Plan the shoot
Write a shot list with must-have angles. Scout lighting at the same time of day you will film.
Block time for setup, not just recording. A 30-minute interview often needs 45 minutes on location when you count light placement, mic checks, and room tone.
Confirm wardrobe, props, and release forms before call time. Chasing signatures or missing products on shoot day burns the most expensive hour on your schedule.
Lighting basics
Three-point lighting is a goal, not a rule. At minimum, separate subject from background with one key light and fill.
Soften hard sources with diffusion or bounce. Window light through a sheer curtain often looks better than a bare bulb pointed at the face.
Watch for mixed color temperatures, daylight plus warm tungsten creates skin tones that are painful to match in post. Turn off conflicting lights or gel to match.
Capture clean audio on set
Lavaliers for interviews, shotgun mics for run-and-gun. Monitor with headphones while recording.
Record 30 seconds of room tone in every location. That clean ambient track helps noise reduction and smooth edits when you cut dialogue.
Hide lav cables and secure wireless packs. Rustle from clothing ruins takes that look fine on camera.
Shoot B-roll for the edit
Capture cutaways of hands, environment, and reactions. Editors need options when compressing time.
Shoot B-roll after primary scenes while lights are still set. Breaking down and rebuilding costs more than ten extra minutes of coverage.
Include establishing shots and detail close-ups. Wide shots orient viewers. macro shots of product or process hide jump cuts in voiceover sections.
Run the production day
Start with the hardest scene while energy and light are best. Save simple pickups for the end when schedules slip.
Log takes on paper or in a notes app: scene, take number, and whether audio was clean. Searching twelve identical files without notes wastes edit time.
Back up cards before leaving location. One copy in the bag is not a backup, two separate drives or cloud upload is.
Common production mistakes
Skipping the shot list and improvising every angle on set.
Trusting the camera mic because it "looked fine" in the room.
Shooting only A-roll and planning to "fix it in post" with stock footage.
Erasing memory cards before verifying files on a second device.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a crew for good production?
- Solo creators can produce strong work with a tripod, external mic, and planning.
- What should be on a shot list?
- Scene description, shot type (wide, medium, close), lens or framing notes, and must-have versus nice-to-have shots.
- How do I light a small room on a budget?
- One key light at 45 degrees, a white poster board or wall as fill, and turn off overhead fluorescents. A $40 LED panel plus diffusion often beats ceiling lights alone.
- Should I shoot in log or flat profiles?
- Log helps if you grade in post and understand exposure. Standard or natural profiles are safer for beginners and fast turnaround projects.
- How much B-roll should I capture?
- Rough rule: 30, 50% as much B-roll time as A-roll for interview or tutorial content. More for fast-paced social edits.
