Behind the Scenes: Speaker Event Video Production at Texas Tech
Unveiling the Art of Capturing Moments
The Prequel: Setting the Stage for the Perfect Production of Speaker Event Video
It feels like only yesterday that we got an email from Steve Lipscomb over at the Alderson and Griffin Family Business and Entrepreneurship Center in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech to discuss their speaker series. It was the end of October of 2024.
We frequently get requests like this, and often enough, they come with high expectations and little to no funding. Speaker event video production isn’t always straightforward—especially when the ask comes fast, the venue is tricky, and the turnaround is tighter than a snare drum.
Steve was different. He had done his research and he knew that Hamil Bros was the choice for him. He had a lot of questions—and they were good ones. The kind of questions that made us wonder how on earth he knew to ask them. A little digging revealed: this was none other than Steve Lipscomb, the founder of the World Poker Tour.
Yeah. Him. He knows what he’s doing, and he wanted to talk to us about a series he was launching at Texas Tech University. His first guest? Sarah Bush Nuckolls, born into and part of the governing entity of the Bush’s Baked Beans family.
The catch? This speaker event video production had to be executed quickly—and Ross was headed across the country on vacation. (As a side note, we’ve decided he needs to go on vacation more often because it inevitably leads to work.)
Everything got lined up, contracts signed, and we were on our way. We knew from experience that high-level speaker series production means juggling multiple priorities—visual quality, clean audio, precise timing, and, most importantly, client expectations. There’s no such thing as over-preparation in speaker event video production.
Setting the Scene at Buddy Holly Hall
This was going to be a breeze. We’ve done plenty of live events. Add to that, we were excited to get to shoot in one of the event rooms at Buddy Holly Hall.
We arrived and the first obstacle became very clear: windows everywhere. For lighting and exposure, this is not ideal in speaker event video production, although it wasn’t a deal breaker. It was about 1pm in the afternoon and the room was pretty evenly lit.
Obstacle number two? The stage was between two side-by-side doors that faced—yep—more windows. So we were left with either letting the doors be over-exposed or the stage under-exposed. We opted for exposing the stage.
On top of that, reflections from the glass surfaces meant that even small changes in lighting or audience movement could throw unexpected glare or shadows across the frame. These subtle nuisances often go unnoticed until you’re editing—and by then, it’s too late. It was clear we had to keep our lighting tightly controlled, soft, and dynamic.
This level of attention to detail is what differentiates everyday filming from true speaker event video production—where each frame might carry emotional or branding weight. When you’re capturing industry leaders or influential guests, you need a setup that enhances—not distracts from—the speaker.
Camera Setup and Gear Breakdown
Once that was cleared up, we got our cameras set up. We went with a 2-camera setup using our Blackmagic Cinema 6K Camera on a Dana Dolly powered by our eMotimo motion control rig, and our Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K Camera, operated by Jacob.
Ross sat in video village and monitored the cameras with our Blackmagic Atem Mini, through our OSEE 21” field monitor and recorded audio into our Zoom F8n.
For a speaker event video production of this scale, versatility in the camera rigging and real-time monitoring is critical. One static angle and one motion-controlled dolly let us keep our shots visually engaging without needing an operator on both. This not only saved crew bandwidth but helped avoid obstructing the audience’s view.
A/V was being provided by Lubbock Audio Visual, who were kind enough to give us a clean feed of the screen presentation and a feed of their microphones. Once we were set up, we cleaned up what we could and got ready to go home; the next morning was going to start early.
The Day of the Shoot: Battling the Sun
We arrived early the next morning, before sunrise, to get everything powered up and ready to go. It didn’t take long to set up, but it also didn’t take long to realize our next major hurdle.
Remember those windows? Some were facing east—and, if you’re up to speed on planetary rotation, the sun rises in the East. Within an hour, we were dealing with harsh sunlight pouring through the east windows with no way to control it.
Attendees were arriving and eating breakfast, and our options were few. As we scrambled for a solution, we realized all we could do was pray.
As the introductions wrapped from the stage, the sun was killing our exposure. But Ross noticed it was rising fast. With any luck, it would rise above Sarah’s position by the time she began speaking.
And luck was on our side. The sun lit the floor hard, but Sarah looked great on camera. Speaker event video production win. Crisis averted.
It’s in moments like these that experience pays off—not just in knowing your gear, but in staying calm and trusting the process. While part of us panicked, another part kicked into problem-solving mode. That mindset is essential for speaker event video production: you only get one shot, and you have to adapt fast.
Capturing the Message
Sarah’s keynote was excellent. She discussed the history of Bush’s Baked Beans and the family government that keeps everything aligned. Interestingly, she’s not directly involved in the business operations, but serves within the family’s governance system. One notable requirement? Family members must graduate from the Kellogg School of Management to be eligible for leadership.
Sarah’s message resonated deeply—not just because of the brand recognition, but because of the authenticity she brought to her storytelling. These moments are what make speaker event video production so meaningful. Capturing the heart behind the message is just as important as capturing the visuals.
The audio clarity, the visual focus, and the energy of the room all helped underline her points. Editing allowed us to pull in tight at emotional moments and pull out when she was emphasizing big ideas—a rhythm that added weight to the final video.
Reflecting on Feedback and Adjustments
We had a preview cut sent to Steve by the next day.
His reaction? Disappointment. Clearly not what we hoped for. He expected shots and angles that weren’t there. Had he asked for them? Had we missed something?
After talking with him, we learned the expectations weren’t clearly communicated. We assumed the video would live online for archival purposes. Steve had more ambitious goals—he wanted this content to help promote the program, attract students, and draw in family businesses.
In his words: “Let’s just use smoke and mirrors to make this more exciting and we’ll get the next one right.”
We delivered the main keynote plus 25 highlight clips. This speaker event video production project was back on track.
Round Two: A New Location, A New Plan
By February 2025, Steve was back. The next speaker? Matt Allen from Kellogg.
We weren’t going to let Buddy Holly Hall beat us again. But as it turns out, the location had changed. This time we’d be filming at the Museum of Texas Tech University in the Helen Devitt Sculpture Court.
We stopped by the museum—only to find it closed. But Ross called, someone answered, and we were graciously let in. The best part? No windows. Just a few skylights, but nothing we couldn’t handle.
Being able to scout the location—even on short notice—gave us a huge advantage. We mapped out power access, ambient light, audience layout, and even ceiling acoustics. It might sound excessive, but those micro-details can make or break a flawless speaker event video production.
Five Cameras, Cleaner Audio, Better Monitoring
This time, we were over-prepared. Our setup included:
One manned camera for the speaker
Our Dana Dolly/eMotimo tracking shot
A crowd reaction cam
An extreme wide angle
A roving camera on the DJI RS3 Pro
We also captured the live presentation feed into our Atomos Ninja Blade.
Another unique challenge we faced with this second shoot was matching lenses. Shooting all on Tokina Vista Primes was not going to be possible. So, we resorted to getting out our Tokina Cinema 11-20mm wide-angle lens, our trusty Canon 70-200mm for crowd reaction, and our Canon 24-70mm lens for the roving camera.
Despite the variety, we carefully balanced exposure, white balance, and picture profiles to keep the footage cohesive across every angle and used our DataColor SpydrCheckr to match the color of every camera and lens combination.
Instead of the ATEM Mini, we used the Blackmagic Multiview 4 HD, and timecoded everything with Tentacle Sync E.
With the first speaker shoot, we encountered some audio issues because of the routing from the house audio. To mitigate this, we routed house audio through a Behringer MS8000 audio splitter to give us clean access to Lubbock Audio Visual’s house microphones.
To ensure maximum audio coverage and redundancy, we outfitted the lectern with a RodeGO wireless lavalier microphone and placed an additional lav on Matt himself. This dual-source approach gave us two clean speaker tracks and a safety net in case of interference or failure—crucial in live environments where re-recording isn’t an option.
To sweeten the recorded audio and add a nice bit of ambience, we also set up a stereo pair of Slate ML-2 microphones to capture the audience reactions. This helps give the feeling that the viewer is in the room with the rest of the audience.
The Zoom F8n proved invaluable in this setup—it allowed us to manage a total of eight live microphone channels, including four from the house and four of our own. Without its robust input capacity and rock-solid preamps, we would have been forced to compromise on coverage or clarity, something we never want to do when recording high-stakes speaker event video production.
For lighting, we used the Aputure Spotlight Max on the Aputure 600C Pro, giving us full control over our speaker’s visibility.
Every part of this rig was tested and optimized the day before. We took time to label cables, pre-calibrate color profiles, and rehearse shot transitions. When the speaker stepped up to the mic, we were locked in and ready to roll.
The advantage of this setup was massive. It meant we could cut together multiple perspectives, pace the final edit with more cinematic rhythm, and match speaker intensity with visual flair. That’s a core strength of professional speaker event video production—transforming a lecture into an experience.
The Results: Night and Day
Executing a New Plan
Jacob started early capturing b-roll to show the vibe of the event. The shoot went smoothly, and when Steve saw the first cut, he replied:
“Night and day better … love all of it so far. Just had to jump in early and tell you what a difference.”
This kind of speaker event video production outcome is what we aim for. Clear expectations, a better process, and trust from both sides.
More than just praise, that reaction confirmed that we had aligned not just technically, but creatively. It meant the story landed, the visuals worked, and the client felt heard. That’s the trifecta we’re always aiming for.
Communication is Everything
The Power of Finding Understanding
Most working relationships don’t survive a misaligned first attempt. But this one did. And it was all about mutual respect, feedback, and adapting.
Now we’re on track to continue these productions, and we’ve even been invited to speak in one of the family business classes in Fall 2025.
It’s easy to assume that video production is just gear and editing. But in speaker event settings, the real skill lies in aligning expectations, translating vision, and showing up as partners—not just vendors.
Need Speaker Event Video Production?
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