Corporate event aftermovies: length, formats, how the shoot works and examples
A corporate event lasts a few hours. The aftermovie can keep working for months: on your social channels, in presentations, internally. But only if it’s planned that way from the start. Here’s how I prepare and shoot an aftermovie, with real examples, their running times and their formats.
What exactly is an aftermovie?
It’s a short film that captures an event: the atmosphere, the key moments, the people. It goes out afterwards for those who were there and, above all, for those who weren’t.
Depending on the event, it can take a few different forms:
- a highlights video, fast-paced and driven by music and atmosphere;
- a highlights video with interviews, where guests or organisers explain what we’re seeing;
- a series of short clips posted after the event.
How long should an aftermovie be?
The right length depends on where people will watch it. On social media, the shorter it is, the more likely people are to watch to the end. For internal use or your website, you can take a bit more time.
A few examples of videos I’ve delivered:
| Event | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Kinder Bueno at Lollapalooza Paris | Vertical Reel, stand highlights | 30 s |
| Swapfiets, group bike ride through Paris | Vertical video for Instagram | 37 s |
| Bang & Olufsen, “Sound of Paris” | Vertical highlights | 45 s |
| Free, launch of a new service in Paris | Landscape film for internal use | 2 min 08 |
A simple rule of thumb: 20 to 45 seconds for Instagram and TikTok, 1 to 2 minutes for LinkedIn or internal comms.
Match the format to the channel
This is the most common mistake: shooting everything in landscape, then realising the video also needs to work on Instagram. Cropping to vertical after the fact rarely looks good.
If the video needs to live on several channels, tell me before the shoot. I’ll then frame shots so they work in both 16:9 and 9:16, or capture certain moments specifically for vertical.
Why interviews make all the difference
A highlights video shows the atmosphere. An interview explains why the event matters. The two work brilliantly together.
Example: at the Bang & Olufsen events in Paris, each evening produced a short highlights video and, on two occasions, an interview with the guest: 2 min 53 with artist Jérémy Kapone for his album release, and 1 min 19 with actor Pascal Elbé on sound. The evening lasts an hour; the artist’s words stay online.
At festivals and on brand stands, vox pops work especially well: for Kinder Bueno at Lollapalooza, the “Would you rather?” we filmed with festival-goers runs 44 seconds and went out alongside the highlights.
How the shoot works
Before the event
- The run of show: timings, speeches, activities, the moments you can’t miss.
- Who to film: speakers, guests, team members you want to feature.
- Constraints: filming permissions, restricted areas, attendees’ image rights.
- Formats and deadline: where and when the video will go out.
On the day
I work with a light kit so I don’t get in the way of guests or staff. I film the set-up, guests arriving, the key moments, the details (décor, products, gestures) and people’s reactions. Interviews are best done during a quieter moment, with a dedicated mic so the sound stays clean despite the noise around us.
After the event
The edit starts with pulling the best moments, then choosing the music and setting the pace. You receive a rough cut, send your feedback, then get the final files in the agreed formats.
What makes a good aftermovie
- Faces. People remember people, not venues.
- Ambient sound. Laughter, applause, a line caught in passing: that’s what brings the video to life.
- A strong opening. On social media, the first few seconds decide whether anyone keeps watching.
- A clean ending. Your logo, the date, an invitation to next year’s edition.
- The right length. Thirty seconds watched in full beats three minutes people scroll past.
What an aftermovie does for you
A well-distributed aftermovie keeps going long after the event. The two Reels I shot for Kinder Bueno at Lollapalooza got 13,200 and 5,000 views on the brand’s Instagram account. For Free, the aftermovie meant employees who weren’t in Paris could see the launch for themselves, told by their own colleagues.
Organising an event in Paris or the wider Île-de-France region? Send me the date and the type of event: I’ll check my availability and get a quote over to you within 48 hours. Get a quote · See my event videos