Show night is the moment your whole school has been working towards. Months of rehearsals, costumes, nerves and excitement, all over in a couple of hours. A good film means every family gets to relive it, and your school gets footage to be proud of for years.
I film and photograph dance and theatre shows across Liverpool and Merseyside, from school halls to the Epstein and the Unity. This is how to plan it so the night runs smoothly and the film comes out beautifully.
The short version
- Book early. Christmas shows book from September, summer shows from February.
- Send the running order. Every routine labelled in the edit.
- Share your consent list. Before the show, not after.
- Plan the dress run. It is where the best photos come from.
- Decide how families get it. A private, password protected gallery.
1. Book earlier than you think
Show season is busy. Christmas shows start booking in September, summer showcases from February, and competition weekends go quickly because everyone is on the same dates. Once your date is in the diary, it is worth pinning down your filmmaker.
2. The running order
Send the running order as soon as it is ready, even if it changes. I film the whole show curtain to curtain and edit it to your running order with every routine labelled, so families can jump straight to their child’s number. A highlights film is cut afterwards for your socials and next year’s advertising.
3. The venue and the light
Whether it is a theatre or a school hall, I need access before doors for the tech or dress run, a filming position with a clear sightline that is not in an audience seat, and a power socket for longer shows. I never use flash. Everything is shot on available light with fast lenses, exposed for your stage lighting. If you have a lighting team, a quick chat with them beforehand helps.
4. Consent, sorted simply
You hold the consent list and I need it before the show. Anyone opted out is kept out of the edit and out of anything seen publicly. Nothing from a school show goes on social media, my website or a showreel without your written permission.
5. Photos from the dress run
Production stills mostly come from the dress run, where I can move around the stage without an audience behind me, with more taken during the show itself. One booking, one person, both photos and film.
6. Music and licensing
The licence for recorded music in your show sits with the school. Keeping the film in a private gallery avoids most issues. If you want clips on YouTube or Facebook, let us talk first, as platforms can mute or block copyrighted music. Licensed musicals and pantomimes have their own recording rules set by the rights holder.
7. How families get the film
Everything is delivered in high resolution to a private, password protected gallery. You get the link and decide who receives the password. Families stream or download it themselves, with no discs or USB sticks to hand out. Most shows are delivered within four to seven days.
Your show filming checklist
Weeks before
- Date and venue booked
- Running order, even a draft
- Consent list with anyone opted out
- Venue rules on tripods and cables checked
- Photos, film or both agreed
On the day
- Access for the dress or tech run
- Filming position reserved
- One contact backstage
- Any running order changes shared
Questions principals ask
Do you film the whole show or just highlights?
Both. The full show curtain to curtain for families, and a highlights film cut from it for your promotion.
Can you film in a school or church hall?
Yes. Halls are usually darker than a theatre rig, so I shoot on fast lenses with no flash and take sound from the desk or a dedicated recorder.
Can you live stream it as well?
Yes. Family who cannot make it can watch on a private link as it happens, and the edited film follows afterwards.
More guides for dance schools: How to plan a dance school photo day and Live streaming your dance show.
Got a show coming up?
Send me the date and let’s make it one to remember
Tell me the show, the venue and what you would like filmed or photographed, and I will come back with availability and a clear quote.