Filming the groundbreaking ceremony involves capturing the ritualistic opening, speeches, and a panoramic view of the site on the day construction begins. For FDI investors, this video serves the parent company overseas, partners, and the team in Vietnam. It also serves as "pre-construction" footage for future factory videos. This article is a checklist for each stage: before, during, and after the ceremony, along with experiences from events the Right Media team has filmed.
What does filming a groundbreaking ceremony involve?
Filming a groundbreaking ceremony involves three parts: pre-ceremony site shots, the ceremonial proceedings, and post-ceremony edits. The final product typically includes a 2-3 minute highlight video, full transcripts of speeches and interviews with leaders, and an internal news bulletin. All original files should be saved for use in the factory inauguration video.
Filming a groundbreaking ceremony differs from filming a conference in three ways. The ceremony takes place outdoors, exposed to sun, wind, and rain. Speeches are usually interpreted because guests include foreign investors, government officials, and contractors. The groundbreaking ritual itself lasts only a few seconds and cannot be repeated.
Why do FDI investors need professionally filmed groundbreaking ceremonies?
Because the most important viewers are often not present at the ceremony, the parent company's leadership, shareholders, and overseas clients follow the project via video. They need to see the scale of the site, the guest list, and the leadership's commitment, in their own language.
| Viewers | What they need to see | The delivery is suitable. |
|---|---|---|
| Parent company, shareholders | The project started on schedule, with the planned site size and guest list. | Highlights include subtitles in English or the developer's native language. |
| Customers, partners | Capacity will be available when the plant becomes operational. | Highlights include interviews with leaders about the factory's goals. |
| Employees and candidates in Vietnam | The business is growing, creating new jobs. | Internal newsletter, vertical video clip for social media |
| Government, industrial park management board | Formal ceremony, full speeches | Full transcript of the speech |
The key question to determine your target audience is: who will receive the video in the first week after the holiday? The answer will determine the language, length, and delivery deadline.
Checklist before filming the groundbreaking ceremony.
Before the ceremony, the most important thing is to survey the site and obtain permission for drone flight. Most problems encountered while filming the groundbreaking ceremony stem from on-site conditions: intense sunlight, strong winds, distant power sources, and outdoor noise. These issues must be addressed during the site survey, not on the morning of the ceremony.
- Site survey: The stage location, the groundbreaking area, the direction of sunlight according to the time of the ceremony, the VIP walkway, and the placement of fixed cameras to ensure they do not obstruct the view.
- Right to fly drones: Permissions must be obtained according to regulations, and work with the industrial park management board early on. See more articles. Flycam footage of factories and industrial zones..
- Agenda by the minute: Guest arrival time, opening ceremony, individual speeches, groundbreaking ceremony, group photo, refreshments.
- VIP guest list: Full name, title exactly as on the business card, identification photo, and the person to be interviewed.
- Sound: Audio unit input, input port from the mixer, whether or not it includes translation input.
- Power supply and rain response plan: Separate power outlets for equipment, tents, and shelters for machinery when the weather changes.
- Site regulations: Protective gear, restricted area, now allowed to set up equipment.
Turn the floor plan before the holiday.
A short video of the empty site, before the stage is set up, is a piece of footage many businesses overlook. A drone shot of the empty land will provide a "before-and-after" view of the factory several years later. It's important to record the takeoff coordinates, altitude, and flight direction so that the next time you film, you'll get the same angle.
During the ceremony: a shot list for the groundbreaking ceremony.
During the ceremony, each key moment should be assigned to a specific camera. The groundbreaking ceremony should have at least two angles: one fixed camera capturing a wide view of the VIP guests, and another close-up of the shovel and faces. A drone should capture a panoramic view of the site and the group of guests at the beginning and end of the ceremony.
| Moment | The machine in charge | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Overview of the site and stage | Flycam | Fly before guests arrive and after guests depart, but do not fly directly overhead. |
| Welcoming VIP guests | Mobile machine | Someone inside pointed out the important client. |
| Statements from the investor, government, and contractor. | Fixed equipment + sound from mixer | Record the translation as well to create subtitles. |
| Groundbreaking ceremony | Stationary machines + mobile machines | Positions were confirmed during the rehearsal, in just a few seconds. |
| Group photo, raising a glass. | Mobile machine | Often at the very end, easily overlooked as customers disperse. |
Interview with the leader
Interviews with leaders should be filmed before or immediately after the opening ceremony, in a quiet, shaded area. Prepare 3-4 questions beforehand: why Vietnam was chosen, what will the factory produce, when will it start operating, and commitments to the local community.
Foreign leaders should respond in their most familiar language; subtitles can be added later. This is a scene that will be reused most often in later factory films.
After the ceremony: internal newsletter and handover documents.
After the event, FDI companies often need to send highlight videos to their parent company. With Right Media's event videography package, 2-3 minute highlight videos are delivered within 24-48 hours, and the full version within 3-5 business days. It's advisable to finalize the list of videos to be delivered when providing a quote.
- Highlight 2–3 minutes: Send to parent company, partners, and post on website and fanpage.
- Internal newsletter: Designed in a news format, with text displaying the project name, holiday, and speaker, for use in company newsletters or office screens.
- The full statement: Store and send to relevant parties.
- Vertical clip 9:16: Cut from the same source used for social media, if notified in advance so the crew can leave the frame untouched during filming.
- Second language subtitles: English, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese, depending on the parent company.
Reuse the construction footage for the later factory film.
The groundbreaking ceremony footage is the only part that can't be filmed once the factory is finished. Factory films or commemorative films often open with a scene of empty land and the first shovel, then switch to a running production line. Therefore, businesses should consider the filming of the groundbreaking ceremony as the first day of filming for their factory film.
Three things to help your documents last longer:
- Keep the original file: We request the handover of all recorded files, not just the edited version.
- Capture the drone angle: The takeoff point, altitude, and flight direction are all determined to ensure the plane returns at the same angle on the day of the roof-raising and inauguration ceremony.
- Name the files according to the milestones: The date, the category, the people appearing. Years later, filmmakers can still find scenes they need.
Drones are a frequent feature used by film crews in factory scenes. For PLUS Vietnam, in addition to ground cameras, the crew used drones for wide shots of the factories in Bien Hoa 2 and Nhon Trach 3.
Lessons learned from the Right Media events that have been filmed.
Right Media has not yet posted any groundbreaking ceremony projects on its website. Below are experiences from corporate events the team has filmed, which can be applied when filming groundbreaking ceremonies.
The ceremony included international representatives: Aura Beauty Clinic
The launch ceremony for Aura's Thermage FLX technology featured a signing ceremony under the flags of Vietnam, South Korea, and the United States, with international experts in attendance. The team interwoven three layers of visuals: the ceremony, expert presentations, and 3D graphics. The 2-minute and 19-second video served both to document the event and to introduce the service.
Lesson for FDI groundbreaking ceremonies: the ceremony is just one layer. The video needs additional statements from leaders and visuals explaining what the factory will actually do.
Survey beforehand to avoid missing the moment: Hira Manufacturing
At the Vietnam Technology Products and Equipment Exhibition 2025, Hira's team surveyed the space beforehand and selected the location for the main camera. The booth was crowded, and many moments, like the signing ceremony, happened very quickly. Knowing the camera's location in advance helped the team avoid missing anything, as well as during the filming of the groundbreaking ceremony.
For attendees to say: Eco Day 2026
The 3-minute 56-second Eco Day recap video by FENC and AEON Mall is divided into three layers: activities, children's comments, and parents' feelings. When filming the groundbreaking ceremony, the "attendants" layer included representatives from the contractor, government officials, and the first employees of the factory.
Costs of filming the factory groundbreaking ceremony.
Groundbreaking ceremonies typically require a package of 2 cameras + a drone, with a reference price of 12,000,000 VND per session (approximately 4 hours), excluding VAT. This price applies to Ho Chi Minh City and within a 100 km radius. For industrial zones further away, additional travel and accommodation costs will be added to a separate price list.
| Category | Reference price |
|---|---|
| Film with 2 cameras + drone, highlight 2-3 minutes after 24-48 hours, full version after 3-5 working days. | From 12,000,000 VND/session |
| Additional languages (subtitles or English, Japanese, etc. versions) | From 4,000,000 VND |
| Extra filming days (events lasting several days) | 12,000,000 VND |
Pre-ceremony site visitation is priced separately based on duration and drone footage. If live streaming of the groundbreaking ceremony for the parent company is required, businesses can opt for the additional livestreaming package. A full price list is available on the website. event videography services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should you do if it rains while filming a groundbreaking ceremony?
The crew needs to know the organizers' contingency plans from the site survey: stage tents, covered walkways, and covered camera placement areas. Drones will not fly in rain or strong winds. In such cases, wide shots can be taken from the site survey filmed before the event, if the business has booked that session.
Is it mandatory to have a drone at a groundbreaking ceremony?
It's not mandatory, but it's recommended. Only drones can show the scale of the site and the location of factories within the industrial park. Flights must be permitted according to regulations and approved by the industrial park management, so it's necessary to inquire early.
Should the groundbreaking ceremony video be in Vietnamese or English?
FDI companies should do both, either in Vietnamese with subtitles in the parent company's language. The image remains the same, only the text is changed. When there is an interpreter, record both voices to create accurate subtitles.
How long after filming the groundbreaking ceremony will the video be sent to the parent company?
Highlights (2–3 minutes) will be delivered 24–48 hours after the ceremony ends. The full speech will be available after 3–5 business days. Subtitles in a second language require additional translation time, so a deadline will be agreed upon during the quotation process.
Send your groundbreaking ceremony agenda to receive filming options.
Investors who need to film their factory groundbreaking ceremony can send their agenda, site location, and guest list. Right Media will propose the number of cameras, flycam setup, and provide a price quote according to the program. See our packages at [link]. event filming, project Aura Beauty Clinic event video, Video recap of the Hira Manufacturing exhibition., Eco Day video recapor call the hotline 0901 391 002.
