Filming Bergfest — Capturing Energy, Atmosphere, and Movement

Last weekend I filmed another edition of Bergfest, an ongoing one-night hip hop festival bringing together around a dozen artists for an evening of live performances, atmosphere, and community. I’ve now filmed the last two Bergfest events, and each one has had its own distinct energy, crowd dynamics, and visual atmosphere.Last weekend I filmed another edition of Bergfest, an ongoing one-night hip hop festival bringing together around a dozen artists for an evening of live performances, atmosphere, and community. I’ve now filmed the last two Bergfest events, and each one has had its own distinct energy, crowd dynamics, and visual atmosphere.

Events like this are always exciting to document because they exist somewhere between a concert, an underground art event, and a collaborative creative space. Every performer brings a different energy to the stage, and every crowd reacts differently.

One of the things that makes Bergfest unique for me personally is that some of the artists performing are people I work with directly outside of the event itself. That familiarity changes the way I approach filming. Instead of simply documenting performances from a distance, I’m able to anticipate moments, understand performance dynamics, and move with the rhythm and pacing of each set in a more intentional way.

In addition to filming the event, I was also responsible for much of the lighting design throughout the space. The look centered around a bright white spotlight combined with multiple color-changing wash lights placed throughout the venue, casting shifting color across the walls and ceiling. Fog machines added another layer to the visual atmosphere, especially when viewed from the side or behind performers, where the beams of light became visible in the haze and created dramatic silhouettes and harsh shadow transitions.

The visual style of the coverage was intentionally varied throughout the night. I wanted different performances and moments to feel distinct while still belonging to the same event.

For some shots, I used a 70–200mm lens from farther back in the room, compressing the space and capturing the audience in the foreground while keeping the performers sharp in the background. Those longer focal lengths helped isolate reactions and create a sense of connection between the crowd and the stage.

For medium coverage, I experimented with vintage medium format Hasselblad lenses adapted for video use. The equivalent focal lengths were roughly in the 40mm and 55mm range, producing a softer, more organic rendering that contrasted nicely against the harsher lighting and fog effects in the room. The character of these lenses helped give certain shots a more cinematic texture and less clinical digital sharpness.

For close-up movement shots, I switched to an ultra-wide 11–16mm lens. This allowed me to move directly through the audience and onto the stage with the performers while exaggerating motion and perspective. Some shots were intentionally stable and observational, while others moved aggressively with the rhythm of the music to pull the viewer into the energy of the performances.

About half of the event was filmed handheld, leaning into the raw movement and immediacy of the environment. The other half was shot using a shoulder rig for more controlled movement while still maintaining a live, kinetic feel.

What I enjoy most about filming events like Bergfest is finding the balance between documentary coverage and visual storytelling. The goal isn’t just to record what happened — it’s to recreate what it felt like to be there: the atmosphere, the light, the crowd reactions, the movement, and the energy between performers and audience.

I’m looking forward to continuing to document future Bergfest events as the festival continues to grow and evolve.

Events like this are always exciting to document because they exist somewhere between a concert, an underground art event, and a collaborative creative space. Every performer brings a different energy to the stage, and every crowd reacts differently.

One of the things that makes Bergfest unique for me personally is that some of the artists performing are people I work with directly outside of the event itself. That familiarity changes the way I approach filming. Instead of simply documenting performances from a distance, I’m able to anticipate moments, understand performance dynamics, and move with the rhythm and pacing of each set in a more intentional way.

In addition to filming the event, I was also responsible for much of the lighting design throughout the space. The look centered around a bright white spotlight combined with multiple color-changing wash lights placed throughout the venue, casting shifting color across the walls and ceiling. Fog machines added another layer to the visual atmosphere, especially when viewed from the side or behind performers, where the beams of light became visible in the haze and created dramatic silhouettes and harsh shadow transitions.

The visual style of the coverage was intentionally varied throughout the night. I wanted different performances and moments to feel distinct while still belonging to the same event.

For some shots, I used a 70–200mm lens from farther back in the room, compressing the space and capturing the audience in the foreground while keeping the performers sharp in the background. Those longer focal lengths helped isolate reactions and create a sense of connection between the crowd and the stage.

For medium coverage, I experimented with vintage medium format Hasselblad lenses adapted for video use. The equivalent focal lengths were roughly in the 40mm and 55mm range, producing a softer, more organic rendering that contrasted nicely against the harsher lighting and fog effects in the room. The character of these lenses helped give certain shots a more cinematic texture and less clinical digital sharpness.

For close-up movement shots, I switched to an ultra-wide 11–16mm lens. This allowed me to move directly through the audience and onto the stage with the performers while exaggerating motion and perspective. Some shots were intentionally stable and observational, while others moved aggressively with the rhythm of the music to pull the viewer into the energy of the performances.

About half of the event was filmed handheld, leaning into the raw movement and immediacy of the environment. The other half was shot using a shoulder rig for more controlled movement while still maintaining a live, kinetic feel.

What I enjoy most about filming events like Bergfest is finding the balance between documentary coverage and visual storytelling. The goal isn’t just to record what happened — it’s to recreate what it felt like to be there: the atmospheI’m looking forward to continuing to document future Bergfest events as the festival continues to grow and evolve.