My 1 essential piece of equipment for event videos
The $20 Hack That Changed the Way I Film Events
As an event videographer, I’m always chasing two things: great visuals and great audio. The visuals usually take care of themselves—once your cameras are rolling and the light is right, you’re golden. But audio? That’s the wildcard. It can make or break a video, and in fast-paced, unpredictable environments like weddings or corporate events, clean sound can be hard to come by.
Recently, though, I found a $20 solution that’s completely changed the way I work. And it’s not some fancy new mic or a high-end recorder. It’s… a piece of elastic.
Yep, seriously. A $20 elastic strap.
Let me explain.
The Audio Struggle
If you shoot weddings or events, you know the ideal audio setup: plug straight into the celebrant’s mic or the venue’s PA system. Clean, direct sound—no fuss. But in reality, that’s not always possible. Maybe the celebrant doesn’t want you tapping into their system. Maybe the PA is ancient and unreliable. Or maybe (and this is a personal favorite) the wireless mic randomly cuts out halfway through the vows.
To cover my bases, I use compact wireless microphones—brands like RØDE and DJI are leading the way here. They record internally, wirelessly transmit to your camera, and some even record in 32-bit float, which is a lifesaver in post. But mounting them quickly and securely is often the real challenge.
The Simple Fix
That’s where the elastic strap comes in.
Instead of trying to mic up every single speaker (which is a nightmare at events with 5+ speakers), I now strap my wireless mic directly onto the handheld mic using this little elastic band. That’s it. No tape, no clips, no fiddling.
The result? Every speaker who picks up the mic is instantly mic’d up. The audio source stays close to the mouth, the recording stays clean, and I don’t have to stress about chasing down audio from different people across the venue.
And the best part—venues and DJs love this. There’s no sticky tape or bulky attachments, and everything stays neat and professional.
Why It Works
Fast setup: No need to mic each speaker individually.
Reliable audio: Your mic stays close to the source throughout the event.
Non-invasive: No tape or mess—just a stretchy strap that keeps things in place.
Cheap: It’s only $20. That’s it.
One Less Thing to Worry About
On a busy shoot day, especially during weddings when every moment counts, this tiny elastic band takes one major task off my plate. It’s streamlined my workflow and added a layer of reliability I didn’t know I was missing.
So if you're an event videographer constantly juggling gear, do yourself a favor and grab one. It's a small investment that makes a big difference.