In a society where content is king (or queen), it’s important to make sure you’re getting everything you need out of a shoot. There are few things more disappointing than thinking what if or feeling like you missed out on your shoot once it’s done.
Don’t know where to start? Take a look at our five tips to get the most out of your content shoot and you’ll be well on your way!
1. Have a Clear Goal
Like anything in life, having a clear goal helps achieve success. This is no different when you’re getting ready for your shoot. Define what you’re looking to achieve before moving on to other planning. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and makes for a smoother process for all involved.
2. Write a Detailed Brief
Have you ever heard the age old saying, “prior planning prevents poor performance?” Well, it does (most of the time)! Writing a detailed brief may be the most time-consuming part of this entire process, but it’s worth it. There are few things worse than showing up on shoot day with a notebook full of chicken scratch serving as a brief. Be as thorough as you can be, write down every shot you need, the angle, the type of shot and even the mood you’re going for. This way, the photographer has enough information to get the shot you’re looking to achieve. A detailed brief also serves as a checklist that everyone on set can follow, whether it’s you, the venue, or the photographer.
Hot Top: It’s better for your brief to have too much than too little. You can always scale back on shoot day if timing because an issue.
Maximise Your Setup
Lugging around a bag full of props, lighting options, backgrounds, et cetera, may not be the most idea situation for you. However, it can make all the difference when it capturing that sweet, sweet content you need. By maximising your setup, you gain valuable opportunities to achieve a multitude of different shots using the same area. Not only does this save you time, but also allows you to capture maximum content.
Hot Tip: You don’t need to spend thousands on professional backgrounds. Head to your local office supplies store and pick up thick coloured cardstock in all sizes for only a couple dollars!
4.Shoot Both Video and Stills
This one is pretty straightforward. With the amount of content flooding the web, it’s important to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. Shooting only photo or only video puts you behind the trend. Shooting both gives you the option to create mountains of content and chop and change to your hearts content. Obviously, videography is a cost in its own, but even getting the photographer to get a few snippets is better than nothing at all. Build this into the cost of the shoot, you won’t be disappointed!
Hot Tip: Not comfortable with video? Ask your photographer to shoot motion using burst mode to create an engaging GIF in post-production! 
5. Shoot With Social Dimensions in Mind
If you’re like me, you instantly lose interest in a post, story, real or TikTok that’s not shot in the correct format. Taking the time to shoot in social dimensions will ultimately pay off in the end. It’s something that separates good content from great content! The best part? It’s simple to do! Just make sure to shoot landscape and portrait. Very little work will be needed in post-production to optimise for social formats.
Popular Dimensions
Landscape: 1080x608
Portrait: 1080x1350
Stories and Reelz: 1080x1920
Landscape: 1200x630
Stories: 1080x1920
Landscape Video: 1920x1080
Square image/video: 1080x1080
TikTok/SnapChat
1080x1920
Still unsure about your shoot?
