What is your film about?
Who / what is to be portrayed in your film?
Identify aspects of your subject that you'd like explore or highlight.
Audience. Who would you like to watch your film? Area of interest, age range, nationality, etc. What visual methods should be employed to make the video suitable and engaging for your intended audience?
Access & Permission - Do you have easy access and permission for your chosen location. Do you have easy access to your performers, schedules, etc. Do you or they need to travel to film? Do you need to include footage, visual elements or audio from outside artists, and do you have permission to include them?
Context: Consider scenery, close-up details, textures, etc. Plan B-Roll elements as part of your shoot.
What type of creative effects might help portray your idea most effectively? Bold colours, black & white, speed adjustments, split screen, etc.
Consider who you might need on the day to assist or to perform. You may be able to fulfil a number of these roles yourself, and not all will be needed, but considering them in advance will ensure you don't miss anything out.
Director
Camera operator(s)
Sound operator
Performer(s)
Musician(s)
Composer - Usually part of the post production crew as opposed to on the day of filming.
Assistant(s) - I often advise having at least one other person on hand to assist, even if it's just to watch bags, hand you items and keep you company. This can be of particular importance depending on the filming location. I wouldn't advise filming alone in remote locations or at night.
Editor - This can be for sound or video. In this context this will be you, but for future projects you may wish to collaborate.
Camera - Choose an appropriate video recording device. See Camera Types for more info.
Landscape V Portrait - For this context it will be landscape.
Camera Settings - Resolution & frame rate. Be sure to match up multiple cameras to the same settings if using more than one camera.
Stabilisation - Handheld, tripod, gimbal, etc
Batteries & File Storage - Charge Battery, ensure optimal space available on your recording device, bring computer & hard drive if needed.
Lighting - Natural or additional
Live Audio - Microphones, audio recorders, additional phones, speaker & music source, etc
Location / Set - Aesthetic, colour, texture, movement, angles, etc
Time of Day - Access, traffic (human or vehicle), background noise, lighting, etc
Weather - Temperature, precipitation, lighting, equipment, clothing & footwear.
Permissions - It is wise to ask permission before filming anywhere / anyone, as a courtesy that establishes a positive working relationship, and to draw out any potential issues that may arise during the shoot so they can be planned for.
Safety - Structural integrity, floor safety, cleanliness & hygiene, suitable clothing, etc,
Shot List
Costume - Considering clothing colour and style in relation to the space and lighting can have a big impact on the feel of a shot and on the atmosphere you are trying to create. If you are filming dancers, do you need them to have the correct clothing / shoes, do you want musicians to look casual for class, or smart for performance? Consider location & weather, might they need suitable attire or footwear. This will also help any of your subjects to be prepared for the shoot in advance, thereby optimising your shooting time.
Props - Consider the potential need for props that you may need for the shoot, so they are on hand when filming. For example, if you want to film anyone with instruments, if so does the space you film in contain the appropriate equipment or does it need to be sourced and brought, chair’s, music stands, amps, microphones, etc.
Audio
Audio for video can consist of many elements such as pre-recorded music, voice or sound elements, live sound captured on the shoot, foley, sound effects or music composed in response to the edited footage.
You may need access to an external microphone or audio recorder, which may involve a bit of research and practice on placement and settings.
For existing audio recordings or music, seek audio without copyright issues. There are lots of free audio options for music and sound effects.
You may also have your own recordings, or recordings by friends / fellow artists from whom you could obtain permission.
Always credit the work of any artists you use in your films. This might include things like audio, photos, artwork, poetry, etc, as well as their visual representation within the footage. Make note throughout the process, of any participants and their role within the project.
Saving this information onto a word doc as early as possible will save you time at the end of the project, and will also allow you to cut and paste the information directly onto your editing software.
You may also wish to include a list of people to thank who may have offered resources or assistance, or the Logos of any associated organizations.
Ideally an external Hard Drive should be used for film work. As well as keeping the computers free of clutter, which impacts performance speed, it also allows you to use any compatible computer for editing without restriction.
If you plan to work with film more regularly, which in the performance world is fast becoming a necessity, I would strongly advise investing in one.
Hard Drives may need formatting to be compatible with your choice of computer. Mac and windows required different formats to work.