Image by Nicole Todd
Lights! Camera! Unions?
Long before the “Action!” begins, a successful video production needs an action plan. With the right preparation, magic can happen—whether you’re debuting an epic product promo, highlighting a customer success story, or crafting a video short for social media.
Practice makes perfect, and our globetrotting video team has learned a few best practices that can help ensure your next production goes off without a hitch.
1. Scout it out
Whether you’re in a studio, office building, convention center, or outdoors, scouting your location helps iron out potential issues before filming day. For example, my team and I recently filmed a web series in a small conference room for a client in London. Thankfully, we checked out the room ahead of time and learned important details. A constant hum from the air ventilation system meant we would need extra sound dampening blankets and time to conduct sound tests. And when we saw the low ceilings, we knew we’d need to fly in a wider lens for the overhead camera.
2. Firm up the schedule before the shoot
Precise timing is critical to a successful production, so a finalized schedule will create a less stressful day on set. When planning your schedule, account for breaks, buffer time, and information that might impact production. This could be building closing times, hard stops, and anything else that might be helpful for the team to know ahead of time. Sending out a call sheet the night before production days is key to keeping everyone informed. We’ve also learned that bringing a few extra printed copies on the day-of helps everyone stay on task, and sets the team up for success.
3. Communication, communication, communication
We know from experience there’s no such thing as overcommunication when a lot of people are involved. Every role is interconnected, so getting everyone on the same page helps prevent costly re-shoots, rushed schedules, and maybe a few tears. If everyone’s clear on the vision and goals, you avoid unnecessary conflict or last-minute changes that compromise the quality of the final product.
4. Don’t roll the dice on regulations
Your production may need to follow a set of local regulations, which differ from place to place. For example, when 2A went to Las Vegas for a production, we learned our location was owned by a hotel and casino entertainment company that had its own production union labor regulations. We would need to work directly with the union to source our crew and provide strictly mandated breaks. Knowing the rules helped us flesh out our day-of schedule, providing enough time for breaks without sacrificing the creative vision…or violating labor laws. Phew!
5. Embrace the unknowns
No matter how much you prepare for a production, there will always be surprises. You must learn to be flexible and go with the flow of the project, which may turn out a bit differently than expected. Productions have so many moving parts that, inevitably, something will come up and you’ll have to pivot. Maintain calm and wear your problem-solving hat to keep everything running smoothly. Having an agency to lean on that’s well-versed in video shoot plot-twists and creative solutions can be indispensable.
Looking for end-to-end production services? From creative to staffing to pre-through-post-production, 2A creates eye-catching marketing videos that captivate audiences. Get in touch today.