Planning a one-day shoot on a live job without slowing the crew

Step 1: choose the right job

Not every job is worth filming. Strong candidates share four things:

• A visible change. A stained deck, a re-tiled shower, a cleared and replanted yard. If the before and after look the same on a phone screen, pick another job.
• A typical customer. Film the kind of job you want more of, in the kind of home or business you want more of.
• A willing client. Someone happy to have their property shown, and ideally willing to say a few words. See our consent guide.
• Reasonable access. Enough light and room to film safely. A cramped crawlspace in January is a hard first shoot.

In Coquitlam, think about where the job is. A deck rebuild on a Westwood Plateau slope, a suite fit-out in a City Centre tower and a backyard on a new Burke Mountain street each speak to a different set of future customers. Choose the one that matches who you want to reach.

Step 2: write a shot list from customer questions

A shot list keeps the day short. Build it from the questions customers ask before hiring you, because those are what future viewers want answered.

Start with five questions. For a bathroom renovator they might be:

1. How do you protect the rest of the house?
2. How long will I be without a shower?
3. What is behind the old tile?
4. Why does waterproofing matter so much?
5. What does it look like when you are done?

Each question becomes one or two shots plus a short spoken answer. Add a few standard shots every shoot needs: the van arriving, the crew introducing themselves, a close-up of tools and materials, and the final walkthrough.

A sample shot list for a renovation day

Match "before" and "after" angles exactly. Mark the spot with tape on the floor so the comparison lines up.

Step 3: time it around the work, not against it

Crews hate being asked to stop and repeat things. Avoid it by filming in the gaps:

• Setup and teardown are visual and nobody minds being filmed while they lay floor protection.
• Natural pauses, such as waiting for mortar to set or paint to dry, are perfect for short explanations.
• The end of the day gives you the cleanest "after" footage when the space is clean.

If you need a repeated action, ask once, keep it short and thank people. One retake is fine; five is a production.

Step 4: light, sound and steadiness

You do not need expensive equipment. You do need three basics:

• Light. Face the subject toward the window or the open garage door. Turn off mixed-colour lights if they make skin look strange. Outdoors, overcast days are flattering; harsh noon sun is not.
• Sound. A clip-on microphone for anyone speaking makes a bigger difference than any camera upgrade. Turn off radios and compressors for the few seconds you are recording speech.
• Steadiness. Use a small tripod or brace your arms against your body. Shaky footage reads as amateur and makes viewers swipe away.

Film vertically for social and Google clips, and horizontally for the website and YouTube film. If you can only do one, film horizontally with room around the subject so it can be cropped.

Step 5: plan for Coquitlam weather

Coquitlam's wet months, roughly November to March, cut down good outdoor filming days. A few habits help:

• Bank exterior footage in spring, summer and early autumn and hold some back for winter.
• Keep an indoor backup list for every outdoor shoot: van, tools, materials, an interview under cover.
• Book exterior shoots with a spare date, and tell the customer it might move.
• Protect your gear; a cheap rain cover for the phone or camera saves a day.

If you plan aerial shots, check Transport Canada's drone rules first, and if any part of the shoot is on city property, contact the City's Film Office before you plan it.

The shoot-day checklist

Before you leave:

• signed consent from the customer and anyone on camera
• the shot list, printed or on your phone
• charged batteries and empty storage
• clip-on microphone and spare batteries
• small tripod and a microfibre cloth
• tape for marking before-and-after spots
• a plan for indoor shots if it rains

Before you go home:

• check every "before" shot has a matching "after"
• scan footage for house numbers, plates, faces and family photos
• back the files up to two places
• note any frames that must not be used

Talking on camera without a script

Most owners freeze when handed a script. Skip it. Instead, ask the speaker one of the customer questions from your shot list and let them answer as if a homeowner had asked it. Record two or three takes, keep the most natural one, and trim the start and end. Short, specific answers ("we always pull the baseboards, because caulking over them traps moisture") beat polished lines every time.

What to do with the footage

A shoot day is only worth it if the footage is used well. Our repurposing guide shows how to turn one day into about three months of content. If you would rather not film yourself, see our short-form video and project video services, or contact us.