1. Trust your production team
At Victory, we’re in the business of making you look good. Everything from lighting, setting, to make up is designed to help you put your best foot forward. We take a lot of time to figure out where you should stand in a room, how the light should fall across your face, and how you should hold your shoulders.
While you may feel unnatural standing in a specific position while you deliver lines to the camera, know that you look great doing it! What feels natural or looks normal to you every day does not always translate well through the camera.
2. Pick your outfits well in advance
You don’t want to be deciding what to wear at the last minute! Look for clothing with solid colors and no logos. Some bold patterns are okay, but be careful they aren’t distracting. Small patterns like thin stripes, polka dots, or little buffalo checks tend to blur on camera and can distort on screen. Keep it simple by selecting solid, but flattering colors.
Even your campaign logo can be distracting on your clothes. Keep in mind that we will add a larger logo to the video later through our graphics department. Avoid all graphics on your clothes, including but not limited to logos and words.
3. Read your scripts… and rehearse!
It’s better not to be surprised by what you’re going to say. As our writing staff sends you the scripts, be sure to review them and make sure you’re comfortable with everything within them. If you don’t like something, it’s easier to change now than on-site while we’re filming. Before the day of the shoot, make sure you’re completely satisfied with the script.
We don’t expect you to have it memorized, but practicing how you want to say everything can help you think more clearly as you’re in front of the camera. Read through it a few times in front of a mirror just so you know how you look saying it. If that doesn’t work for you, just read it in front of a friend or partner, who can tell you if you’re saying everything right, stumbling over anything, or need to improve how you’re saying things.
4. Plan for a long day
Setting up for a film shoot always takes longer than you think. For 30-60 seconds of content, it can take over an hour and a half to set up, film, and review. This means that any project longer than 60 seconds could take up the whole day, especially if any traveling from location to location is required.
If you’re filming more than one video in a day, plan to clear your schedule for the day and focus solely on filming all day. It will keep your stress level low and help you focus on looking and performing your best.
5. Lockdown your film shoot locations and extras
Before anyone shows up to film, make sure you know where you want to film and who is going to be there. The production and creative department at Victory will help you identify the locations and extras we would like to film, and we can help you with all the logistics. We will help create a schedule for the day so everyone involved knows when and where to be, and don’t waste their whole day waiting around for the video crew. People are usually happy to help candidates and friends they believe in, but they’re less happy to help if you leave them in the sun for several hours without explaining what they’re going to do.
Have phone numbers and addresses readily on hand. Make sure your schedule is realistic by running it past the production team and getting their sign off. While you may not be able to stick to the schedule exactly, it will help guide the day more effectively so you don’t have to make too many decisions at the last minute.
Believe it or not, an easy film shoot is within your grasp when you work with Victory Enterprises and follow these tips. Whether you’re a little camera shy or eager to get your moment on TV, a little preparation can go a long way to making you more comfortable and ready.