we did not want to risk it later in the day, so we spoke to the stage team and they adjusted their levels. After that we recorded without any issues for the rest of the event.
When the schedule changed, we filmed more
Some participants changed their agendas, which left us with spare time. Instead of waiting, we walked the floor and asked attendees if they would answer a few questions about the future of AI. Those short interviews became social content for ISMG on top of the podcasts.
Photography and behind the scenes
We also handled photography and behind-the-scenes coverage, so ISMG had video and stills from one team on site. That meant one point of contact, one schedule and consistent coverage of the event.
What ISMG said
We had a fantastic experience working with Mark and Tim from Motion One for our recent production at RAI Amsterdam.
From the planning stages through to filming on-site, they were incredibly professional, responsive and flexible. We had a busy schedule with a number of last-minute changes and additional filming requirements, and they were brilliant at adapting throughout.
Mark was particularly thorough in making sure the technical set-up, sound and production quality were exactly right, and the final footage looked and sounded excellent.
A real pleasure to work with and a team we would happily recommend. We look forward to working with Motion One again!
Chloe Ryan - Deputy Director, Events & Studio at ISMG
An event videographer in Amsterdam who knows RAI
We have filmed at RAI many times, so we know the venue, the noise levels, the crowds and the logistics of shooting there. That experience is why we could fix an audio problem in minutes and take on extra filming without losing time.
Most of our international clients come from North America and the UK, and we also work with organisations across the EU. If you are looking for a video production team in the Netherlands for a conference, expo or live event, we can plan the shoot with you remotely and handle it on the ground. We also travel to film in other countries.
Frequently asked questions
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Yes. We set up a lit, multi-camera podcast set on the expo floor and record guests throughout the day. At Human X we filmed 20 podcasts over two days.
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Both. We usually deliver the full edit, but we can hand over footage to your in-house team, as we did with ISMG.
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Yes. We covered video, photography and behind-the-scenes content for this event.
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Yes. Our clients are mainly in North America, the UK and across the EU, and we travel for shoots.
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Tell us the dates, location and what you need to come away with, and we will send a quote.
Planning an event shoot?
To discuss your project and request a quote head over to our contact page.
