Make the event recap around one thing people will remember

Choose the memory

An event can contain a hundred good moments and still need a twenty-second recap. Decide what someone should remember: the packed room, the useful workshop, the launch reveal, or the people meeting each other.

This choice makes the next decision easier. A networking recap needs faces and exchanges. A workshop recap needs people doing the work. A product launch needs the reveal and a clear view of the product. You can make separate edits for separate purposes later.

Build a five-shot spine

Start with something that immediately says what kind of event this was. Follow it with the main action, a revealing detail, a human reaction, and a closing image. Five shots is a planning aid, not a rule about how many cuts the final video must contain.

Bring those selects into Shorty and request the first assembly. Give the event name, desired duration, format, and any required wording. If the audio is noisy, decide whether one clean spoken line is worth keeping. A wall of indistinct crowd sound rarely helps explain the event.

Cut the repetition

Two similar wide shots can feel like proof of scale. Seven often feel like waiting. Keep the shot that says the most, then move the story forward. Check that any on-screen names belong to the person or session shown.

For approval, send a version with a clear filename and one place for feedback. Ask the organiser to check facts and required coverage first. Once those are settled, make the final pacing pass. A focused recap is easier to finish quickly because every shot has a reason to stay.

A brief to adapt to your footage

Example direction. Replace the subject, shots, and wording with your own.