6 Tips to Prepare For Your Next Shoot on the Sunshine Coast

When it comes to your upcoming photo or video shoot on the Sunshine Coast, it’s important that all people involved in your business are prepared, whether they be staff, customers, students or contractors.

They need to be prepared for what their role is in the shoot (whether they’re going to be interviewed or just in the background or posing for photos), and they need to have signed the talent release forms to protect you from being liable if someone decides post-shoot they no longer wish to be seen in the video.

At Pepper Productions, we will also bring talent release forms with us.

Prepare the filming location

In addition to making sure the filming location is clean, tidy, and free of clutter or distractions, it’s also important to consider the visual elements of the space. Think about the brand and message of the business and how the filming location can reflect that. For example, the filming location should be clean and minimalistic if the business has a modern and sleek brand. If the business is more casual or creative, the video production location could feature more colourful and unique decor.

Additionally, think about the environment of your shoot and what suits your brand image best. For some businesses and products, a shoot may be more suited to the outdoors, while others might require an indoors setting.

If the shoot is to take place outdoors, consider the best time of day for natural lighting, camera angles and to avoid busy crowds. This is important to consider, to increase the efficiency of the shoot and ensure that there are limited interruptions.

The Importance Talent Release Forms

As previously mentioned, talent release forms are critical for preparation of a photo or video shoot. The release form is a legal document that specifies the rights being granted by the talent, including name, voice and or image depending on the type of shoot.

As a legal document, the talent release form will protect you and your business if someone decides after the shoot they no longer wish to be shown in the video, photos or promotional content. The release form should also clearly state the following so that all parties involved have a clear understanding; compensation (if any), contact information, dates and signatures, and name of parties involved (e.g. the business, staff, talent and production crew).

The above-striped shirt looks good in a headshot. However, it will create a flickering effect when being filmed.

Wear Appropriate Clothing

It’s important you look professional but not uncomfortable. Find the happy medium where you dress up appropriately to appear on camera without going outside the parameters of your brand or how your customers want to be perceived.

To avoid issues with the images we produce, we ask that you don’t wear striped clothing or polka dots. If you wear glasses, we may ask for the interview portion of the shoot that you take your glasses off due to lighting reflections.

We also ask that you avoid any bright clothing that could cause glare or reflections for the camera. We find that neutral toned clothing and solid colours work best.

If the job is on a worksite or possible hazardous area, ensure appropriate protective clothing is worn, and all WH&S measures are met.

Prepare for Interviews

We believe it’s best to keep the interviews conversational. This way, we avoid the interviewee sounding rehearsed or robotic when being interviewed isn’t their natural talent. From past experiences, we tend to find the best answers are off the cuff.

Being yourself is the most important thing to remember when appearing on camera. Speaking naturally and authentically, enhances the experience overall. An easy way to remember this tip is to just speak as you would in a conversation with someone. This helps humanise both yourself and your brand, creating a connection between the audience and the business.

Use your body language. Body language is an important part of communication, and it can help you appear more natural on camera. Use hand gestures and facial expressions to emphasise your points and convey your emotions.

So please relax and enjoy the experience. At Pepper Productions, we pride ourselves on making the interview, video and photo shoot processes engaging, professional and most importantly fun. This is a great process and time away from the normal working day! So enjoy it!

Use Good Body Language

Body language is essential to effective communication, particularly in video interviews. When appearing on camera, projecting confidence, professionalism, and engagement through your body language is important. One way to achieve this is by sitting up straight and maintaining good posture.

Maintaining good posture helps to convey confidence and competence while also projecting a professional image. Additionally, using hand gestures can help emphasise your points and make you appear more animated on camera. However, be careful not to overdo it, as excessive gestures can distract and detract from your message. Acting natural, relaxing and finding balance is key.

Another important aspect of body language in video interviews is making eye contact. Looking directly at the camera or the interviewer can help build rapport and establish a connection with your audience. Additionally, smiling naturally throughout the interview can help to create a friendly and approachable demeanour. Similarly, leaning in slightly to show engagement can further enhance your body language in video interviews. Finally, avoid fidgeting as this can distract viewers from the message you are trying to convey.

Finally, relax!

As simple as it is, relaxing is key when appearing on camera. Just breathe and have fun, we’ll handle the rest. Once the shoot is finished and the editing process is underway, we’ll make sure that you’re happy with the final product.

Our goal is to make the process of Sunshine Coast videography enjoyable for everyone involved, so don’t stress about the camera being present or how long you’ve got us for. Here at Pepper Productions, we live to tell your tale and we are here to capture great content for your brand.