How to Prepare for Your Video Shoot
5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Filming Day
Video content is a staple in most digital marketing campaigns. While many videos can be created on-the-fly, you may want a little more production value for things like company profile videos, interview videos or social media advertisements.
Adequately preparing for your video shoot, or pre-production, is crucial to get the most out of your filming day and ensuring your vision is captured on camera. Depending on the length and complexity of your video, pre-production could take weeks of coordination and preparation before you actually hit ‘record’ on your camera. Here are five ways we suggest prepping for your next video shoot.
Have a Creative Briefing with Your Production Team
Having a creative meeting to prep for your video may seem like a no-brainer, but don’t half-ass this part of the process. In-person creative briefings are best for video production — since you’ll want to clearly articulate your vision for the project with your production team. The transfer of ideas that happens in person just cannot be captured over the phone. Be sure to provide examples of videos that inspire you, and mention where you might want things like voice overs or motion graphics within the video.
Create Your Video Treatment / Shot List
Your production team may help create a treatment or shot list for you, but preparing one yourself will help your crew bring your vision to life. Your video treatment will act as a guide for your production team to film and edit, so it should be specific and be sure to outline each scene of the video. Some things to include might be who will be in the scenes, the shots needed to be captured and any titles that need to make it in the frame. Check out this template to help get you started.
Scout the Location(s) You’ll Be Filming
Before you begin filming, take time to visit the locations you’re hoping to get on camera. Doing this prep work will save a lot of headaches during the day of filming, and have your shoot go as smoothly as possible. Be sure to take note of the best areas for lighting, if there is any background noise, if there will be any passerby etc. Failing to take these elements into consideration could potentially slow down your shoot, so taking the time to scout your location will help you prepare.
Schedule Ample Time for Filming
An adequate time to film is essential to creating a stellar video. When scheduling time for your shoot be sure to take into consideration the time it takes to set up and break down, time for wardrobe change, and hair and make up if necessary. An 8 hour day can easily consist of 2–3 hours of setting up lights and audio alone, depending on the scale of your production. Also, Consider buffering your actual filming time in case multiple takes are needed to complete a scene — and don’t forget to schedule in a lunch break.
Rehearse Your Lines in Front of Mirror
If you’ll be speaking during your video, be sure to go over your lines before the day of filming even if you wrote the script. A great way to get camera ready is to rehearse your lines while in front of a mirror. This will help you maintain proper eye contact if necessary, and force you to smile while speaking. The extra confidence when it’s time to shoot will make your filming day much more enjoyable.
