The most successful corporate videos are the culmination of solid planning, productive shoot days and considered editing. It’s within grasp for companies and organisations alike to manage these elements in house. But it’s often the shoot days that turn out to be the most complicated and potentially stressful, and it’s here that novice producers could find themselves under the most pressure to get things done. Here are 5 simple things that you can do to ensure you have the most productive shoot day possible.
Do a Recce
On a previous blog, we talked about how important it is that you do a recce before the shoot. This is important because every location presents certain opportunities and certain limitations, and you should know what these are before you turn up with a camera in hand – you could come across something you didn’t anticipate which causes you to change your plans. Things to consider on recces include power facilities, position of the sun (if it’s outside) and noise considerations.
Know Your Shots
Doing a recce will also help you to plan the shots you need to get in a rough order. By laying out exactly what you need to capture, you can create a timetable to record your content, which will help to keep you on schedule during the shoot day.
Bring Spares of Everything
The last thing you want on a corporate video shoot is to be caught out by not having all the equipment you need. Plans can change and shoots can overrun, so plan for the worst by bringing spares of as much equipment as you can. Batteries and media cards are two things that are famous for running out just as you need them, so bring as many as possible. On bigger and longer shoots it’s worth taking battery charging units to charge spares as you shoot, and bringing a card reader to offload and reformat media cards if you’re not sure you’ve got enough to last you the day.
Employ a Runner
If you’ve taken charge of the shoot as a producer/director, then you’re at the centre of the action and the shoot can’t proceed without you. So what happens if you need to put some batteries on charge, load spare equipment into a van, or provide lunch for everyone at the shoot? It’s simple – bring a runner on to the shoot with you. Brief them before the shoot starts and they can get on with taking care of the simpler tasks leaving you free to do your job.
Of course shoots are often unpredictable anyway, but these problems are typical of corporate video shoots. If you take the time to plan and build in safeguards like these, you’ll have a more productive shoot day.
To find out more about us and our services, please click here.
