7:45 a.m. The coffee isn’t even hot yet, and the first cases are already rolling down the hallway. For you, the shoot starts at 9. For the crew, it started long before.
What does a shoot day at a company really look like? Here is a typical day, reconstructed hour by hour. Timings vary from one project to another, but the logic stays the same.
The day before: it all starts here
Batteries charged, memory cards emptied and formatted, lenses cleaned, shooting plan reread. A successful day is prepared the day before, case by case. If you want to prepare your part of the work, our checklist for preparing a shoot walks you through it step by step.
The day, hour by hour
7:45 a.m. – Arrival and quick location scout
The crew unloads the gear and walks the premises: where are the power outlets? Where does the daylight come in? Is there a noisy air conditioner to switch off? In ten minutes, we know where to set up each scene.
8:15 a.m. – Setting up the lighting
This is often the longest step. Lights, softboxes, ambient tubes: we build the interview lighting so that the face looks flattering and the background has depth. Meanwhile, the camera is mounted and set up.
9:00 a.m. – Welcome and sound check
The first interviewee arrives. We clip on a lavalier mic, check that it doesn’t rub against clothing, and do a sound check: a few sentences to set the levels. A small tip: take off your clinking badge, the mic loves it.
9:30 a.m. – Interviews
We roll. An interview rarely takes less than twenty to thirty minutes, even if only a few sentences end up in the film. The director prompts, rephrases, puts people at ease. Once the person gets going, the best answers often come at the end.
We’re not looking for the perfect answer. We’re looking for the sincere answer, then we make it perfect in the edit.
11:30 a.m. – B-roll
We leave the interview set to capture the images that will illustrate what was said: hands at work, machines, team smiles, product details. Slider, stabilizer, slow motion: this is where the film comes to life.
12:30 p.m. – Lunch break
Essential. A hungry crew shoots less inspired shots. It’s also the time to take a look at the first images with you.
1:30 p.m. – Backing up the cards
While some pack up the first set, someone takes care of the most sacred moment of the day: copying the memory cards. Not once, but twice, onto two different drives, with verification. As long as a card isn’t backed up twice, it isn’t erased.
Tip The so-called “3-2-1” rule is a good reference for your own files too: three copies, on two different types of media, with one kept off-site.
2:00 p.m. – The unexpected (there always is some)
A cloud that changes all the light, a room booked by mistake, a person who ultimately can’t be filmed. A professional crew always has a plan B: reorganizing the order of scenes, compensating for the light, turning a constraint into an idea. Your role: stay reachable and responsive.
3:00 p.m. – The final shots
Wide shots of the company, exteriors, possibly a few drone views if they are planned and authorized. We tick off the shot list one by one.
5:00 p.m. – “That’s a wrap”
One last backup, packing up, putting the furniture back in place. The premises must be left as we found them. Then the crew heads off with several hours of footage on its drives that will become a few minutes of film.
Key takeaways
| Time | What happens | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Before 9 a.m. | Setup, lighting, settings | Arrange access and a point person |
| Morning | Interviews | Release the speakers at the scheduled time |
| Midday | Break, first feedback | Look at a few images, ask your questions |
| Afternoon | B-roll, the unexpected | Stay reachable, open doors |
| End of day | Backup, packing up | Confirm that nothing has been forgotten |
At that dog, every shoot follows this rhythm: a lot of preparation so that the day feels smooth to you. You see the crew filming; we know that behind the scenes, every minute has been thought through. And if several shoots a year appeal to you, our year-round support lets you plan their rhythm in advance.
Shall we organize your shoot day?
Tell us about your project, and we’ll propose a clear, realistic schedule.