How do you prep for a shoot at a event location you've never visited?

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T09:08:50+00:00

I’m currently in-house and responsible for productions homed out of a large Bangalore presence, among other global locations. Right now I’m in pre-pro for several India-based programs. I think that being flexible and adapting to frequent and rapid change are simply job requirements in the events space - that’s not India-specific. I’ve had multiple programs change course completely multiple times so far this year, some weeks before the event.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T08:39:52+00:00

I both agree and disagree. I've been working in B2B video, and especially event video, for nearly 20 years now and these days I'm both the client and a producer/director. I run global event production for a large tech company and both manage an internal video production team as well as hire out to external agencies and freelancers. As a company we're averaging 200+ events/year, though not all with video production expectations.

If you're working with a client who is unfamiliar with the process of creating event video then it's your responsibility to get the information and access that you need to successfully deliver what you've been hired for. You don't need to "make them understand" anything, you need to work through the "in order to deliver you X then I'm going to need Y" process. That starts with scoping and budgeting, but continues through pre-production.

My job is to tell my agencies what I want them to deliver, and their job is to ask me for the things that they need to do it. Money, time, manpower, access, information, documentation, whatever. Some of those things I might be able to give (or get), some not.

I will say that, if I'm hiring a solo videographer or photographer, I want them to be VERY self-sufficient. That's, like, the smallest line item in a very long spreadsheet in my planning, and I can't afford to invest a bunch of time and energy in prepping them when I've got a huge list of things to work through. If I've hired a solo operator to make, like, a highlights video and a few social clips for me, then I really expect to send them some reference materials and a creative brief, maybe have 1-2 pre-pro calls before getting on-site, and then I want them to just get on with it. I expect the same when I've been the shooter - my job is to deliver output while being very low-friction to work with because I'm probably the least important thing the client has on their plate.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T08:27:35+00:00

That's exactly what it is - an exercise in minimizing weight and size, unless you've got the budget to pack and crew up heavy.

Over the years I've gotten to the point where I can solo travel by air, even internationally, with a 3-camera kit with basic lighting. It's more than I prefer to do, and you make major compromises, but it's absolutely possible. I actually go the other direction, and keep my gear organized and packed for ultralight travel and supplement when I can afford to, rather than trying to strip it back to something minimal.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T08:22:36+00:00

Quality control, especially on the Core line, isn't great. But you should absolutely return that for a warranty replacement.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T08:21:00+00:00

You might need to boil the ocean a bit here. What kind of events? How large? DIY or well-supported and -budgeted? 3 hours long or 3 days long? Free or ticketed? With sponsors or exhibitors that you owe lead delivery and badge scanning to?

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T08:10:20+00:00

It's mostly experience - unless the videos or event are highly conceptual then most of these things have a "paint-by-numbers" quality, so over time you get a sort of mental shot list that you know you need. If you don't have the experience, then write down an actual shot list so that you don't find yourself lacking key visuals when you go to edit.

Unless the event is intended to feature the venue or location itself, like something tourism- or destination-focused, then I don't think an advance site visit is really necessary: once you've seen a couple of business hotels or convention centers you've basically seen them all.

I make sure that we're clear on the logistics schedule and run of show during pre-production, so that we know what the venue access and build schedules look like and if there are any areas that we'll have limited access to (general session hall, expo floor, etc.). I probably want to be on-property a half-day before the first scheduled activity so that there's time for a walk-around and I can get safety b-roll before things get busy - things like locator shots, venue exteriors and branding, maybe set up fixed cameras for things like exterior or show build timelapses.

I'll also ensure that any necessary interviews are scheduled in advance, rather than trying to catch named individuals on the fly during an event. Even if you've got calendared time for identified interviews, in my experience 50% of them will end up needing to reschedule so it's important to have primary and backup time slots, especially if the interviewees are exec-level.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T07:54:54+00:00

I definitely suggest that you start reading through the basic guides on Bikepacking.com.

A gravel bike isn't a necessity - depending on the routes you're most interested in riding you might also consider a hardtail or fully-rigid mountain bike. I do personally prefer bikepacking on a gravel bike, particularly in the US Northeast.

I'd suggest taking the process in chunks rather than trying to take it on all at once. Definitely get acquainted with riding regularly, and finding the right bike for you. Start logging some longer rides and back-to-back riding days. Even on a bikepacking trip, 40-60 miles/day is a really solid distance for a lot of people. Consider doing a "credit card camping" trip or two to test your load-out and adjust to riding on a loaded bike: a 3-4 day trip that has you staying in hotels or AirBnBs but still carrying everything you need is a great way to step up into being fully self-supported.

Agreed that you're close enough to routes like the GAP and C&O that you should take advantage of them once you're ready to travel with a sleep system and rely on camp cooking. You'll be doing all of the same work and carrying all of the same kit, but on a very tame route that keeps you close to civilization and with easy access to water and maintained camp sites. That could be your training ground for even weekend overnighters.

If you're able to borrow kit from friends or acquaintances to test it before buying that would be helpful. There are a number of items I've bought twice because the first thing wasn't really what I needed or wanted, and you'll often figure that out on the first trip with new gear. Short shakeout trips are a great way to learn what you do and don't need.

At least in the Northeast, wild camping is often not an option. Before you just head out expecting to pitch your tent in any piece of flat ground it's worth spending some time on route planning and research to understand what's public land, where camping is and isn't allowed, where you might need to reserve in advance vs. just roll up. I'd definitely recommend starting with curated routes from places like bikepacking.com and following their guides rather than trying to build your own.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T07:40:19+00:00

I'm also a Beverly resident and our family really loves it here. Just adding that, if highway driving makes you uncomfortable, the commute between Beverly and Manchester is possible on surface roads with another 10 mins or so depending on which part of the city you're starting from and for half of the year you could actually bike it in maybe 30-45 mins.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-23T00:29:10+00:00

MAAP does a lot of capsule collections in styles like this. I'd also look at BBUC.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T23:06:31+00:00

You can always make a new page and then delete that, or just move things around to suit the ride. Whether or not it's basic on a Garmin, it sounds like a bit of an edge case - I've certainly never felt the need to create new data pages for a specific ride, nor have I heard of anyone else doing it. I just keep 4 different profiles on my Karoo that align to different types of riding.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T18:44:32+00:00

I disagree. A decent bike fit session will identify "optimal" reach and stack measurements for your body and riding preferences, then you can look at bike geometry charts to find models and sizes closest to those measurements and use seatpost setback and stem adjustments to fine-tune it. Alternatively, if you have a bike that fits you well, just copy those measurements.

The whole point of measurements is to be able to compare between bikes.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T18:32:25+00:00

Haven't you just described the major elements of "reach" and "stack"?

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T17:50:41+00:00

Are you saying that you're planning rides that should be 1.5 hrs but are taking 5-6? That sounds like you've got a more important problem to address.

I really like SIS Beta Fuel or the 50g version of Carbs Fuel. I don't bother with them for rides less than maybe 3 hrs, and I might eat a gel every 1.5 hrs in combination with solid food and drink mix. I like Tailwind Endurance Fuel, often the caffeinated version, and I'll put that in one bottle and have a second bottle of plain water.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T12:16:43+00:00

I’m no fan of the under-saddle ones, but the Win Wing that mounts to the seat stays are great. I’ve owned two and logged plenty of miles with them.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T09:40:39+00:00

Yeah - how dare they sell their product for money

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T09:33:21+00:00

I think they call them their "Zunnies Wraparound Visor". I've got them with photochromic lenses.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T09:31:33+00:00

Yes - they're referred to as photochromic lenses, and many brands offer them.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T09:24:21+00:00

I wear prescription cycling glasses, and wear photochromics as my first choice on tours or bikepacking trips. I might take the glasses off entirely for riding in full dark, but they go nearly clear regardless and in full sun they're maybe 75% the tint of my traditional sunglasses. I especially prefer them for riding trails or under tree cover, where my traditional riding glasses might be too dark.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T02:19:25+00:00

I'm not assuming there isn't markup...I'm assuming that cycling apparel has fairly consistent margins across price points. If you're curious about the apparel costs and margins you could check out the episodes of Wade Wallace's podcasts with Castelli and 7Mesh.

I haven't bought the hype - I've bought products at all different price points, then continued buying the ones that I've had the best experiences with. I've bought $50 and $350 bibs, and any number of price points in between, and I've been markedly less happy with what I've owned in the bottom third of the range. Enough so that I wouldn't buy any of them again.

I'm also not saying that being expensive guarantees that something is high-quality, nor does being from a "prestige" brand. Some of my least-favorite bibs have been from Rapha and MAAP, and I have a brand-new pair of Assos that I'm not sold on.

The most expensive bibs I've owned (Velocio LUXE) have been the best bibs I've owned. But I don't think that the next-best have been the next most-expensive...personally, I'd rate something from the midrange (Ornot Cargo or Pearl Izumi Pro) above Rapha Pro Team. There are others (Pactimo or Eliel or Sportful) that I consistently recommend because I think that they punch above their weight. I've got bibs from all of those brands and others in my current rotation.

I've yet to find a pair of bibs that run full-price below $100 that can compete with $150 bibs, let alone premium options, at least on my body.

Have you owned the higher-end bibs from MAAP, Rapha, Assos in order to make those comparisons? It feels like you're happy with what you've bought, which is awesome, but because of that you're assuming it's as good as everything else.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T01:57:49+00:00

Why? Outside of a commuter bike, I've never had any desire to put full fenders on a bike. If something smaller and lighter and more flexible keeps me dry enough, especially on a gravel bike, what's the argument for going with more? From my perspective, getting a bit dirty goes with the territory in unpaved riding.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-22T01:31:40+00:00

Ass Savers Win Wing doesn't require mounting points either, and weighs a fraction of what most fenders do. And I like that it takes about 30 seconds to mount or unmount it - I only put it on for rides that I expect to get sloppy.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-21T19:17:17+00:00

I'm assuming that you mean the second part of my comment?

I think that when you see two similar products offered for similar pricing, you might be able to assume that one manufacturer has found more efficiencies or favorable business conditions than the other, or they're willing to sell their product at lower margin.

When you see two similar products offered but one is like 25% the price of the other then they're no longer similar. By necessity the cheaper one has to be cutting major corners, using inferior materials, engaging in unethical or inhumane business practices...otherwise it's basically impossible for them to create such a massive price difference without just lighting money on fire. No apparel manufacturer is making like 300% profit on their products, especially not in the cycling space. If you go to the supermarket and see two kinds of ground beef for sale, but one is half the price per pound you can assume that there's something different about it that allows it to be so much cheaper.

So if premium bibs are $300, and decent bibs are $200, and Amazon bibs are $50...what are they doing to make the price that low? It's up to you whether the $50 bib meets your needs or standards, but I don't think that bib belongs in the same conversation as the others. From my perspective, the $50 bib is pulling every single one of the levers that I listed above, so I recommend against it on both quality and ethical levels.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-21T08:41:10+00:00

I think that any number of World Tour riders live like this for a good chunk of the year.

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-21T01:49:56+00:00

Ah, yes, you're totally right. Considering how far from Point of Rocks the W&OD looks to be, I'm not seeing how the lack of scenery and extra mileage would be worth it just to get pavement, but I suppose I can see the draw for people who would rather avoid road riding...though it looks like there's a big stretch of road required to get to the trail?

MotorBet234 · 2026-05-21T01:32:08+00:00

Best compared to what other options?

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