How many shots are in the opening section of the short film El Rey, by Zackery Canepari and Andrea Cooper? More than you might think, pointed out Anna Stevens, multi media producer at Panos Pictures, including an opening shot, a location shot, a straight-on close up of the hero of the piece, a close up from the left then from the right, and an overhead shot. Plus the seven-minute film, taken from Canepari and Cooper's California is a Place project, includes a skillful mix of music and audio, and a constant visual thread which helps pull the piece together.

"A lot of photographers [moving into film] set up and have the action happening in front of it," said Stevens. "That can work well but to do anything else, you need more angles and cut-aways than you might think. The language of video has a faster pace than still photographs, and when you come to edit you realise how much you need."

Canepari joined Panos as a photographer but now shoots film pretty much exclusively, Stevens added. Of Panos' 110 photographers, about half now shoot some film and 12 shoot video a lot, often but not always working with Stevens. Panos has been around for 25 years and started making multimedia presentations about three years ago, in response to demand; the agency has now made about 40 films, which can be viewed on its site. Even so, Stevens told photographers that they shouldn't feel pressurised into making multimedia projects.

"Half our photographers concentrate on making stills only," she said. "Don't feel you have to do it - multimedia is a whole big thing and the people who do it well are the ones who really want to do it."

Photographer and film-maker CJ Clarke agreed, and advised photographers who want to give it a try to get together with other people. He made his School Home Support films, which won BJP's 2010 Open Shutter Awards, with production company Global Stories and said this collaborative effort is half the fun. "As a photographer I often ended up making slide shows but once you add the element of time you have to use cinematic techniques," he said.

"And once you're using cinematic techniques you're raising the bar very high. It's tough to move across - you can't just jump in, you need to collaborate with a range of people, from actors to producers and editors. It's very different to being a photographer, working on your own because all of those people will challenge your ideas, but I find it exciting."

Stevens and Clarke were speaking at The Social, the monthly event organised by BJP and The Photographers Gallery. The Social happens on the last Monday of the month at Barrio Central, 6 Poland Street, London W1F 8PS. There are two speakers and a different topic every time, but it's pitched as an informal get together for photographers and those who work with them.