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. Are there key points you need to cover?
Audience. Who would you like to watch your film? Level of expertise, 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 access to the subjects and expertise needed, do you need to travel, do you need to send or receive footage from outside sources? Do you need to include footage examples of outside artists, and do you have permission to include them?
Context: Consider the wider life of your subject matter, natural settings, scenery, social scenes, close-up details, textures, etc
Consider any creative editing effects might help portray your idea most effectively? Bold colours, muted tones, split screen, subtitles, 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
Subject(s)
Performer(s)
Composer / Musician(s) - 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.
Camera - Choose an appropriate video recording device. See Camera Types for more info.
Landscape V Portrait - Landscape for these projects
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
Audio - Microphones, audio recorders, additional phones, etc
Location
Time of Day
Weather
Permissions
Safety
Shot List
Attire
Props
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.