What are the most important steps to planning and organizing a successful video shoot?

1. Video strategy/goals This is where you define the purpose of your video, the message you want to convey, and what you hope to achieve with it.

Define objectives, create a detailed shot list, plan the schedule, scout locations, assemble a skilled crew, select and prepare equipment, coordinate with talent, consider permits, create a contingency plan, organize a pre-production meeting, establish communication channels, prep for post-production, arrange catering, ensure safety measures, and plan for a smooth editing process.

2. Budget/scope Your budget will dictate the resources you allocate to the video project, including the quality of equipment you can use, the talent you can hire, and the locations you can shoot in.

We have a saying. Production schedules are made to be broken. That said it's very important to create a production schedule for each video you're working on. Even though it will inevitably be changed it provides a road map to completion and when clients want to shift things you can align back to the production schedule to show (not tell) them that it's doable or not, OR what the increase in scope will be to achieve it. TLDR; write production schedules and revise them throughout production.

3. Story selection Story selection involves choosing the narrative or message of your video. This could be a persuasive documentary, a fictional narrative, an explainer video, or something more in the video marketing space: a brand story, a product demonstration, or maybe a customer testimonial. Whatever it is, the story should align with your goals and resonate with your target audience. Start with storyboarding several ideas and choose the one that meets your needs.

4. Project timeline Setting a project timeline helps keep the video production process on track. It outlines when each phase of the process should be completed, from the initial planning to the final editing.

5. Script creation Script creation is where the narrative or message of the video is put into words. The script serves as the blueprint for your video, outlining the dialogue, voiceovers, and visual elements. It guides the production team on what needs to be filmed and helps the editor understand the flow of the story.

6. Talent/characters The talent you use in your video could be professional actors, members of your organization, or customers. Talent should be able to deliver your message convincingly and connect with your audience.

7. Location scouting This part of the process involves finding suitable locations to film your video. The location could be a real place, like a business or an outdoor location, or a set created in a studio. The location should align with the story and aesthetic of your video and be practical for filming. Factors to consider for capturing the best video when scouting locations include the lighting conditions, the acoustics, the availability of the location, and any potential disruptions to filming — which often arise filming a corporate video at a workplace. When location scouting, remember to take notes so you remember to incorporate any specific scenery or landmarks into your shot list.