How to plan one shoot day that gives you a month of content
By New Vishal Vision · Updated
Short answer
Decide the main film first, list every screen it has to reach (16:9, 9:16, 4:5 and square) before the shoot, frame so the vertical cut works on set, shoot stills between takes, and write the 6- and 15-second versions into the script. Planned this way, one day can give you the film, its cut-downs, reels and a stills library.
Why plan it this way
Brands now need far more video than before: a main film, short versions, reels, stills and posts for every platform. The expensive way is a separate shoot for each. The better way is to plan one day so it gives you all of it.
The plan
- Decide the main film first. Everything else is cut from it. Agree what it has to change for the viewer before you plan a single shot.
- List every screen before the shoot: 16:9 for YouTube, websites and big screens; 9:16 for Reels, Shorts and Stories; 4:5 for feed posts; 1:1 for square posts and ads.
- Frame for the vertical cut on set. Keep the action near the centre so the 9:16 version doesn’t lose the product or the face that matters.
- Shoot stills between takes. The set, the light and the people are already there, and a photographer on the same day gives you a library you keep using.
- Plan short versions on purpose. A 6-second and a 15-second version are written into the script, not rescued in the edit.
What to settle before the shoot
- Usage rights for cast, music and locations, for every platform and for how long you plan to run the content.
- Who approves the cuts, and by when, so the month of content actually goes out in that month.
- Captions for every version, because many people watch with the sound off.
An example of what one day can give you
One main film, three short cut-downs, six vertical reels, two carousels and a set of stills. This is illustrative: the real number depends on the script, the locations and the length of the day.