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Quick Tips for Producing Video on Location

Shooting video on location can certainly have many profound benefits but there are also several hurdles or challenges that you’ve got to overcome as well. Shooting on location requires a lot of working parts to come together at the right time in order to capture all the shots you need while you’re there. Add to the mix all the equipment that you’ve got to bring with you, and the timing or schedule that you’ve got to adhere to, and there’s a recipe for potential hiccups. You certainly don’t want to have to schedule any reshoots when choosing video on location, so it’s now or never! Follow these quick tips for producing video on location that will ensure your workflow is as organized as your packing, and that you achieve success with your shoot!

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1. Organize EVERYTHING!

We mean everything! If you’re bringing a bunch of equipment to shoot video on location, it’s going to be absolutely vital that you remember everything, and that you equally remember it all when it’s time to pack up and head home at the end of the day. Organization is going to be key here.

Label your equipment and make a list. Keep a running checklist of what you need to bring, and make sure you’ve got the same checklist when it’s time to pack up and head home. This way you can check things off as you load them back into your bags, van, or elsewhere for travel.

2. Name & Number Cameras on Site

Beverly Boy camera crew on set

Once you’re ready to shoot video on location it’s going to be important to know which cameras are doing what. Name and number the cameras on site so that you know what is producing where. Make sure you don’t change any names once you’ve started production!

Keeping the cameras named and numbered will allow you to easily organize SSD drives, and associated equipment. For example, you might have cameras A, B, and C and then when you remove drives as you’re shooting, you’ll have drives A1, B1, and C1, and A2, B2, and C2, from each camera respectively.

This will help you in keeping your workflow organized.

3. Organize Folders & Files

When shooting on location, eventually all of that raw data from those SSD drives will make it’s way into your computer, and it’s going to be vital to maintain similar naming conventions and organization for the project when it does. Use names that go along with the organization that was used to keep cameras and drives organized on site when you were shooting video on location. For example:

 

– Give folders the same name as your SSD card.

– Name files based on the convention [location] > [camera #] > [SSD#} > [file}

 

4. Update Script As You Shoot

Lana McClung on the set

As you’re shooting video on location, take steps to update your script as each shot is captured on location. You can simply note your script with the # of the SSD card that was used for the scene and any other important file data or information that you have. This will help you or your editor to later organize all of the important files and SSD cards for the shoot when it’s time to begin organizing the raw files and preparing them for final editing.

5. Keep a Checklist When Packing Both Ways

Before leaving for  a video on location shoot, it’s important to have all of your shots and ideas in order. This way you can create a packing list of what equipment you’ll need to bring.

That same packing list will be used on your way back home to make sure you’ve got everything packed from the video on location production and that you don’t forget anything from the scene.

Following these quick tips for producing video on location will ensure you make the most out of the time you have while shooting. For more information, or to schedule a location based shoot, call Beverly Boy Productions today!

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