How to prepare your team before a shoot day

The best preparation on your side is telling participants what to expect before they show up, not on the day itself. A person who knows roughly what they'll be asked, how long they'll need, and that nobody expects a perfect performance walks in calmer than someone who's just been told to be there at 10.

Brief people on the why, not just the when

A calendar invite that says "video shoot, 10am" tells someone nothing useful. Tell each participant what the video is for, roughly what they'll be asked about, and why they specifically were chosen for this segment. Someone who understands they're being filmed because they know the project better than anyone else in the building shows up with something to say. Someone who was just told to turn up shows up guessing at what's wanted from them.

Set the time expectation honestly

Tell people how long their slot actually is, and hold to it. If someone's told fifteen minutes and it stretches to forty-five because the conversation was going well, that's a good outcome for the video but a frustrating one for a person who blocked out a short gap in their calendar. On a run sheet with several interviews, a booked slot is a commitment, and it's worth being straightforward with participants about roughly how firm that time actually is.

Wardrobe and appearance, kept simple

The general rule is solid colours over busy patterns, since fine stripes and small checks can strobe on camera, and to avoid clothing that closely matches the background of the room being used. Beyond that, tell people to wear what they'd normally wear to a client meeting rather than something unfamiliar, since comfort reads better on camera than a stiff new outfit does. If a session includes formal business portraits alongside the video, there's a fuller wardrobe guide here.

Clear the space, not just the calendar

Check the room being used is actually free for the block booked, not just on the calendar but in practice, since a meeting running long next door or a delivery scheduled through the lobby can eat into a tight day. Confirm parking or loading access for the crew, particularly if there's gear to bring in. These are unglamorous details, and they're most of why a shoot day runs on time or doesn't.

Tell people it's a conversation, not a test

The single most useful thing you can tell a nervous participant is that there's no script to memorise and no wrong answer to give. The director will ask questions and shape a natural conversation, not read from a sheet at them, and the useful parts get selected in the edit afterwards. People who've been told this walk in relieved rather than braced. We've written more specifically about the technique we use with people who are dreading their turn on camera, if you've got someone on the team who needs more reassurance than a general briefing gives.

Have one point of contact on the day

Nominate one person on your side, not necessarily the most senior, who's reachable throughout the shoot to make quick calls: whether a particular shot is fine to use, whether a schedule change is workable, whether a last-minute participant swap is acceptable. A shoot day moves fast enough that waiting on a group decision for a small call can cost real time. One clear point of contact keeps the day moving without anyone feeling bypassed.

What good preparation actually buys you

None of this is about making the crew's job easier for its own sake. A team that's been properly briefed arrives calmer, gives better answers, and the day finishes closer to on time, which means less disruption to everyone's actual job. The run sheet we send beforehand names exactly who's needed when, and pairing that document with a proper internal briefing is what turns a good plan into a smooth day.

A short checklist worth sending around

Before the day, it's worth circulating a plain summary to everyone involved: what the video's for, their specific time slot, what to wear, where to go and who to ask if something changes. Five lines in an email does more for a calm shoot day than any amount of last-minute reassurance on the morning itself.

If you've got a shoot coming up and want help briefing your team, get in touch and we'll give you a template to work from.