Two years ago I'd attend a local business event for a few hours, grab some photos, write a quick summary, and that was the job. Client would post it, engagement would fizzle, and I'd wait for the next gig. I knew I was leaving value on the floor but didn't have a system for anything beyond the basics.
The shift happened when I stopped seeing events as one-off shoots and started treating them as content harvesting opportunities. Same event, same investment, completely different mindset.
Now, before I even show up, I sit with the client and build a content brief together. What moments matter most? Who are we talking to? What platforms are we prioritising? What does a great clip look like for this brand? We answer all that before I even pack my gear.
That brief changes everything about how I work on-site. Instead of just grabbing wide shots of the crowd, I'm actively hunting for specific moments - the business owner sharing a genuine tip, the customer who can't stop raving, the candid interaction that feels real. I know what I'm looking for, so I actually find it.
Back at my desk, I don't open the files and start scrubbing randomly. I go back to the brief and use it as a filter. I'm not looking for everything - I'm looking for the moments that match what we already agreed matters. That alone cuts my review time in half because I'm making decisions, not just watching.
Then I work through the footage systematically, event by event, moment by moment. I mark everything that fits the brief and score it on two things: how well it aligns with the client's message, and how well it'll perform on the target platform. Those two filters tell me almost everything about whether a piece is worth finishing.
From a half-day event I now consistently pull between 20 and 30 usable pieces - short videos, stills, quotes, even audio snippets. Not filler. Actual content the client can drip out over six to eight weeks across their Google Business Profile, social feeds, and local citation sites. One event becomes two months of their local content calendar.
The editing itself is the smallest part of the workflow. By the time I'm cutting something, I already know exactly what it needs to say and where it's going. No guesswork, no back-and-forth, no delivering 40 clips and asking the client to pick.
The brief does all the thinking before the editing ever starts. That one change took me from being a one-and-done vendor to a content partner that local businesses genuinely can't imagine replacing.
