Batching works. Filming a month of content in an afternoon is dramatically more efficient than five separate sessions, because setup and pack-down happen once instead of five times.
The reason it goes wrong is never the filming. It is that you get home with 200 clips and no idea which ones belong to which video.
Group by setup, not by video
This is the whole technique. Instead of filming video one from start to finish, then video two, film every shot across all five videos that shares a background, a light and an outfit. Then change one variable and do it again.
| Block | What you film | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Setup A — desk, outfit 1 | All talking-head sections | Videos 1–5 |
| Setup A — desk, outfit 1 | All hooks and intros | Videos 1–5 |
| Setup B — kitchen | All demonstrations | Videos 2, 4 |
| Setup C — outdoors | All B-roll | Videos 1–5 |
| Setup A — outfit 2 | All outros | Videos 1–5 |
Keeping track
- 01Slate every clip — say the video number and shot before you start. It takes a second and it saves an hour.
- 02Keep a list per video and tick shots off as you get them, even though you are filming out of order.
- 03Log the filename against the shot as you go.
- 04Check every video's list before you break down the setup. This is where batching either works or does not.
What to film first
- Anything time-sensitive or light-dependent
- Anything involving another person, while they are there
- The hardest setup, while you still have energy
- Hooks and intros last — you will know what each video became