Before filming
- The promise of the video is written in one sentence
- Structure is broken into beats
- Shot list exists, including B-roll
- Shots grouped by location and setup
- Batteries charged — camera, mic, lights
- Cards formatted, with space checked
- Audio tested with the actual microphone
- Frame rate and resolution set deliberately
- Lens cleaned
On the day
- Test clip filmed and played back before the real take
- Audio levels checked on headphones, not just on the meter
- Exposure and white balance locked
- Key lines delivered twice
- B-roll filmed for at least 10 seconds per clip
- Room tone recorded, 30 seconds
- Thumbnail shot taken deliberately as a photo
- Shot list read back before packing up
After filming
- Footage copied to two separate drives
- Both copies verified before formatting anything
- Clips matched back to the shot list
- Any missing shot identified while a reshoot is still possible