Club Session Media Coverage Guide & Checklist

Use this guide to prepare media volunteers, assign coverage, capture a consistent minimum standard, and hand over original files without losing quality.

Quality over volume: a smaller set of steady, intentional, usable clips is more valuable than hundreds of random recordings.

The footage should tell one clear story:

Set a goal → Prepare → Practise → Coach → Reflect → Progress → Belong

How to use this guide

Practical output target

These are targets, not quotas. Stop filming once the useful coverage is secure.

Roles and ownership

Media Lead

• Confirms assignments before the session starts.
• Makes sure all mandatory categories are covered.
• Checks that members who opted out are not prominently filmed.
• Prevents duplicated effort or assumptions about who captured a shot.
• Confirms the upload owner and checks that the original files were received.

Supporting volunteers

Each supporting volunteer should receive a named phase, subject, or angle. For example:

• Opening, warm-up, and drills.
• Main-set side angles and complete-length swims.
• Coaching, pod reviews, reactions, and photographs.

Every mandatory item must have one named owner.

Suggested coverage windows

Mandatory shot list

• One wide establishing video of the pool or session environment.
• One preparation or arrival video.
• With permission, a short clip of the featured member stating their goal for the session.
• One clear location or group photograph.
• One wide video of the group warming up.
• Two close or medium drill videos.
• One side-angle video showing complete movement.
• One coaching sequence: instruction, attempt, correction, and improved attempt where available.
• One peer, Pod Lead, or member-support moment.
• Two members completing meaningful parts of their main sets.
• One uninterrupted complete-length swim.
• A useful mix of wide, side, and end-of-lane angles.
• One cool-down or light-paced swimming clip.
• One coach, peer, or pod-review moment.
• A matching post-swim reflection: what changed, what was achieved, and what comes next.
• One natural progress, reaction, or encouragement moment.
• One group or pod photograph and one candid community interaction.

Optional high-value coverage

Capture these when they occur naturally. Do not manufacture them to complete a list.

• A personal best or milestone.
• A member overcoming a difficult drill.
• A first-time attendee being welcomed.
• A strong before-and-after correction sequence.
• A short member reflection with permission.
• Laughter, celebration, or encouragement.
• An unusual or visually distinctive set.
• A strong individual portrait.

Recording standard

• Clean the lens and confirm battery and free storage.
• Use vertical 9:16 video for most social content.
• Capture at least two useful horizontal videos for the website or YouTube.
• Use 1080p for routine coverage. Reserve higher resolution for deliberate hero footage.
• Keep ordinary clips steady and approximately 8–15 seconds long.
• Record a complete-length swim for as long as necessary.
• Start approximately two seconds before the action and continue two seconds afterward.
• Avoid unnecessary zooming, panning, and walking while recording.
• Keep heads, arms, feet, and important parts of the movement in frame.
• Use side angles for stroke mechanics, end angles for approach and finish, and wide angles for context.
• Move close enough for spoken audio to be clear.
• Give every clip a clear subject and stop when the useful action ends.

The strongest coaching story is:

Explanation or demonstration → swimmer attempt → correction → second attempt

For a featured member, the strongest progress story is:

Goal before the swim → practice or coaching → result → short reflection during review

Keep both spoken clips brief and natural. The reflection is part of the normal post-swim review, not a separate interview, and nobody should be pressured to speak on camera.

Consent, privacy, and safety

• Confirm member media preferences before prominently featuring anyone.
• Do not film anyone who has opted out.
• Never record in changing rooms, showers, or private areas.
• Do not record private health, confidence, or personal discussions.
• Do not upload or publish humiliating failed attempts.
• Obtain explicit permission for sensitive comparisons or testimonials.
• Flag any footage with uncertain consent in the upload notes.
• Do not obstruct coaches, lifeguards, swimmers, or emergency access.
• Do not stand or lean in an unsafe position for a better angle.
• Keep equipment away from the pool edge when not in use.
• Filming never takes priority over supervision or session flow.

Full-quality handoff

Upload originals directly to the SwimBuddz Media Vault within 72 hours. Large iPhone HEIC, MOV, 4K, and ProRes files are uploaded in resumable parts and are not automatically compressed or transcoded.

• Do not use WhatsApp as the primary transfer method.
• Use the checklist in the vault to record the coverage completed.
• Add handoff notes for standout moments, missing coverage, or consent concerns.
• Keep files on the recording device until the upload is confirmed.
• Curators review and download the originals from the same private vault.

Session-day quick check

Before filming

• Assignments have named owners.
• Lens, battery, and device storage are ready.
• Member media preferences are known.
• Any featured member has agreed to the goal-and-reflection coverage.
• Vertical is the default and horizontal clips are assigned.

Before leaving

• Every mandatory category is present.
• The strongest files have been identified.
• Upload owner and deadline are confirmed.
• Consent concerns are recorded.

After the session

• Originals are uploaded within 72 hours.
• The upload receipt is confirmed.
• Local files are retained until confirmation.

Final test: could someone who was not at the session understand the story of practice, coaching, progress, and community from this footage? If not, the coverage is incomplete.