How to Scale Video: Filming across 25 locations for a luxury brand in 3 months

Before our team could start filming a single frame, we had to plan it all out - filming at 25 different locations is no small feat, so we knew organization would be key to making the process as efficient as possible. First, we needed a list of all of the locations where the videos were going to be shot. Once we had that, the next step was to find out what dates each store was available to have a film crew come out - then our planning could begin.

Plan Ahead for Consistency (Pre-pre-production)

Pre-planning is essential to establish consistency across so many different shoots for different branches.

Some recommendations to help with consistency:

• Establish an approved equipment list

  • Camera types, lenses, microphones

• Standardize the shot list

  • Start with a list of “must haves”

• Distill the client’s brand identity into easily digestible docs for all team members

  • Brand books can contain a lot of information - create a cheat sheet for crew members on site, and for the post team putting together the final pieces

• Stick to one post-production team

  • Having the same eyes on everything before it gets out the door is a key quality control measure

• When possible - use the same film crew

  • This may not always be possible, but when shoots are within reasonable proximity, lean on the same crew

The planning and pre-production phase of any project is the most important phase. You can’t predict the future, but plan as much as possible, so that you’re prepared for any challenges that may arise. Don’t cut corners - while you can always pivot if an obstacle arises, you want to go into your shoot with a clear plan of action.

Challenges are inevitable

As much planning as we put in, we came across and had to overcome a few challenges.

The first challenge with filming at active businesses is that they’re just that – businesses, so their main priority is to run that business. It’s our job to make the filming process as streamlined as possible - especially if they are closing the store to make time for filming.

Each location had a different length of time we were allowed to be on site. Some allowed us to be on location for 5 hours, others as little as 3.5 hours. Our team needed to be able to adjust to those time constraints, while still making sure we got everything we needed.

The second challenge was that the locations were not all carbon copies of each other. Each location was set up differently, and varied in size. We had to get creative with some of the smaller locations to make sure we had enough dynamic shots to fill a 60 second video. Others had specialized features that were unique to that location, so it was important to make sure that everything was properly organized to keep track of what each location required.

To overcome these challenges we would receive cell phone video or photos of the interior and exterior of the luxury space, which I could then use to create an individualized shoot plan. If a video was provided, I would hyperlink the specific shots to a timestamp to help the client visualize what the shoot was going to look like. After the client gave us the final sign-off on the shoot plan, I shared the shot list with the video team so they could review and share any questions before we began filming.

Organization is Key

The importance of organization cannot be understated. With all of the details above, shoots can get very complicated, very fast. My best advice if no other organizational tools are available - make a spreadsheet! There are a wide variety of organizational tools and softwares, but what works best for the client is best for us. The best organization tool is one that actually gets used. In this case - that was a shared spreadsheet. Not only was that such a helpful way for us to keep track of what was going on, it was also a great way to keep the client informed as to what was happening, what was next, etc. Our team worked primarily with Microsoft Word, Google Spreadsheets, and Adobe Premiere Pro for these shoots. For other projects we use Adobe Workfront, Trello, Frame.io or a client’s preferred platform.

Don’t be afraid to overexplain

Don’t be afraid to overexplain in the shoot plan! Our video teams are detail oriented and greatly appreciated the direction and the photos we included in our plans. With every additional shoot our shoot plans evolved to cover new anticipated challenges and common shoot needs. (Another instance where being organized and efficient came in handy!)

On the day of the shoot, our video team would be on the ground executing all of the pre-approved shots from the shot plan. I was on standby for each shoot, and so was the client contact, in case anything came up on the day of the shoot that needed our input or attention.

After the shoot, the videographers sent their footage to our award-winning editors to begin the post-production phase. Once received, Lightswitch’s editors created a version of just the visuals for client approval. Once approved, we sent the video to a colorist to color grade each video, which would then need to be approved by the client. Finally, the cutdowns of the master video would be approved, and that location would be considered done! Having an established approval process and the same editing team on every shoot made sure the videos weren’t held up in post.

Be Flexible - and communicate!

Be ready to pivot! You can only prepare and organize so much. Sometimes shoots get cancelled at the last second due to constraints outside our control, or have something unexpected come up onsite. When unexpected challenges occur I was always honest and transparent with our client because our team - the client and Lightswitch - are just that, a team. It’s key to remember that the problem is the enemy, and we’re partnered with our client to solve it. Be ready with solutions - the only thing worse than going to a client with an issue is not providing them with an option for a solution (or multiple options).

Pre-planning and organization are the best ways to set yourself up for success. The more you can plan for, the smoother the process will go.

It’s crucial to remember that you need to accept what you can and cannot control. Flexibility is key to handling any challenges that may arise, and to creating a calm and effective working environment in the face of those challenges.

Filming across 25 different locations for a luxury brand is a large feat, but by working with the right team, it doesn’t have to feel like one.