It’s bound to come up.  You need some photos or a video and someone says, “Why don’t we just shoot it here?”  That someone might even be you, but regardless of who suggests it, the seed is planted.  Shooting at the office is a good idea because it can save money.  In addition, co-workers who are participating will be close at hand and have less of a disruption to their day.

On the flip side, shooting at the office can become a disaster if it isn’t handled properly.  The office is a place of business, a place at which there will be plenty of people who are not involved in the shoot.  This means that in order to have a successful shoot, you need to plan it out in advance to get the footage you need with as little disruption as possible to your colleagues.

Here are Some Tips to Get That Done:

1. Scout locations in advance and come up with a shot list.  Which areas of your office will provide a good background with the least possible disruption to colleagues?
2.  Notify managers and/or employees in the areas you have chosen about the shoot.  It’s important that you acknowledge that you’re intruding on their peace. Provide the hours and purpose of the shoot. Apologize in advance.
3.  Alert security guards and/or receptionists that visitors and equipment will be arriving and when.  Prepare visitor badges in advance.
4.  Let any facility staff know about the shoot.  You don’t want the freight elevator to be down for maintenance.  If you’re shooting outside, you don’t want to contend with the lawn mower and landscapers.
5.  For coworkers and executives who are participating, block off time on their calendars.  Include time for prep, rehearsal, make-up/hair and any other necessities.  Also, allow for delays such as phone calls from clients or board members.
6.  Prepare for your vendors’ requirements.  Be sure electricity, outlets, extension cords, conference rooms, and anything else they might need is provided and ready to go.
7.  Follow up with everybody once your plans have been made.  Shooting in the office can go off the rails quickly.  Follow up with each participant – security, coworkers, videographer, facility staff – to make sure all the prep work and needs have been anticipated and addressed.

When you take the time to prepare and plan an office shoot, you will find things will go quite smoothly.  Ultimately, the material that you get from the shoot is going to be used to promote the organization and that is important to everyone who works there.  Whether or not they are involved, all employees of the company should want things to go well. However, you also don’t want any ruffled feathers, and by being considerate and planning ahead, you will get the very best results possible.

1 Comment To "7 Tips to Turn Shooting at Your Office from Disaster to Money-saver"

#1 Comment By Rick Moore On November 4, 2012 @ 11:59 am