Bunnings Trade Expo
Filming and editing three national events
A behind-the-scenes look at how we captured three trade expos across Australia and New Zealand while the events continued around us.
Snapshot
Client: Bunnings
Industry: Retail
Locations: Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand
Deliverables: Hero hype videos, supplier and customer focussed, social edits and drone footage
Services: Production, Editing, Drone, Motion Graphics
The ask
Bunnings asked us to capture three Trade Expos across Australia and New Zealand, showcasing hundreds of suppliers, thousands of attendees and the scale of the events, including their biggest Expo to date in Melbourne.
The content needed to work across social media, supplier marketing and future events, while keeping a consistent look everywhere.
This is Team Good Morning btw
Before the shoot
A couple of weeks before each Bunnings Trade Expo, we check in with the in-house events team to see if there are any priority suppliers, customers or products they want us to focus on. Every event is a little different, so it's worth making sure we're on the same page before cameras come out.
Before the shoot day we pull together a shot list, run back through the brief and make sure everyone on the crew knows their role. For these events we worked with a second camera operator, so a quick briefing beforehand meant we could hit the ground running.
One of the highlights from Melbourne was flying the drone. We're licensed to operate over or near people (OONP), which meant we could legally capture aerial footage inside the event. Even then, we only fly if the client and venue are comfortable with it. This time around everyone was happy, so we took advantage of it.
These are big events, so one camera isn't enough. We split the workload, with a producer and camera operator focused on interviews while a second operator captures b-roll, gimbal shots, timelapses and drone footage.
Finally, we check all the boring stuff. Parking, bump-in, access and any required safety inductions. Getting those sorted before the day saves valuable shooting time.
During the shoot
These kinds of events are hard, fast and a lot of fun.
Everyone else is hunting for bargains and grabbing a free lunch. For us, it's game face on.
We get there early and use the time before the doors open as efficiently as possible. We'll interview Bunnings spokespeople, grab key suppliers before they're busy, set up timelapses and capture hero shots while the floor is still empty. At the same time, our producer is conducting pre-interviews, often just a quick chat to work out who's going to be confident, engaging and comfortable on camera. Time disappears quickly, so we’ve learnt to hustle early - it serves us well at the end of the day.
Across the three expos, we interviewed around 70 people. Our videos are highly structured, so we're always listening for answers that support the story or reinforce key messaging. We'll never put words in someone's mouth, but if we’ve got to spend all day looking for the right grab, we’ll do it. With live events, you only get one shot, so we'd always rather come home with too much footage than not enough.
Communication is constant. Camera 1 and Camera 2 are always talking, making sure we're not doubling up or missing key moments. Both Sony FX6s have matching specs so everything cuts together nicely once it hits the edit.
You also have to stay flexible. The Melbourne Trade Expo ended up being the biggest in Bunnings' history, so we made sure we captured official talent talking to that milestone while the opportunity was there.
By the end of the day, after a 7am start and a 430pm wrap, you’re getting pretty close to 20,000 steps. We're exhausted, but the free feed definitely helps.
This is where the event really comes to life.
Across each Trade Expo we produce two hero videos. One aimed at customers and one for suppliers. From there we can pull social cut-downs and reformat them for 9:16, 1:1 or whatever platform the client needs.
We work in parallel. While the editor is reviewing footage, building selects and trying to find the right track (which is often harder than it sounds), the producer is going through interviews and building the story. By the time the script is locked, the editor already has a solid head start.
A full day of filming can easily produce several terabytes of footage. The job isn't to use as much of it as possible. It's to turn all of that vision into a story that's clear, engaging and keeps people watching.
We isolate the best grabs, build the narrative, animate text, and fill the gaps with b-roll to keep everything moving. Once we're happy with it internally, it goes to the client for feedback.
One thing we've learnt the hard way is to leave the colour grade and captions until the structure is approved. There's no point polishing something that might still change.
At the end of the day, the goal isn't to show everything that happened. It's to tell a story that makes people wish they'd been there. If we’ve created some FOMO, than we’ve done our job.
After the shoot
The finished product
Customer Hero Video
A fast-paced event recap showcasing the Trade Expo from the customer's perspective. Designed to capture the atmosphere, highlight new products and encourage more tradies to attend future events.
What we delivered
Supplier Hero Video
A dedicated edit focused on the value of exhibiting at the Trade Expo. Featuring supplier interviews and key messaging around product launches, education and connecting directly with trade customers.
Social Media Cut-downs
Short-form edits created from the hero films and reformatted for LinkedIn, Instagram and other platforms in 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1.
Drone Footage
Aerial vision that showcased the size of the Melbourne event and added scale to the final edits. Captured by our CASA-certified drone operator under OONP approvals.
Why This Project Worked
Planned, but flexible
We arrived with a clear plan, but live events always throw up opportunities. Having a structure meant we could adapt without missing the important moments.
Two cameras. One story.
By splitting interviews and b-roll across two operators, we captured far more than a single camera crew ever could, without getting in each other's way.
Real people, real answers
We interviewed around 70 people across the three expos. We don't script answers or put words in people's mouths. We ask better questions until we find the grab that tells the story.
Built for more than one video
Every shoot was planned around multiple deliverables. The same footage became customer films, supplier films and social cut-downs, giving Bunnings far more value than a single event recap.
If you’ve made it this far, why not keep going?
To get in touch send us an email at hello@goodmorningcreative.com.au
Why have a bad day when you can have a Good Morning?
