A Live Event Video For the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation
We Filmed an Hour-Long Live Event Video for AFRF, Then Edited the Footage Down to a Few Minutes of Highlights.
I recently had the pleasure of shooting a live event video for the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation. It was for their 10th annual “Breakfast With Our Bravest” fundraising event.
The attendee list was a Who’s Who of Atlanta politicians, influencers, corporate executives and community leaders.
A Live Event Video
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to eat the breakfast, or meet the politicians or engage in conversation.
I arrived at the venue at 7 a.m. and started shooting B roll of the surroundings. For instance, the food, the firefighter awards, event signage and more.
Next, I shot the round tables reserved for the corporate sponsors. It turns out most of the sponsors buy tables but donate the tickets, so more firefighters and first responders to attend the event.
Around 8 a.m., as everyone was finishing their bacon and waffles, a bagpipe processional and color guard kicked off the festivities.
At that point, I was running back and forth between two cameras, checking focus, exposure and audio levels.
Remember, this was a LIVE event. There would be no second takes.
An Important Cause
AFRF raises money to support Atlanta’s firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians.
More importantly, they use that money for training, equipment, and community engagement.
I’ve worked with many nonprofits, but few can match the importance of AFRF. Their work be the difference between life and death.
At this year’s “Breakfast With Our Bravest,” there were 55 corporate sponsors, including Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola, the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, Georgia Power, Georgia-Pacific, and Wells Fargo.
The event raised $218,000.
Scripting and Shooting
The hour-long presentation included speeches from several Atlanta leaders, including Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Fire Chief Randall B. Slaughter, and Event Co-Chairs Dan Gordon and Bentina Terry.
The second half of the program was an awards ceremony, hosted by WSB-TV reporter Tyisha Fernandes. I not only shot footage for the live event video, I also wrote the script for the run of show.
Breakfast With Our Bravest
There’s a reason they call this “Breakfast With Our Bravest.” The awards given were for some AMAZING acts of courage and self sacrifice.
For example, the “Firefighter of the Year” lost one of his legs when he was struck at an accident scene by an out-of-control vehicle. You can only imagine the raw emotion when the entire room stood for his ovation.
In conclusion, THANK YOU to AFRF Executive Director Shirley Anne Smith for giving me the opportunity to work on this live event video. I’m looking forward to doing it again in the future.
About the Author:
Harry Hayes is the owner and executive producer at Content Puppy Productions, a corporate video production agency based in Charlotte. Before starting Content Puppy, he spent 20+ years as an advertising writer and creative director.
