Will I see you at Alt Summit 2019?

The first time I ever attended a conference as a business owner was in 2014. I traveled to Salt Lake City for Alt Summit and it was an amazing experience! I couldn’t believe there was a creative community out there that valued the same things and was working towards similar goals. Who would have thought that a blogging / creative conference was a thing?

I spent the weekend sharing a hotel suite with two other Colorado creatives that I had just met, learning blogging tips from experts and discovered this thing called Pinterest.

Now, I’m thrilled to be going back to Alt Summit as their official videographer for the second year in a row!

Alt Summit will also be celebrating a big milestone: it’s their 10th year! This year’s conference is going to be epic, across four different Palm Springs hotels, and over a full week instead of a long weekend. Palm Springs is a mid-century dream and I can’t wait to capture video at even more iconic spots this year. Here’s last year’s recap which I filmed at the Saguaro hotel.

Video Tips for your First Creative Conference

If this is your first creative conference, or you just want to try your hand at shooting some video of your experience, here are my best tips for getting started:

1. Get stabilized. Consider using an iPhone gimbal like this one (*affiliate link, but it’s the one I personally use!) to hold your phone while you’re shooting video. Stable footage is, in my opinion, the single thing that elevates your videos from amateur to professional.
2. Consider your video’s landing place. Will it end up on your Instagram account? Shoot vertical video. Otherwise, hold your phone horizontally (landscape orientation) when you’re shooting video. It’s the standard for Facebook, YouTube, or your Website.
3. Balance the details with the big picture. It’s easy at a visually stimulating conference like Alt to get tunnel vision for the adorable details but the best videos have a balance of wide shots, medium shots + close-ups. Try collecting a panoramic shot of the Saguaro’s courtyard, an action shot of your blog bestie taking a sip of her poolside cocktail + a close up of your toes dangling over the water. Those 3 simple pieces build a whole story!

Will you be attending Alt Summit this year? If you need packing tips, I published a blog post last year with my suggestions. If you’re staying home but want some behind the scenes peeks into what goes on at a creative conference like Alt (or if you’re going and want to connect while we’re there), follow me on Instagram. I can’t wait to be hanging out in the desert in just a few days!