When you work with us, if you haven’t before, it will quickly become obvious that we love what we do, love to have fun while we do it, and always do our absolute best at the same time. Shoot day is one of those times where all of that is on full display.
Curious what goes on and how you fit in? Here are the 6 things you need to know about shoot day.
- It’s a ton of fun
- First things first, we love shoot day and we hope you will too! It’s an exciting, high-energy day with a ton going on. You get to work with a bunch of amazing professionals all working towards a common goal. And it’s not often that you get to be right in the middle of the creative process. But today, you do!
- We want you there
- It almost goes without saying, but we often get asked by clients if we want them there. The answer is a “hell yes.” You play a critical role in the process (more on that later) and we love for clients to see the magic unfold right before them. But we also like to keep the numbers at a manageable level on set. So have two or three key stakeholders join us. More than that and the kitchen just gets way too busy.
- It’s organized chaos
- When you arrive on location it’s going to be swarming with people. You might have six people unloading a three-ton truck, four people getting out the camera gear and setting up gear, big lights moving through, a dolly being put together, and hair and makeup with the talent before being pulled into wardrobe. It’s an expert dance that needs to happen seamlessly and efficiently. The most helpful thing when you arrive is to simply be aware of the organized chaos and roll with it! Show up, say hi to our producer, and let them direct you to where you’ll be most helpful.
- You have a specific role to play
- As the chaos unfolds, you’re there for creative oversight and to help us make final decisions. This is, after all, your video. Which means you’re the expert on brand, voice, and tone. You get to help with final decisions on things like art direction, wardrobe, talent performance, and more. It won’t be constant decision-making, especially at first, but as we get rolling we’ll come to you for your input at critical points. Until then, just enjoy the scene and snap some behind the scenes pics (and yeah, please tag @bxfilms)!
- There’s a chain of command
- If you haven’t been on set in awhile or are new to video production, there are clear roles and lines of communication in place. The producer is there to manage the logistics and connect you with the right people. The director is there for art direction and managing the creative specifics of the commercial. You’ll interact with both. The director is ultimately in charge of the entire shoot, but of course we want to make sure we’re creating the video the way you want it, so we’ll be proactive about coming to you with creative decisions to make throughout the shoot.
- It’s a fun, but long day
- We schedule our shoots down to the hour. Most of the time we do 10-hour days. On rare occasions, the shoot will merit a 12-hour day. But it’s one of the two options so buckle up! It moves fast but it’s a long day of work with setup, rehearsals, shooting, moving between scenes and taking everything down. At the end of the day, you’ll probably be tired but satisfied with a job well done and excited for the video to come!
Every shoot is different, but those are the basics. We’ll prep you more in person and of course will be available for any questions come shoot day. Until then, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, ideas, and of course, projects. We can’t wait.
