Women as One – Rise event film production at ExCeL London

Capturing a global event across two days at one of London’s largest venues

Paul Bates Studios was commissioned to provide video production for Women as One for their large scale ‘Rise’ event held at ExCeL London.

The project involved capturing the full atmosphere of the event across two days, including keynote presentations, speaker sessions, interviews, networking, workshops and the moments that brought the event experience to life.

Having filmed at ExCeL London many times before, including productions such as Pokémon Live, we understand the venue and the practical considerations involved with working in such a large event space. This experience allowed us to plan efficiently, navigate the venue confidently and ensure the production was ready before attendees arrived.

Experienced filming at ExCeL London

Large venues such as ExCeL London require careful preparation before filming begins. With multiple halls, access points and strict event schedules, knowing the venue layout makes a significant difference when working to tight production timelines.

Before filming, we planned the practical details including:

• Loading access and parking arrangements

• Locating the correct event space within the venue

• Collecting production passes before the venue opened to the public

• Planning camera positions and filming routes

• Coordinating with the event team and AV production crew

This preparation allowed our crew to arrive, set up efficiently and focus on capturing the event rather than dealing with logistical challenges on the day.

Multi-camera presentation filming and event coverage

The event required complete presentation recording across both days, capturing speakers and sessions taking place on stage.

To achieve professional presentation coverage, we worked closely with the AV team to arrange a clean XLR audio feed directly from the event sound system. We also organised a camera riser position, allowing our presentation cameras to be elevated above the audience and capture clear views of speakers while maintaining a professional perspective.

Alongside the presentations, we captured a wide range of additional content, including:

• Speaker and attendee interviews

• Networking moments

• Workshop sessions

• Guests arriving at the venue

• Social evening drinks

• Venue atmosphere and location shots

• Audience reactions

• Creative moving shots of presentations and speakers

This combination of structured filming and observational coverage allowed us to create both a complete record of the event and an engaging highlights film.

Planning the production around the event schedule

Successful event filming relies heavily on preparation and timing. Working closely with the Women as One team, we created a filming schedule that ensured key moments were captured without disrupting the attendee experience.

For example, interview timings were planned around the event programme, with the crew adjusting their own schedule to ensure important networking periods and attendee moments could be filmed.

Model release forms were also organised in advance for interviews, ensuring contributors were prepared and the production could run smoothly on location.

A dedicated event production team

Due to the size and pace of the event, we provided a larger production team to capture multiple elements simultaneously.

The crew included:

• A dedicated camera operator capturing full presentations

• A second filmmaker focused on interviews and capturing creative b-roll imagery

• A production assistant supporting interviews and helping coordinate contributors

This approach meant we could capture both the important stage content and the spontaneous moments happening throughout the venue.

Delivering both archive footage and promotional content

The final delivery included complete recordings of all presentations for the Women as One team, providing a valuable archive of the event.

Alongside the presentation footage, we created a 2–3 minute highlights film designed to showcase the energy, impact and experience of Rise, providing promotional content that could be used to encourage attendance at future events.

By combining detailed event coverage with creative storytelling, the final films captured not only what happened on stage, but the connections, conversations and atmosphere that made the event memorable.