1010 Collective (Pty) Ltd

How to prepare for a photo or video shoot

A checklist for the day 1 Stop Media comes to shoot your business, products or property.

A good shoot is mostly preparation. Here is what to do before we arrive so the day runs smoothly and you get the most out of it.

The week before

  1. Agree the shot list. We send one — the pictures and clips we are planning. Add anything missing.
  2. Tidy the location. Clear surfaces, hide the cables, take down the faded poster. Cameras notice everything.
  3. Book the people. Anyone who should appear needs to know the time, and to be there.
  4. Check the light. For interiors we will ask what time the sun comes through which windows.

The day before

  • Charge or confirm anything that needs to be on — screens, signage, machines
  • Choose what people will wear: plain colours, no busy patterns, no big logos of other brands
  • For product shots: gather the products, cleaned, with their packaging

On the day

  • Have somebody available who can answer questions and unlock doors
  • Allow more time than you think — a "quick" half-day is usually a full one
  • Trust the boring shots; the wide, plain photo is the one that ends up on the website header

For video

  • Pick a quiet room for interviews; air-conditioning hum ruins audio
  • Do not memorise a script. We ask questions and cut the answers together
  • Short and honest beats polished and stiff, every time

Drone work

If aerial shots are planned, we check beforehand whether the location allows it — near airports and over crowds it does not. If it can't fly, we tell you before the day, not on it.

Afterwards

Selected photos are edited and delivered web-ready, sized for the site and for each social platform. Video comes back cut in the aspect ratios each platform wants. Raw files are kept for a while in case you need something else from the day.

Ask about a shoot

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