How can you ensure your team's productivity during a location shoot?

Scout in advance the location - if you can’t do in person - have a zoom call with venue-/location folks - ask operational and logistical questions to help you plan for any challenges. It will also give you opportunity for creative ideas

Always account for a crew rest and decompression space. Filming sets can be chaotic and the crew often needs a space to sit down and have a protein bar in peace, even if it's for 5 minutes. Providing that space and account for it during the location scouting is a cruicial factor of keeping the crew productive and attentive throughout the process.

Logistical planning can overwhelm you. This is why we have specific resources to help with logistics. It also helps to have extra hands on deck to facilitate & coordinate talent, staff, resources, traffic/non-set personnel, and your client. It’s very important to choose the right people for the job since they will be representing you and your company. Side note, permitting and permission to shoot at certain locations can be a make it or break it. Make sure to scout in advance, get legal permits, have waivers & insurance coverage ready, and make sure the location owner/rep is fully aware of production details with enough time before to get any sign off they might need.

Sometimes when shooting for non-fiction you cannot choose an easy location. In that situation it becomes imperative to ask the local stingers/production support every possible detail about the location. Starting from what time the sun rises to how much crowds to be prepared for. Permissions of shooting in public places also makes the life a lot easier. The most important factor though is never shoot a person who hasn’t seen your face. Talk to them a few days in advance so that they can mentally prepare themselves and trust you or make peace with you. Otherwise you’re just an weird stranger with a camera(and crew)

A escolha das loca??es é essencial, claro!! Mas t?o importante quanto, é a escolha do ambiente onde a equipe irá descansar, se alimentar, se reunir. A liga??o entre a base de produ??o e o set de filmagem também é essencial para que tudo transcorra da melhor forma.

Communication on set and set psychology are a whole field to be explored, and I encourage anyone interested in film production to dive into it, before planning a shoot. But here is a ready-to-use tip I swear by: Create your shooting schedule realistically. Realistically means accounting for the inevitable: delays. Overtime or sets that run over the schedule are too common and a frequent, avoidable source of frustration for everyone involved. It's better if your crew gets to go home earlier (should you miraculously not encounter unforeseen challenges), rather than having to stay longer. People have lives outside your set waiting for them, and having reliable schedules breeds satisfaction.

A comunica??o com qualquer equipe é parte essencial do trabalho. Tanto dentro da empresa quanto em filmagens externas, com equipe terceirizada ou n?o, elenco, técnicos, Sociedade civil. Tod@s precisam saber de antem?o o que os espera, e como se portar em cada local. Há áreas de maior sensibilidade, áreas com restri??o de barulhos, ou de movimenta??o de veículos pesados, horários diferenciados, maior ou menor impacto na cidade. Desde o local de estacionamento da frota, até a rela??o com a vizinhan?a deve ser pensada em conjunto, e dividida com a equipe ANTES do deslocamento.

Communication is absolutely essential. a key ingredient in effective communication that’s often overlooked. Is clarity of vision. So often, the elements of communication on a location shoot is limited to tasks, goals and timelines. Even if a clear vision of the overall production has been presented and understood, it’s important to do so again on a micro level for that particular location to convey to everyone involved how important it is and how exciting it should be for everyone to contribute.

Use digital communication tools to keep people organized. Set up a WhatsApp community for your production with different group of disciplines. If you have the budget, use Slack or Asana to manage the production project. Some studios have a proprietary project management system. Make sure to work with your client to see what works for them as well.

Utilize your resources! If you’re a producer working with seasoned shooters and you are not 100 percent sure a set up is working, ask your team for their input. This accomplishes two things; you will avoid wasting time setting up something that won’t look great and you will create an environment of collaboration.

Well when you have a team, you can pack the whole set because the manpower is there. How I often handle the situation is each team member holds specific equipment. Say for example a guy for the lights carries all the light related equipment be it strobes, speed lights, batteries reflectors etc, the photographer caries the camera, lenses and any other photography specific equipment, the "videographer" carries their stands, camera, storage cards their rigs etc. This way everyone is responsible for their equipment and keeps observing it all. It also helps in faster assembly and disassembly.

In my experience, it also helps to have a good relationship with the lighting or equipment rental company. They can help identify things you might need and have forgotten. Also make sure to have a specific resource to manage & account for equipment. Don’t forget to label yours, get insurance, and have a back up plan in case things get lost or broken. Preparing for everything will make sure you have all the tools necessary to do an amazing job for your client.

Look at the weather for the coming days ahead and plan for it. pack comfortable and always be prepared for snow/rain. A cold crew is an unhappy crew.

Clutter is the first give away of an inexperienced production crew. No matter how tight the schedule is, always make sure to create segmented areas on the set where different things are kept, even on small sets with a crew of 2 or 3. I have a habit of first determining the filming set location first and foremost with just one main camera. That's my starting point. From there, I ask the crew to offload all the gear in the space behind it, making sure there is enough room to create segmented areas. One area is always close to the main camera, and that's where we keep all the optics, filters etc. Generally to its left, we put another table for all the rigging gear and lighting equipment. A structured set helps you focus on what matters most

I agree. Also make sure to track the weather, have a contingency plan, have back up production resources to help in case someone gets sick. Visit your location(s) prior to production day to make sure you have all your camera angles and can tidy up your equipment list. Preparation is professional — your client will appreciate it and you’ll make them look good.

Filming on location whether it’s a shiny city, a remote town or an uninhabited island has to follow the basics - food, shelter, clothing + safety. Make sure you have the right team for the project, location shoots does not cut corners- get an experienced fixer/facilitator, know your location, diligent with risk assessment, get the right insurance.. we are all creative, that’s a given. Now we need to make sure safety protocols are in place, exit plans, risk mitigation, food restrictions.. allergies, medical conditions.. for more difficult locations - important to hire a team who are capable for the type of shoot. Then enjoy. Love the location, engage with the locals, respect the culture and have an amazing shoot and gain more friends ??

Es importante tu capacidad de evaluar el entorno, estudiar posibles salidas y ser flexible. No hay nada que el papel no aguante pero el rodaje en exteriores es casi siempre una aventura y si bien ayuda a planificarla trae siempre improvisar en la marcha.

Sometimes you'll find yourself in a situation where it's you and the camera and no boom operator. You need wild sound and the shot. Find a kind looking person in crowd and ask them to hold your lav for you. It works best if they are someone who can't run the minute you are shooting and you might need to chat them up a bit but it works.

In my experience we usually have a digital asset wrangler on set. They are in charge of backing up all footage, reviewing it, and keeping storage formats ready & in proper health. Recently we have switched to all SSD drives for speed and redundancy. Cloud services are amazing to use but require a deeper data management plan if being used to do post production. Lastly, divide your backups just in case one gets lost.

Having a DIT on set especially to take care of the dailies is a must. Too many times, a card has gone bad without checking it losing hours of amazing footage. This will help any hiccups along the way.

There’s so many good suggestions here. Well, I would add is food and oxygen. When shooting in a high-pressure area or severely secure area, or antiseptic area somewhere where it takes a long time to get in and out of the shoot location, remember, people need oxygen! Folks when they are constricted when they are restricted, and when they are held in some sort of a zone They need air they need headroom, and they need to decompress without people on top of them once they get out of the shoot environment. The other piece is food, nutrition has come along way we have to make sure we don’t just expect people to eat candy bars and drink Mountain Dew, we need to focus on better, longer serving snacks, and meals that help us and not hurt us!

100% If you mess with basic human needs, like energy food and over fatigue, you won't get the best from people. I also believe it comes down to showing respect for other humans and just being good people.

I always carry some Mars bars or oatmeal protein bars or similar. They go down well as pick-me-ups every time. I’ve been known to make egg rolls to have in my bag to hand out as well.

Create a detail schedule by organizing the shoot during the pre-production stage with a clear, detailed schedule that includes timelines for each scene, breaks, and any other critical activities. Ensure that everyone has access to this schedule and understands it. Also, Ensure on-site efficiency in time management and progression of the shoot on the day by these two main ways: 1. Delegating Responsibilities: Assign clear roles and responsibilities to each team member to avoid confusion and overlap. 2. Monitor Progress: Keep track of what’s been shot versus what’s left to do. Adjust the schedule as needed but try to stick to it as closely as possible.

I believe that an environment of communion should be established throughout the filming process. Those people will spend a lot of time together. Try to make all components feel like they are a fundamental part of the work, that regardless of their role, nothing would be done without their collaboration. When you reach the end, it won't take much effort for everyone to want to celebrate the result achieved. Maintaining the network is also interesting. Because if they know they can possibly be asked to work for you again, this will make them strive to do their best and not miss out on future opportunities.

Many years ago, whilst making a BBC documentary series about management theory, I met Frederick Herzberg, the psychologist whose work on employee motivation has proved highly influential. His advice has stayed with me: people are more motivated by factors like “achievement “ and “the work itself “ than by things like pay or status. This is especially true in broadcasting, where it can be easy to be swept along by the desire to create a fabulous product. People will forgive a lot if they believe in the project. But don’t push it too far, and don’t ignore what Herzberg might call “hygiene factors” - which means things like making sure everyone has enough food and rest, has a safe environment to work in, and is getting paid the proper rate.

Pre production. Pre production. Pre production. Developing a fool proof plan before the shoot itself is key. Some people will lay this all out in PowerPoint type documents, word documents, and so on. Over the past year I’ve personally started using Milanote for all of my production work as it’s super interactive and with the mobile app I can check off each task that my team is doing on the days of production. Also acknowledge that things go probably will not go according to plan and that’s okay.

My best production experiences have come about from projects that were pre-visualized- effectively edited prior to shooting. While every shoot has variables that can't be anticipated prior to rolling, knowing your shotlist, your pacing, and where you intend each cut to land before you begin elevates your shoot's artistry and provides space for innovation. It also ensures that you hit your scheduling marks- which will make any 1st AD quite happy.

Craft services! I always had great food and snacks. I’d get my favorite crews to reschedule themselves if I called. And as mentioned earlier, the director has to be totally prepared. Shoot to edit. Once you know the story is told with the shots you have in the can, if you’re prepared, you’ll have extra time to explore the scene, or move more quickly on the shoot. Overtime kills everyone I think.

It's such a small thing but thank your crew in person after wrap. A little gratitude goes a long way, even if things didn't go well. They are professionals but they are also humans.