To hire an event video and photography company in Dubai, ask for the deliverables, the deadline, the formats, who arranges access and permits, and how the price is built, before you compare quotes. Two quotes with the same total can cover very different things, and the questions below are what show the difference.
Start with what you will publish
Write down where the footage will go before you speak to any supplier: the website, a sales deck, Instagram, LinkedIn, a screen at the next show. The list decides the formats, the length and how many versions you need. A supplier cannot quote well without it, and you cannot compare quotes without it.
Ten questions to ask
- What exactly will I receive? A list of films, photographs and versions, with lengths and counts.
- By when? A date for the first delivery and for the final files. If you need material during the event, say so and ask what is realistic.
- In which formats? Video for stories and reels is 9:16, the feed uses 1:1, and the web and YouTube use 16:9. Photography should come retouched and named for use.
- How big is the crew, and why? One shooter and a crew of four are different jobs, and the price follows crew size.
- Who arranges access and permits? Dubai requires a Dubai Film and TV Commission permit for essentially any professional production, with standard processing of three to five working days. Exhibition halls also set their own filming rules.
- Is the edit included? Shooting and editing are separate costs, and some quotes cover only the first.
- How many rounds of changes are included? Ask before the shoot, not after the first cut.
- What happens to the raw footage? Ask who keeps it, for how long and whether you can have it.
- Can I see work from a similar setting? A live event, a stand and a studio shoot are different skills.
- What happens if the schedule changes on the day? Stands open late, speakers move and interviews slip, so a good supplier has a plan.
How the price is built
Event coverage is quoted per brief. It is not priced per minute, because a short film can cost more than a long one. These are the things that move the number.
| What changes the price | Why |
|---|---|
| Number of shoot days | Each day carries a full crew call, whatever is shot in it |
| Crew size | Stills, video, sound and a producer are separate roles |
| Number of deliverables | Every version, length and language adds edit time |
| Edit and finishing | A highlight film, interviews and cutdowns are separate edits |
| Locations and access | More halls, venues or cities mean more time and planning |
Batching lowers the cost per piece. A single reel carries the full cost of a crew call, and a day that produces several shares it, so brief the event for everything you will need.
Where Steer Media fits
Steer Media is one company you can ask these questions of. We work from studios in Dubai and Pakistan, with film, photography and motion graphics in-house, and we cover exhibitions, launches and brand events across the UAE. We quote per brief and reply to every enquiry within one working day. See event video and photography for what we offer, and how much video production costs in Dubai for the wider cost picture.
Exhibiting or hosting an event in the UAE?
Send us the event, the dates and what you want to publish afterwards. We reply within one working day with a scoped quote.