GenX Carnival / GenXS Jamaica needed full content coverage of their live event; photo and video capturing performances, crowd energy, and atmosphere for marketing, sponsors deliverables, and recaps for social media. The event draws a crowd of roughly 2,000 people, with a lineup spanning multiple performers across the day.
My job: Build the content team, manage the budget, and make sure every deliverable came back on time and on brief.
My Role
Sourced and assembled a team of photographers and videographers to cover the full scope of the event
Managed the production budget across crew, equipment, and logistics
Set shot lists and coverage priorities for each performance slot
Oversaw the shoot on-site in real time, coordinating placement and timing across the team
Managed post-production timeline to hit delivery deadlines
How I Handled It
Stayed close to the stage/production manager throughout the day so I had the earliest possible warning on any schedule change
Built in buffer and backup coverage plans for each performer, so a shifted set time didn't mean missed coverage
Physically moved through the crowd to reach and redirect crew when a change hit, rather than relying on phones or radios that weren't being checked
Kept a mental (and physical) map of where each shooter was stationed at any given time, so I could act fast when something changed
The Challenge
Carnival day schedules are never the schedule you planned. Set times shift, performances get added or cut, and stages change with little to no warning; normal for a live event, but a real problem for content coverage that depends on the right person being in the right place at the right moment.
The added difficulty: once my crew is shooting, they're heads down and often not checking their phones, which is exactly what you want from a photographer or videographer mid-shoot, but it meant I couldn't rely on a text or a call to redirect anyone once the schedule shifted.
So the job became less "manage a shot list" and more "track a moving schedule and a moving crew through a crowd of 2,000 people, in real time, and physically get to people to redirect them."
The Result
I’ve covered for Gen X Carnival & GenXS Jamaica for 6 years, each being 2 day weekend events. With each year having 5-10 performances, over 20 hours of footage, 1000+ photos, with a 24 hours to a week turn around time, depending on the deliverables. Clients were always impressed and excited about the footage. Sponsors were always left satisfied on how their brand was portrayed through imagery.
Despite real-time schedule changes throughout the day, full coverage was delivered on time and within budget — with no missed performances.
