Most of what makes a shoot day run well happens before the crew arrives. Get the property ready properly and a one-day shoot covers everything on the list. Get it half-ready and the same day gets eaten by fixing things that should’ve been sorted the week before.
A week before
- Block the rooms and spaces you want filmed — out of inventory, not just “we’ll try to keep it free.” A room that gets checked in the morning of the shoot is a room we can’t use.
- Brief your team — housekeeping, front office, F&B, security. Everyone should know the shoot is happening, roughly when, and who the point of contact is. Confused staff walking into frame is the single most common thing that slows a shoot day down.
- Confirm the weather-dependent shots and have a backup plan for anything relying on a clear sky or golden hour.
The day before
- Fresh flowers, if you’re using them — ordered to arrive the morning of, not two days early.
- Rooms cleaned and styled to your normal high standard, then left alone. Nobody needs to re-clean an already-clean room; they need to not disturb it.
- Remove anything that dates a shot fast: seasonal decorations, temporary signage, promotional table cards, anything with a date printed on it.
On the morning
- One point of contact on-site who can unlock rooms, move furniture back if needed, and make quick calls without us having to chase three departments.
- Pause housekeeping and maintenance in the spaces we’re filming until we’ve moved on — a vacuum starting up mid-take costs more time than it saves.
- Have your team ready if you want staff in shot — briefed on wardrobe, and available at the actual time we need them, not “on call.”
What actually wastes a shoot day
In order: rooms that weren’t blocked and get interrupted, staff who don’t know who to ask when we need something, and styling decisions left until we’re standing in the room. None of these are expensive to fix. They just need deciding a few days early instead of on the day.
We send a shot list and a simple prep checklist ahead of every shoot, so nothing here is a surprise on the day. If you’re planning one, get in touch and we’ll walk you through exactly what we’ll need from your team.