A good shoot day doesn’t start on the shoot day. It starts the moment you agree on what you’re going to do. Here’s a practical checklist to keep things running smoothly.
As soon as the project is locked in
- Agree on the goal (sales, recruitment, brand or campaign)
- Agree on channels and versions (horizontal, vertical or both)
- Agree on dates and any backup days
- Name a contact person who knows the practical details
2–3 weeks before the shoot
- Go through the locations and the most important shooting spots
- Agree on which people appear and when
- Choose the products, outfits and props to be shot
- Agree on the key messages and any terms you want to use
A week before the shoot
- Lock the schedule and the shot list
- Reserve the spaces and make sure there’s access everywhere
- Agree on practical matters (parking, entrance, internal safety instructions)
- Check that the spaces to be shot are in tidy condition
The day before
- Confirm the schedule of key people
- Have products and props ready in one place
- If staff are being shot, a reminder about dress and schedule
On the shoot day
- A ten-minute kick-off meeting about what will be done and in what order
- Shoot the critical things first, the ones that can’t be moved
- Keep the pace steady so there’s no rushing
- Take the photos at the same time, if agreed
After the shoot day
- Deliver any logos, fonts and brand guidelines if graphics are needed
- Agree on the schedule for the review round
- Make versions suitable for publishing, so the content doesn’t sit waiting
With this framework, projects stay light for the client too.