💌 what I'd record with you if I were at your next art opening

And this is just me, really reading the email that I just sent you to you in case you're like me.

And it helps to hear, and listen, to things, for you to process the learning.

on a recent coaching call here inside ready to record.

One of our members asked me a really great question.

she's having an exhibition happening and wanted to know exactly what to record of it for her marketing and her memory too, so she can remember what it was like.

So I gave her a little shot list off the top of my head.

And afterwards I thought, you know what, more artists need this.

So if you've got an exhibition coming up, whether it's a solo show, a group show, an open studio, a pop up, an art market, I want to send you into it with the same shot list in your back pocket.

Because here's what I see happen a lot of the time, or that opening day arrives.

You're greeting friends and collectors, giving your artist talk, answering questions, feeling all the feelings of seeing your work out there in the world.

Then a few days later you realize the only footage that you have from it is shaky handheld video taken maybe while walking, through the gallery and we can barely see your artwork much at all.

Or the opposite happens.

You're worried about what to record so much that you can't really relax into being present at your own opening.

So I want to help you skip both of those.

I've made a little art exhibition video shot list for you.

The exact clips that I would record if I were there with you.

None of this involves talking on camera or doing anything that pulls you out of the experience that's going on for you.

It's purely B roll footage of your work in the space, which future you can use for Instagram reels for your website, your archive, or simply to remember the day.

So the best part is you don't have to squeeze this in, around your opening itself in those days leading up to it.

You have enough going on so you can pop back into the gallery anytime in the weeks that follow when the space is quiet, and you have it to yourself and record then.

So here's the art video shot list I have for you.

I've broken this up into three types of shots, to record, as well as a couple bonus ideas for you.

Number one are wide shots.

So the room itself, stand in two or more corners of the gallery space and record from across the space toward the opposite corner of the room.

Why?

Well, corners look great in a video frame either centered or slightly off center because they create leading lines that pull the eye in.

You're not in these shots, it's just the space with your work on the walls in the space.

Number two are medium shots.

These are to show a couple pieces of yours together.

So frame up two pieces of yours side by side so they fill the screen, tap, record, and then hold this, this frame, this video frame for about 10 seconds.

And then slowly pan over either left or right to the next two pieces of yours and hold again for another 10 seconds before stopping recording.

Move through your collection this way and it can be an easy peasy way to document.

And then number three are single shots.

So this is one piece filling the screen.

So for each artwork in your show, record one clip where that piece fills the screen as much as possible.

These can be static shots, which means, don't pan or tilt the camera.

If you can bring a tripod, it's even better.

So you can set your phone up on it in front of one piece with let it record for at least 20 seconds.

So it'll feel long in the moment.

It'll feel like it's longer than you need, but I promise you it's worth it.

and then rinse and repeat that for each piece.

Future you who's editing this footage will thank the present you for those extra heads and tails, seconds to trim, and then the two bonuses shots, bonus types of shots to get.

the first bonus shot is an establishing shot.

So I don't always use these types of shots, but I always record them, so that I have them if I need them.

And this is just a 20 second clip of the exterior of the building, like with the show signage, the entrance to the street itself.

this anchors your work, with a sense of place in the footage which you can decide later if you want to use that or not when you're editing.

And then the bonus shots are, if you want yourself in the art exhibition footage, bring a friend along on Your return visit, during those weeks that it's open and hand them.

Hand your friend, your phone and guide them, Coach them a little bit through recording just two specific shots.

Do these one at a time.

So the first shot with a friend is to frame up a medium to wide shot of two or three of your pieces so that they completely fill the screen.

the two of them or the three of them, depending upon how they're set up in the exhibition space.

Have your friend tap, record, and then count silently to about 10 or so.

so you'll have those clean heads of the clip to trim off later while you're editing.

And then you, while it's recording after those first 10 seconds, then you can slowly walk across the frame through the space, in front of your artwork.

And that's it.

it's beautiful.

B roll of you in your show.

and then the second shot to get with a friend is to angle the camera so the wall with your artwork runs at a diagonal, not straight on.

You will walk into the frame and stop in front of your work and hang out there for 30 seconds like you're admiring it, because you are.

And then either walk back out of the way, that or you could walk toward the camera and out of frame so you can exit the shot.

And, both of these bonus shots that you can record with your friend center you as the artist with the work, instead of just the work being alone in the space.

so these are two bonus shots and maybe 10 minutes of your friend's time and you're done.

and then go grab lunch or something together with your friend.

that's the whole shot list.

show up to your opening, fully present, no phone in hand, no extra decisions to make, and trust yourself that you can come back later to capture your exhibition footage.

I'll be cheering for you if you save this for later.

So you're ready before your next show.

I'd love to hear about it.

Reply and let me know.

That's it for this, thanks for watching and I'll see you soon.