CREATING A VIDEO PRODUCTION SHOOT SCHEDULE
A production manager’s go-to tool for the shoot day(s), a shoot schedule is exactly what it sounds like. Derived from the script and storyboard, every scene number and shot number appears on the schedule and is typically accompanied by an outline of the talent, location, wardrobe, lighting and sound equipment, and props required for those shots, as well as what times each of these will be required, and for how long.
A shoot schedule will outline the approximate amount of time to be spent on each shot, scene and interview, and more extensive schedules will even involve a break down of the various camera angles of each scene, and the number of cameras involved in the shot.
WHY A SHOOT SCHEDULE IS ESSENTIAL
A shoot schedule is an absolutely essential tool on any video shoot, as it ensures everyone working on the video knows exactly what’s coming up next for the day, from the actors and camera operator to the person who’s getting the coffees for everyone. This helps minimise the need for people to just be standing around watching the filming of a scene once they’ve finished their job, when they could be travelling to the next shoot location and setting up the next scene with appropriate lighting or props.
The more crew members involved on your shoot, and the more involved your video is, the more detailed a shoot schedule should be. Shoot schedules usually accompany a Call Sheet, which lists the details and start and finish times of every aspect of the video shooting process that you could think of – it could even list sunrise and sunset times, the weather forecast for shoot days, what time the main talent will start and finish.
PUTTING TOGETHER A GOOD SHOOT SCHEDULE
Getting your shoot schedule right from the start is paramount if things are to run smoothly when shooting the video. Remember to give precedence to the most important scenes of your video, as you’ll want to spend a little extra time setting these up and getting them absolutely right.
GETTING HELP WITH YOUR VIDEO PRODUCTION SHOOT SCHEDULE
There’s no doubt that writing a shoot schedule can be a difficult task if you’ve never done it before. How much time should you allow to set up lights? What are the alternatives if you can’t film a certain scene outdoors due to weather restrictions? Just how long does hair and makeup really take? If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed about how to put together an effective shoot schedule (and how to actually stick to it when it comes time to film!), professional video production companies will be able to put together a shoot schedule for you quickly and easily, as they’ll be familiar with all the different ‘moving parts’ of a video production project.
At Rocket Productions, we have a variety of schedules that have been tried and tested over the years to work immaculately, from small to large shoots. We’ll take a look at your idea and storyboard, and help you come up with a shoot schedule that gives priority to your video’s most important shots and scenes, to ensure you get your message across.
For more information on how we can help you with your video production shoot schedule, contact us.
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