Isle of Wight Videography Workshop & Business Video Training

Last week, I hosted my first official in-person videography workshop for members of the Isle of Wight Creative Network, a fantastic community of local artists, creatives, and small business owners here on the island. Around 20 people attended, all with varying levels of knowledge and expertise in video production.

When I was asked to host the session, I initially said no. I didn’t think I’d have the time to prepare, and it turns out, I was completely correct. It took weeks to create a comprehensive slide deck and custom diagrams from scratch. The goal was to deliver a complete and concise presentation on videography and filmmaking for businesses in just two hours, which was certainly a challenge. It’s quite a vast subject!

It transpires that two hours really isn’t enough time—in fact, we ran out of it! However, I felt it was crucial to incorporate several hands-on exercises to help cement the practical video skills as we went through. There is nothing worse than someone barking loads of numbers and camera concepts at you and expecting it to instantly sink in.

My initial plan was to break the videography training down into three core sections: pre-production, production, and post-production. But I soon realised that without prior knowledge, explaining the concepts within each stage would be difficult. So, I created a quick introduction to establish the fundamental building blocks of creating professional video content—covering the exposure triangle, frame rates, composition, white balance, and resolution. We also tackled basic audio concepts, lighting setups, and camera movement. The challenge as an experienced videographer is that you sometimes forget what you know; you take for granted that terms like DSLR, decibels, or white balance aren't common knowledge to everyone.

Presenting a comprehensive overview that covers everything for everybody certainly wasn’t easy. I will say, however, that at the end of the session—although we didn’t quite get through the all-important post-production module—I received some wonderful feedback. Many participants shared that they left with a solid understanding of how to approach their own business videography. You know what? That feels good. It feels amazing to know I’ve managed to pass on my industry experience and present it in a digestible way. Actually, I think I might have caught the bug for hosting creative workshops!

The biggest takeaway for some was simply the importance of planning your shoots. I created a dedicated worksheet to guide attendees through the pre-production process because, ultimately, it’s critical to ask yourself: Why am I making this video? What value do I hope to offer the viewer, and how does this help my brand?

And as with most teaching, it’s a two-way street. You quickly realise the importance of practicing what you preach, and since the workshop, I have been consciously re-implementing many of the basic concepts we covered into my own video production projects. The truth is, I’m guilty of it too. Once you do something enough, you tend to gloss over the basics. Ultimately, it’s good for all of us to go back to the drawing board and step out of our comfort zones.

My takeaways from hosting this videography workshop were several-fold:

·       Presenting videography workshops is a huge amount of fun.

·       After the first 30 seconds of terror, things settle down and you’re off.

·       It’s good to remember why going back to the basics of video production is essential.

I’m already looking forward to the next one. We have an editing-focused session planned soon that will recap our previous material. Hopefully, attendees will have been implementing some of the techniques from the last workshop, and we can dive into the deeper, more technical parts of post-production. Although, I feel we may need a little longer than two hours this time around!

I have also since had some inquiries for 1:1 coaching, which I’m now proud to say I have officially launched on the website! You can find the 1:1 videography coaching page here And, of course, watch this space for upcoming group events. Plus, if you feel your company could benefit from a dedicated corporate video training session or tailored business videography advice, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Finally, a big shoutout to the wonderful IW Creative Network for taking me out of my comfort zone and for generally pushing the Isle of Wight’s creative community forward. You can find them at www.iwcreativenetwork.com.