Production: What to expect during the shoot
Production: What to expect during the shoot
Date
Jan 23, 2026
Category
Production 101
After weeks of preparation, we're ready to gather the production crew and execute our creative vision. Your producer has worked through all the logistics to ensure a smooth shoot, so now it's time let the rest of the filmmaking team do what they do best. Here's what to expect on your shoot day.
Arriving to set
The first thing you'll notice when you arrive is all the lighting and camera equipment rolling off the truck. There will be a camera cart where a technician builds the camera — yes, these cameras actually require a person just to set them up! — while other carts are loaded with lights, stands, sand bags, and miles of extension cords ("stingers," as you'll here the crew call them).
Each piece of equipment you'll see has its purpose, and we've put a lot of effort into tailoring our production setup to optimize efficiency. Even the inside of our main truck has racks welded to the specific measurements of our gear — just so we can load things on and off more quickly. We've made hundreds of tweaks that shave time off routine tasks so that we can spend as much of it as possible actually filming.
Crews unloading the grip truck at the start of a shoot
Video village
Depending on the location, we'll usually set up an area known as "video village" with monitors that will receive a live transmission of what our cameras are filming. You'll spend most of your day here with your producer, who will stay nearby to relay any messages you have for the director. And between takes, the director will periodically come by to share thoughts and get your feedback.
We want your experience to feel like a creative collaboration, so we encourage you to let us know your thoughts so we can better capture exactly what you're after.
Documentary-style shoots are typically smaller in every aspect. Smaller crews. Often cramped locations. So while there may not be room for a video village, we always have a monitor on-hand for you to keep an eye on what's going on.
The director and DP on set with a handheld monitor as they watch footage being streamed from the camera
Preparation pays off
Things move fast on shoot days. But behind the whirl of activity is a well thought-out plan for getting the very most out of every single minute. Depending on the size of the production, producers might work weeks on building a schedule that takes into account all the variables that will come into play. Location moves, complicated shots, talent arrivals. It's a complex puzzle of moving parts, but we make sure they all fit together so there are no surprises and everything stays on-track.
By the time you get on set, the producer will have all the gears turning and the schedule set in motion. And if it all looks effortless, even invisible, that means he or she has done their job. For them, the really hard part is over. Their job is to safely navigate the team past every planning obstacle and engineer a super-efficient schedule that allows you to get the absolute most out of your production day.
On-set during one of our commercial shoots
The shot list: your story's blueprint
Throughout the day, you'll notice your director and DP pairing off and referring to a document called the shot list. It's the entire sequence of shots that will make up your project, and it tells them in detail exactly what they need to capture and how it fits into the story.
Sometimes, especially on scripted projects, the director will create storyboards that illustrate for the entire crew precisely the shots we need. But more often than not, the director will just write out the shots in a shorthand that everyone understands. It will tell them information like how to frame the shot (wide, medium, close-up, etc.), whether the shot moves (on a tripod, dolly, steadicam, or jib), the angle, and the direction of the movement (dolly-in, dolly-out, truck left, truck right).
Storyboard for one of our commercials, called "The Party"
An atmosphere of possibility
A film set is unlike any other work environment, and we want you to walk away at the end of the day feeling like you participated in something special. There's an alchemy that takes place when you gather the right group of creatives to bring a story to life. It's like magic. We don't exactly know how it happens, we just know how to be ready when it does.
Most of the crew you'll meet are like family to us, and they share our passion for telling important stories. You'll feel it on the set, that spirit of creativity and craftsmanship from our team, and it creates an atmosphere of possibility. It's here where great performances are made and captured, the kind that only comes from good planning, hard work, and an enduring spirit of fun.
Our DP as he finds the right angle on a documentary-style commercial shoot
Next up
Production is wrapped. Now it's time to start putting it all together as we move your project into the post-production phase.
Ready to talk?
Schedule a call with one of us to get started on your own project.