Confirm who is appearing
Once the wider decisions in the corporate video plan and production brief are agreed, create a final contributor list with arrival times, contact details and the part each person will cover. Make sure managers allow realistic time away from normal duties. An interview slot includes briefing, microphone fitting, framing and repeat answers—not only the final words used in the edit.
Tell contributors where the video will be used and what the discussion will cover. Appropriate permissions or releases should be arranged where required, especially for customers, members of the public and anyone whose participation is not part of their normal role.
Nominate substitutes only where they can credibly provide the same perspective. Last-minute replacement of a technical expert with someone unfamiliar with the subject rarely saves time.
Help interviewees prepare without sounding memorised
Share themes and likely questions rather than asking people to learn paragraphs word for word. They should understand the key facts, examples and terminology that matter. Exact scripts are appropriate when wording is legally or operationally critical, but conversational interviews usually benefit from natural phrasing.
- Listen to the full question before answering.
- Use complete thoughts where possible.
- Speak to the interviewer rather than watching the camera unless directed otherwise.
- Pause and begin again when needed.
- Expect questions to be rephrased.
- Remember that hesitations and repeated takes are normal and editable.
A short, calm briefing on the day is often more useful than rehearsing until every answer sounds performed.
Choose sensible clothing
Clothing should suit the person’s role, workplace and brand. There is no universal rule that everyone must wear plain dark colours. Consider how several contributors will look together and whether uniforms or branded clothing need to be consistent.
Very fine stripes, tight checks and tiny repeating patterns can sometimes create distracting interference on camera. Reflective accessories, noisy jewellery or prominent unrelated branding may also draw attention. Bring an alternative top or jacket when practical, particularly if the background or lighting is not yet known.
Check uniforms for correct logos and role-specific PPE. People should still feel comfortable and recognisable; the goal is not to disguise the workplace.
Prepare interview rooms and working locations
Reserve rooms for longer than the interview schedule alone. The crew needs setup and adjustment time, and contributors may run late. Remove avoidable clutter, confidential papers and temporary notices, but do not strip the room of all character.
Look behind the intended seat. Check bins, cables, half-erased whiteboards, bright windows, screens and objects that appear to grow out of the subject’s head. The crew will refine framing, but the business can resolve sensitive or immovable items beforehand.
Listen to the room. Air conditioning, refrigerators, traffic, building work and conversations next door may be more noticeable through microphones. Do not disable essential systems without permission; identify controllable noise and discuss operational constraints.
Ensure there is practical filming space and access to power. A small room filled by a boardroom table can restrict camera and lighting positions even when it looks spacious in a photograph.
Coordinate reception, security and access
Tell reception and security who is arriving, when and with what equipment. Arrange parking or loading near the working area where possible. Confirm lifts, stairs, access cards, escort requirements and any time restrictions.
Sites may require visitor registration, inductions, permits, method statements or PPE. Share requirements early enough for the crew to comply. On construction and industrial sites, identify the responsible safety contact and areas where filming cannot interrupt operations.
Nominate one production contact who can make practical decisions on the day. Camera operators should not have to search a building for someone authorised to open a room or approve a change in schedule.
Gather brand assets and materials
Provide approved logos, fonts, colours and brand guidance in usable formats before the edit. If screens, software or presentations will be demonstrated, prepare realistic non-confidential content and test the required accounts.
Products should be complete, clean and in the correct packaging. Uniforms, props, printed material and signage should reflect what the audience is meant to see. If several versions of a product exist, label the one that must be filmed.
Check whether claims, prices, statistics or customer names need approval. It is easier to capture correct material than replace it after filming.
Build contingency into the shoot schedule
Do not book contributors back-to-back with zero allowance for setup, overrunning meetings or repeat answers. Group people and shots by location to reduce equipment moves. Identify fixed operational moments separately from flexible material.
Schedule the most important or least flexible contributors carefully, but avoid placing every critical scene at the end of the day. Include meal breaks, room changes and travel between sites.
A timetable is a coordination tool, not proof that every minute can be filled. A small amount of contingency can prevent one delay from affecting the entire day.
Protect confidential and personal information
Inspect monitors, paperwork, whiteboards, visitor boards and wall displays. Use demonstration accounts rather than real customer records. Remove names, financial data, passwords, medical information and commercially sensitive plans from view.
Tell staff where filming will happen and identify people who should not appear. Consider customer-facing areas, reflective surfaces and background movement. If a process is confidential, agree an alternative angle or staged demonstration rather than hoping it will be hidden later.
Privacy preparation is the organisation’s responsibility as well as the crew’s. The production team can frame and edit carefully, but the business knows which information and areas are sensitive.
Day-before checklist
- Reconfirm crew arrival, parking and access.
- Send the final schedule and contributor contacts.
- Confirm rooms and operational filming windows.
- Check products, uniforms, props and presentation material.
- Prepare logos and approved brand assets.
- Remove confidential paperwork and screen data.
- Check inductions, permits and PPE.
- Tell reception, security and affected teams.
- Charge or prepare any client-owned demonstration devices.
- Review weather and exterior alternatives where relevant.
Shoot-morning checklist
- Open agreed rooms and confirm the nominated contact.
- Walk through changes to the schedule or location.
- Silence avoidable notifications and nearby interruptions.
- Check backgrounds, screens and whiteboards again.
- Make products and key people available as scheduled.
- Give interviewees water and a calm place to wait.
- Avoid adding unplanned messages without checking impact.
- Keep decision-makers reachable for practical approvals.
If something changes on the day
Business operations move, contributors become unavailable and weather changes. Tell the crew early and explain which outcome matters most. A different room or order may be workable when the objective is clear.
Do not hide a problem until the relevant shot begins. Noise, access restrictions and missing products affect setup choices. The production team can usually adapt more effectively with honest information and an authorised contact.
For broader production scope and rates, see corporate video costs and the live Pricing page. Explore corporate production or ask about an upcoming shoot.
Preparing B-roll and demonstrations
Interviews often explain the message, while B-roll shows the organisation, people and work. List processes and interactions that provide useful evidence. Confirm that the relevant employees, equipment, products and spaces will be active at the right time.
A demonstration should be safe, accurate and visually understandable. Brief the operator on what can be repeated, paused or filmed from another angle. Remove prototype labels or customer information that should not be public. If software is involved, use a demonstration account with realistic but invented data.
Avoid staging activity that misrepresents normal practice. It is reasonable to repeat a real action for coverage; it is not useful to create an impressive process that customers or employees would never encounter.
Supporting customers and external contributors
A customer testimonial requires considerate preparation. Explain why their perspective is valuable, how long filming will take and where the result will appear. Share discussion themes without supplying praise they are expected to repeat.
Arrange a suitable location and minimise disruption to their work. Confirm who can approve the customer’s participation and whether their organisation needs to review references to its name, staff or results.
External contributors may be less familiar with the project than employees. Give them one named contact, practical arrival information and an honest explanation of the process. Comfortable, informed contributors usually provide more specific and credible answers than people surprised by the camera setup.
