Filming Through the Unexpected: My First Live Arts Videography Project

During peak COVID times in the summer of 2020. I was given a rare and unexpected opportunity: to film a full-length performance for my friends’ local summer dance camp for young girls ages 5 - 15 years old. Traditionally, the camp ended with an in-person showcase, but due to restrictions, it became my job to capture and edit an entire 50-minute performance so it could be shared with dancers and their families from the safety of their homes.

I didn’t have access to professional equipment, and renting wasn’t possible at the time. So I worked with what I had: my dad’s old camera, a well-used tripod, and a determination to make it look as polished as possible. It was my first time being solely responsible for filming a live performance, and the limitations made me think creatively from the very beginning.

Filming took place over two days. Each morning, I watched rehearsals like a choreographer, not a videographer. I was taking notes on blocking, movement pathways, musical cues, and stylistic details. This preparation guided every camera decision: where I needed to stand, what angle would best frame the dancers, and how to keep the energy of the routine alive through the lens. I even found myself instructing dancers on where they would appear in the frame and explaining the difference between performing for a stage and performing for a camera. I explained how a slight adjustment forward, a slower turn, or a shift in spacing could make a world of difference on screen.

The second day was the biggest challenge. The older and younger dancers had not been able to rehearse together all summer due to COVID protocols. That meant the first time they danced together was the first time I saw those routines fully formed. I had to learn the choreography in real time while simultaneously figuring out how to film it. It was a fast, intense, and completely unpredictable learning curve. What made my experience even more memorable was the fact that I was double-masked and sweating behind the viewfinder.

But the unpredictability taught me what makes videography so rewarding: adaptability, intuition, and observation. I had to react instantly to spacing changes, correct for unexpected formations, and capture moments I couldn’t anticipate. It was a live performance in its rawest form, and translating that into film felt like an art of its own.

The summer of 2020 gave me my first true taste of live arts videography, and it remains one of the most defining filming experiences I’ve ever had.