Planning the logistics for your next big shoot.

Whether you’re pulling together a half day shoot in a studio or a big production with multiple locations - when it comes to planning it all out, logistics and coordination matter; a solid shooting plan is the backbone of any good production. 

So we thought we’d share our tips on how to coordinate and manage a successful shoot.

1. Creative Direction

The creative plan for your shoot will dictate logistics for filming. Things like storyboards and shot lists are absolutely essential for planning. Make sure your Director has developed their shot list to include everything they will need to edit the video together. This will help you decide on talent, crew, locations and edit time.

2 Production Timeline

This might seem obvious, but planning out your final delivery dates and working backwards from there is the very first bit of logistical planning that you need to do. This way, you allow yourself enough time for pre-production, production and post production. If you don’t have this overall plan in place, you may find yourself over budget or over time, and unable to make the deadline. An unrealistic schedule can result in poor quality work, and an unhappy crew! Ain’t nobody got time for that.

3. Filming Scheduling

For every shoot day you need to have a minute to minute schedule mapped out, to ensure everything runs to time. This should include set up and packdown time, travel, crew breaks and things like data wrangling. It’s best to build into your schedule any little jobs that may take up time. In all productions big or small, every minute counts.  Oh, and before you lock in your shoot date, make sure you check the weather forecast! If it’s raining, and you need to film exteriors you’re in trouble. You might not get the shots your need and production could be held up.

4. Travel

Remember that? If you need to travel to get to your location, it’s super important to have your itinerary planned well in advance and distributed to the crew. Whether you’re flying, traveling by bus, train, or driving to a location, you need to factor in things like petrol stops, toilet stops, traffic and have a contingency plan in case something goes wrong. If travel is delayed, it means your production is too.

5. Post Production Schedule

It’s super important to ensure you have enough time planned out for your edit. Think about how long each video will take you to create, and then add in time for any changes, graphics and exporting finished projects. The best way to do this, is to create a post production schedule. This will allow you to have a good understanding of how much time you’ll need to finish your project.

Need help planning your next shoot? Get in contact with Clothesline Content.

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