Shoot Day Essentials

4 Dec

Your complete list for shoot day essentials, pre, during and post 🤳

Shoot days can be the most fun part of being a social media manager, but it takes a TON of prep. We’ve done the thinking for you, so here’s your complete guide to everything you need from pre-, during and post-shoot so you can enjoy the day and focus on getting the best content.

P.S. We shoot exclusively on iPhone (shout out to the iPhone marketing campaigns that showed how great the quality can be)!

BEFORE THE SHOOT

The key to a smooth and successful shoot is planning, planning and more planning. Remember, on the day you’ll have a limited amount of time to work with, so it’s essential to be organised.

Check your content strategy - First things first, have a look through the content strategy. Even if you’re super familiar with it, it’s a great way to remind yourself of the client’s specific goals, such as increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to your website or generating sales. This ensures that as you plan content ideas, they align with the overall marketing strategy and will maximise its impact.
Content ideation - It’s time to get that content calendar out! Get inspired, map out your ideas for each platform and decide on what date they will be going live. Remember- if you’ll be jumping on any trends or seasonal hooks, make sure these are good to go on suitable dates. Want an all-in-one social media content calendar where you can organise your content for multiple platforms, track each piece of content and what stage you’re in, as well as your track analytics & insights? Check out our Notion Content Calendar Template.
Shot list - Possibly THE most important step for organising a shoot. You can map out each piece of content and break it down in terms of what shots you’ll need for each one. It’s best to keep this internal - and we promise it’ll make shoot day more efficient so you can focus solely on the content on the day.
Make a checklist of items for the day - Here are our non-negotiables for a shoot day:
- extendable tripod
- small tripod
- industrial ring light
- mini phone ring light
- portable mics
- portable chargers
- 2x fully charged iPhones

DURING THE SHOOT

POV: it’s shoot day and you’re fully prepared with your shot list and equipment 🤳

It’s go time! Now you’ve got your shot list and know exactly what you need to film, here are our top tips to keep in the forefront of your mind:

Clean Your Camera Lens: A dirty lens can result in blurry or hazy content. Before you start shooting, make sure to clean your camera lens to ensure clear, sharp images and videos! We clean it multiple times during the shoot.

Use Good Lighting: Lighting is crucial for content shoots. Natural light is often the best option, so try to shoot during the day near a window or outdoors. Avoid harsh, direct sunlight, and consider using a ring light if necessary.

Experiment with Angles and Perspectives: Try shooting from different angles and perspectives to create more dynamic and interesting photos. Keep it interesting and remember to have fun!

POST- SHOOT

Back up your content! THE most important step, but often neglected. Ensure you’ve backed up all your content across different devices. You can set up shared folders directly on your phone, and also on a hard drive and/or Google Drive. Don’t solely rely on one source, it’s better to have two places where all your content is. We don’t want all that hard work to go to waste!
Happy editing! Time to see it all come together. If your content calendar is solid before the shoot - this part will be easy and most importantly, fun! Your audience will feel the fun, authentic vibes the more you enjoy the process.