About
One person, one show a weekend
I am a videographer working out of the Sunset Coast, and recitals are most of what I do between April and July. Before this I shot corporate events, which taught me two useful things: how to stay invisible in a room, and how much a clean audio feed matters.
I take one show per weekend. That is a deliberate limit, not a scheduling accident — it means I can scout your venue at dress rehearsal, set up without hurrying, and start editing while the show is still fresh. A studio that books me is not sharing me with another recital across town on the same afternoon.
It also means the calendar is genuinely finite. May and June go first, usually by February.
The setup
What I bring, and where it goes
A locked wide for the whole stage, a center camera cutting on the action, and a long lens working faces and feet. All three record independently, so a dropped card never costs the show.
A direct feed off the board wherever the venue allows, with a room microphone as backup for applause. Camera-mic audio in a gym sounds like a gym.
Center house, as far back as the room allows, on legs that sit under the sightline of the row behind. I scout the position at dress rehearsal so nothing is a surprise on the night.
The paperwork
Insured, checked, and easy to sign
I carry liability insurance and will send the certificate before you sign anything. If your studio or venue requires a background check, I will run whatever you need — several of mine already have.
The agreement itself is one page. It covers the date, the fee, what I deliver, and what happens if either of us has to cancel. No retainer language you need a lawyer for.
Studio questions
What owners ask before they book
What does the studio actually have to do?
Send me the date, sign a one page agreement, and let me come to dress rehearsal. That is it. I do not need a volunteer, a table in the lobby, or anyone from your staff on show day — beyond one email to your family list once the video is ready.
Where do you set up, and will parents complain?
Center house, as far back as the venue allows, on a tripod that sits below eye line for the row behind. I scout it at dress rehearsal so there are no surprises. If the venue has a booth or a balcony, even better.
How does the audio work?
A direct feed off the soundboard whenever the venue allows it, plus a backup microphone in the room for applause and ambience. Camera-mic audio in a gym sounds like a gym, and that is usually the difference between a video families keep and one they do not.
What if a routine goes wrong, or a dancer freezes?
I keep filming. It is your call afterward whether that number ships as recorded or gets cut from the family copies. I will never post anything publicly without you approving it first.
What if there is no budget for video this year?
Tell me anyway. I would rather work out a reduced fee than have you skip the recital altogether — I have done it for studios in a tight year and it is a short conversation. What I do not do is film for nothing, because a job with no fee behind it is the first one to get squeezed when something goes wrong, and your recital deserves better than that.
Why am I paying you if you also sell to my families?
The fee pays for the production — the cameras, the soundboard feed, the dress rehearsal scouting and the edit. That cost is the same whether five families order a copy or fifty. What families buy is their own copy of a finished film, handled entirely by me, with no money and no admin passing through the studio.
Can you make us something for Instagram?
Full Weekend includes one or two social cuts, and they are exactly that — straight compilations of show footage with no production on top. Music, captions and titles come with Premiere, or I will quote them separately. To be plain about it: this is video work, not social media management. I do not post, write captions or run accounts.
Do you film competitions?
Yes, quoted per day and separate from the recital packages. Tell me the dates and how many routines you are entering and I will send a number.
Can families buy just their own child's routine?
Yes, on the Full Weekend and Premiere packages. It is a popular add-on for families who only want the two minutes their kid is on stage, and it costs the studio nothing.
Do you have insurance and a background check?
Yes to liability insurance, and I will happily run whatever background check your studio or venue requires. Ask and I will send the certificate before you sign anything.
What happens if you get sick on recital day?
Honest answer for a one person shop: I carry a backup camera body and I have two local videographers who have agreed to cover me in an emergency. If it ever came to that, you would hear from me the moment I knew, not the morning of.
Question I haven't answered?
Ask it directly — I answer these myself, usually the same evening.