Film, photograph and stream

Budget for production

A large share of your event budget will likely go to production. Between equipment rentals and a production crew, costs add up quickly. Estimate these early so you can focus your sponsorship efforts.

Some people will work for an in-kind contribution — just choose paid hires versus volunteers carefully, since a professional is more likely to deliver a strong result.

Filming

• Plan for at least two cameras, each covering a different shot size at any given moment — that range gives your editor what they need to cut a dynamic video. Every frame has a second life in post-production and on the TEDx YouTube channel, so operate each camera as if it’s always live.
• A few things for your camera crew to keep in mind:
• Avoid refocusing during a talk. If you must, refocus as the speaker takes the stage, and keep at least one camera holding a clean shot while another adjusts.
• Don’t set a camera and walk away. Keep every camera operated throughout, so you capture as much usable footage as possible.
• Never stop recording while a speaker is on stage. Bring spare batteries and storage (memory cards or drives), and plan swaps for breaks so you never run out mid-talk.
• Review the TED Camera Playbook for guidelines on filming talks and performances.

Audio

Audio matters more than people expect. Bad video can often be salvaged in editing; bad audio usually can’t. Capture a live feed directly from your speakers’ microphones — it’s the foundation of good talk audio.

• Mic your speakers, hosts and the audience so you capture the room and the crowd’s reactions.
• Test every microphone before the show, and adjust levels for each speaker.
• Ask speakers to remove noisy jewelry that can knock against a mic.

Lighting

Light for the camera, not just the stage — what looks right to the eye often doesn’t read well on video. If you can, work with a lighting director familiar with video production.

• Use three-point lighting on speakers rather than a single spotlight.
• Light enough of the stage for speakers to move around.
• Position light from behind or the side to separate the speaker from the background.
• Keep light off the projection screen, which can ruin both the live and recorded experience.

Slides and visual aids

If speakers have slides or visual aids, collect copies so editors can use them later. A couple of technical notes:

• Run all presentations from a single house computer, and back them up somewhere. If a speaker insists on using their own computer, have them test it at the venue ahead of the show.
• Capture a direct feed of the slides as they appear on screen if you can. If not, keep a corner of the screen in one wide shot so the editor knows when to advance slides in post-production.

Find an editor early

Bring an editor on early in the process. Work with someone who can edit your videos shortly after the event, and aim to upload your videos within one month of your event. If you hit significant delays, email tedxpostevent@ted.com, and remember that you’re responsible for keeping your speakers informed of any delays too.

A few ways to find an editor:

• Ask your video and production team — someone may be a strong editor, or know one.
• If your budget allows, consider hiring a well-reviewed editor. Paid editors are often more likely to deliver an exceptional result than volunteers.

Video introductions and logos

A strong opening and correct branding are two of the most important parts of the edit. At the start of each edited talk:

• Start strong. Cut opening salutations and lead with the most compelling line — you have about 5–10 seconds to hold a viewer’s attention.
• Optional: add opening and closing reels unique to your event, as long as they follow the branding guidelines. An opening reel shouldn’t exceed 10 seconds.
• You can acknowledge sponsors using the official sponsorship slide template at the beginning or end of each video.

How to approach the edit

A few things for editors to keep in mind, but for the full set of editing guidelines, see the Production Guide.

• Edit each talk into its own dynamic, standalone video — you’re not editing the whole event into one piece.
• Edit for a small screen. Favor the most engaging shot you have, usually a medium close-up that follows the speaker’s eye line.
• To include a sign language interpreter, upload two assets to the TED Media Uploader: one video without the interpreter (required) and one with sign language interpretation (optional). Note the language in the title — e.g. “Talk title (with ASL)” — and credit the interpreter in the description.

Before you start

• The Uploader is for TEDx licensees only. Log in with the same TED.com profile connected to your TEDx license.
• You can grant guest access to someone uploading on your behalf, but only one guest invitation is valid at a time, and it lasts for one month. Every user, including guests, needs a TED.com profile with a profile photo.
• You can’t upload until your event’s date, duration (start/end time), and venue location (including state/province and full venue details) are listed on your event page.

Upload steps

1. Log in to the TED Media Uploader. If you don’t have access, email tedxpostevent@ted.com.
2. Select the event you’re uploading for. If you don’t see the right event or date, email tedxpostevent@ted.com.
3. Click “Choose File” and select your video, or drag and drop the file.
4. The video appears in draft form with information fields. Fill in all required fields: talk title, description, language, topic and tag(s). YouTube limits titles to 100 characters, including your speaker and event name — longer titles get replaced with a default.
5. Select the speaker from the drop-down under the description. If they’re not listed, click “Add new speaker” and fill in the fields. You don’t need to add the speaker bio to the description — it’s added automatically when you choose the speaker. (Descriptions are capped at 5,000 characters, including the talk description and bio; longer ones can’t be submitted.)
6. Optional: add a high-resolution thumbnail with “Edit thumbnail.” Required dimensions, file size and formats are listed on the upload page.
7. Click “Review and Submit,” acknowledge the TEDx rules and guidelines checklist, then click “Submit” to finish.

What happens next

• Your uploads will be reviewed using our branding and video editing guidelines. We typically publish videos that meet these guidelines within 3-5 business days.

• These uploads will appear as public on YouTube by default. You will not receive notice when a video is published, but you can monitor these uploads from your dashboard in the TED Media Uploader.

• Add your playlist of videos to your event page. Your team can create a TEDx event playlist on YouTube and organize talks accordingly (you can find playlist instructions for YouTube here). Once you create a playlist, add its URL to your event page.
• Subtitle your videos to reach a wider audience! TEDx talks can be transcribed and translated through the TED Translators program. In order to transcribe talks, a team member can apply to join the TED Translators program so that you can subtitle them directly. Fill out the Translator application form here. Alternatively, you can reach out to our community of volunteers to post a call for help to get the talks transcribed and translated.

• The venue: outside and inside, to show the space your event was held in.
• The stage: each speaker, plus the stage before doors open, attendees taking their seats, and audience reactions during talks.
• The breaks: attendees and speakers connecting in social spaces, and any other notable moments.
• The details: registration, badges, programs, signage and small touches that make your event distinct.

Set up a Flickr account

• Sign up for a free Flickr account, which lets you upload up to 1,000 images. When you reach that limit, you can upgrade to Flickr Pro for free:
• Fill out this form.
• Under “Organization Name,” enter your TEDx event name (e.g. TEDxVienna).
• In the “Tax ID Number” field, enter the URL of your official TEDx event page on TED.com (e.g. ted.com/tedx/events/27458).
• If you need help, review these guidelines or contact Flickr support.

Upload and tag your photos

Make your photos easy for the community to find and use:

• Upload images in the highest resolution possible.
• Credit your photographers in the captions.
• Tag each photo with “TEDx,” “TEDx[Event Name],” and any other relevant tags.
• Add context when you post: a short quote with a speaker photo, a note about your stage, or feedback from an attendee.
• Flickr is where the global TEDx community finds inspiration from each other’s events, and it’s the main source for photos featured on TEDx’s official social accounts. Tagging your photos with “TEDx” is how the TEDx team can find and highlight your event.
• If Flickr isn’t available in your region: upload your photos to another photo-sharing platform or cloud service (such as Google Drive or Dropbox) and send them to tedx@ted.com.

Share more widely

Share your best photos with other organizers in the TEDx community groups — stage designs, gift bags, anything the community can learn from. Posting to your own social accounts (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook) widens your reach even further.

• Once you have your livestream link on a platform such as Facebook Live or YouTube Live, add the URL to your event page. If you know you’ll be streaming your event but don't yet have the stream link, link your website, which should be updated with streaming details once they're ready.
• Your livestream must be free to all viewers.
• Note: If you’re including TED talks in your event program, you may not stream your event for a virtual audience. TED Talks are copyrighted material, and as a result, blocked by other channels for streaming.

Watch parties are an excellent way to invite the broader community to your TEDx event. These events allow you to organize a group of people who won’t be at your live TEDx event, to watch your event live at another designated venue using your livestream. You're allowed to organize watch parties around your TEDx webcast, keeping the following in mind:


• Watch parties cannot hold more than 100 attendees.
• Watch parties may charge a fee of up to 50% of the event’s ticket cost.
• For the most part, they should be held in non-commercial venues (such as homes, schools or libraries).
• Talks and other content recorded at your event may not be distributed on broadcast television, cable television, satellite television or on-demand TV.

Note: If you’re including TED talks in your event program, you may not stream your event for a virtual audience. TED Talks are copyrighted material, and as a result, blocked by other channels for streaming.