Introduction
From our experience, 9/10 a great video shoot isn’t luck, it’s setup. When we skip the planning, we pay for it later with rushed takes, weird audio, and edits that can’t be saved. We’ve seen it happen, a full day of filming that turns into minutes of usable footage.
This is the last thing you want to have happen, mostly because going back to the client and having to tell them everything didn’t work, is embarrassing + you have to do the work twice.
So here’s our simple breakdown of an amazing shoot: pre-production, shoot day, and post. If you’re searching for Videography Edmonton, this is also the stuff we expect any solid local team to run well, even on smaller projects.
The purpose of this post is a general outline of creating a smooth experience for both the client, and you/your team – we aren’t getting into specific camera settings, lighting settings etc…
Pre-production is where we win the shoot
Pre-production is the boring part that keeps the fun part from falling apart. A tight plan protects budget, time, and quality, and it stops “quick shoots” from turning into reshoots.
We start by agreeing on what “done” looks like, then we build everything around that. If the video will live on a homepage, paid ads, and social, we plan for those formats early, not as an afterthought. (This is where multi-format framing saves us later.)
We start with a one-page brief that makes decisions easy
We pin down the goal, audience, main message, where it’ll be used, how many videos we’re making, and target length for each.
We get this information from the client during the onboarding process of the project.
We also write a simple beginning, middle, end outline. It sounds basic, but it keeps us from wandering on camera. Then we pick 2 to 3 reference videos and name what we like, pacing, tone, framing, lighting style. That shared “taste” speeds up every decision after.
If the project also needs a bigger rollout (site, ads, social), we align video with the rest of the marketing plan,
We lock the script, then read it out loud to fix the rough parts
Depending on the client, and the purpose of the video project, we either write the script ourselves or we work with the client to build it together. In an ideal world, the client already has a script laid out.
Sometimes, once again it depends on the client & the project, the subject can go ‘off the cuff’ which can swing 1 or 2 ways… They are either just a natural on camera and absolutely crush it, or they are awkward and weird and sucdenly the 2hr shoot turns into a 7hr therapy session…
Then we read it out loud and time it. Anything awkward gets rewritten. We also plan our b-roll around the scirpt and curate a simple shot list, so the edit flows smoothly and lines up with the audio.
Shoot day anatomy: audio, lighting, cameras, and calm energy
Shoot day should feel focused, not frantic. Our rule is simple: clean audio beats pretty video. A viewer will forgive a less-than-perfect shot, they won’t forgive muffled dialogue.
Always double check that the audio sounds clean!
So many times you’ll find, especially with a lav mic. their hair may get in the way and cause ruffling, or it may brush against their clothing… Just make sure it’s clean, nothing worse than going into an edit only to find out it sounds like they are talking inside of a submarine. Now, there are tools that can help clean it up, but making sure everything is clean the first time is the key!
We build the crew and roles so nothing falls through the cracks
Even if you’re running a small team, the jobs still exist:
- Talent (on-camera)
- Director (keeps the story on track)
- Videographer (camera, lighting, sound)
- Script supervisor or teleprompter operator (tracks lines and changes)
We suggest having a short ‘pre-shoot’ meeting to just go over everyone’s roles; A major reason for that is so that the client feels comfortable with what is happening… this goes a long way.
We test everything, track takes, and watch for consistency
Before real takes, we run quick tests for framing, audio levels, shadows, and eye-line (no wandering eyes).
During takes, we take notes: best lines, best endings, and any on-set script changes. For consistency, we mark floor positions, camera angles, and light placement, especially across multiple days.
*Keeping track of best takes is such a Godsend when you get to the edit – no searching through 19 takes to find the best one, if you keep track of it in real-time, you can just go to it.
Post-production is where the story clicks (and where we avoid endless revisions)
We aren’t going to dive into ‘process’ here, as every project is different, no workflow is the same, and everyone uses different tools.
The biggest takeaway from the post-production here is simply keeping the client ‘in the loop’ as to where you are in the edit process, and keeping a great line of communication.
Also, do not hide or shy away from the client if you ever get behind, or something didn’t turn out exactly as you thought it was going to – we aren’t saying to let them know about every little hiccup, but if there is a major issue, let them know & have a solution already prepared.
Conclusion
An amazing video shoot has three parts: plan it, run a calm shoot day with clear roles, then finish strong in post with early reviews and platform-ready exports. When we do that, we avoid costly reshoots and the “we’ll fix it in editing” trap. Before your next shoot, write a one-page brief and a simple checklist, then stick to it.
Happy shooting!
