Filmmaking is an art,
we have it down to a science.
Tips to a great video shoot with The Storyteller Studios
Use the pre-production plan.
We’ve done a lot of the hard work already in pre-production. By the day of your shoot we should all have a clear understanding of the target audience for your video, the message, the cast, how each contribute to the over-all message, what your video will invite viewers to do next, and how your video will be used. Unlike a news story, high-quality filmmaking does not lend itself well to last minute changes. Any project scope changes occurring on the day of the shoot due to last minute revisions to the production plan or any other circumstances beyond our control will result in an overage charge at the rate of $300/hour.
Select a great location for interviews.
We’ve invested in the very best technology and tools to do our work. Our kit includes tripods, light stands, multiple cameras, a dozen lenses, microphones, mic stands, light fixtures, cabling, not to mention our crew of humans! The spaces we like best are large, relatively quiet, controllable in terms of foot traffic, and, importantly, help to tell our story visually in some way.
Send pics!
We love to have an idea of the location we’ll be shooting in before we arrive. Once a location has been selected please take a moment to snap a few smart phone pics and send them our way.
Give us time.
You can’t rush greatness! Quality work requires us to be thoughtful and to be thoughtful takes time. We’ll need 30 to 45 minutes after we arrive to set and light our scene.
Give us space.
Plan to have a separate area or room where those participating in the video can wait while we set and light our scene(s). We need to limit the number of people on set with us during our shoot to only those who are absolutely necessary.
Wear simple, solid, muted earth tones.
Our work is entirely about authenticity so, simply put, we want people to be themselves on camera. The best clothing to wear for a filmed interview is simple, solid, muted earth tones. Avoid bright colors, pastels, and tight, detailed patterns. They don’t reproduce well on video. We really like blues. If you wear blue we’ll be fast friends.
Arrange opportunities for covering footage ahead of time.
We know a lot of planning and logistics go into the filmed interviews themselves, but don’t forget that we also need to shoot plenty of great, cinematic covering footage to tell our story on film. Planning for this is a critical part of our pre-production planning guide for very good reason. Arrange opportunities to collect this with your team ahead of time and clearly communicate the need for this to those involved so we don’t surprise them with our cameras.
If you haven’t yet, please review our FAQ page for more about what to expect.