A commercial video shoot does not start when the cameras arrive. Most of the important work happens before shoot day. Before filming begins, the production team and client work through the strategy, message, script, visuals, schedule, location, people, permissions, and approvals. This planning stage is called pre-production, and it is what makes the actual shoot run smoothly.
Without it, a video shoot can quickly become confusing, rushed, or more expensive than expected. With the right plan in place, shoot day is organized, the crew knows exactly what to capture, and the final video is far more likely to support the business goal behind it.
Key Takeaways
- Pre-production is the planning phase before a commercial video shoot.
- Before shoot day, the production team should understand the video’s goal, audience, message, and intended use.
- The script, shot list, location, schedule, talent, props, and approvals should all be finalized before filming.
- Businesses do not need a finished script before contacting a video production company.
- Public filming may require permits, while private locations usually need written permission.
- Employees, executives, or spokespeople should receive talking points and basic preparation before appearing on camera.
- Last-minute changes on shoot day can cause delays, extra costs, or missed shots.
- A smoother shoot day starts with clear planning, fast approvals, and one main point of contact.
What Is Pre-Production in Commercial Video Production?
Pre-production is the planning stage of a video project, happening before filming and setting the direction for everything that follows. A commercial video in Orlando usually has three main phases: pre-production, which covers planning, strategy, creative direction, scripting, scheduling, and logistics, production, which is the actual filming, and post-production, which covers editing, sound, graphics, color, and final delivery.
Pre-production is not just paperwork. It is the stage where a business goal becomes a clear, executable video plan, establishing the creative direction, scheduling boundaries, and logistics before anyone shows up with a camera. For a business, this matters because a commercial video is not only supposed to look good. It needs to communicate the right message to the right audience and support a specific outcome.
What Happens Before Shoot Day?
Before shoot day, the production team typically works through discovery and project goals, audience and message planning, the creative concept, scriptwriting, storyboards or visual direction, the shot list, location planning, talent or employee preparation, props, products, wardrobe, and set needs, the schedule and call sheet, and permits, permissions, releases, and insurance needs, all finished with final client approvals.
The goal is simple. Everyone should know what is being filmed, why, where, who needs to be there, and what needs to be ready, so the production crew can focus on execution instead of solving avoidable problems on set.
Step 1: Define the Goal of the Video
The first step is understanding what the video needs to accomplish, whether that’s promoting a product or service, explaining what a company does, supporting a sales campaign, building brand awareness, recruiting employees, showcasing testimonials, or introducing a new offer. This step matters because the goal shapes the script, visuals, pacing, and call to action, since a video made for brand awareness feels genuinely different from one built to drive demo requests or sales calls.
Trying to make one short video serve too many purposes tends to weaken the message rather than strengthen it. A single 90-second video should not try to recruit employees, attract customers, reassure investors, and explain a technical product all at once.
The strongest commercial videos start with one main audience, one clear message, and one desired next step. This leads to an easier transition from pre-production to filming to post-production to publishing a commercial that results in return on investment.
Step 2: Build the Creative Direction
Once the goal is clear, the production team turns it into a creative direction. This covers:
- Tone and style
- Visual references
- Brand guidelines
- Mood
- Key scenes
- Interview style
- Music direction
- The main message
- Call to action
This step helps the client and production team agree on what the final video should feel like before filming begins. A polished corporate brand video may need a calm, professional tone, a social media ad may need a faster pace and a stronger hook, and a customer testimonial may need to feel natural and honest rather than scripted.
Creative direction prevents confusion later. Instead of waiting until the first edit to realize the tone is wrong, everyone aligns before the camera is even set up.
Step 3: Write and Approve the Script
The script is one of the most important parts of pre-production, potentially covering voiceover, dialogue, interview questions, talking points, on-screen text, scene notes, visual cues, and the call to action. A business does not need a finished script before contacting a video production company. Many production teams help shape the concept and write or refine the script during pre-production itself.
The script should also sound natural when spoken aloud, since something that reads well on a page can sound stiff on camera. That’s why scripts are often read out loud and timed before they’re approved. Final script approval should happen before shoot day, since late changes can affect the schedule, location, talent, props, shot list, and budget all at once. Even a small change can require different footage or additional filming time than originally planned.
Step 4: Plan the Shots and Visual Flow
After the script is approved, the team plans what actually needs to be filmed, typically through a storyboard, shot list, or simple visual plan. A storyboard shows the visual flow of the video and helps the client understand how the story will appear on screen, while a shot list tells the crew exactly what footage needs to be captured, whether that’s interviews, product shots, office footage, team footage, or specific scenes.
These tools prevent missed shots and confusion on shoot day, functioning as an operational checklist that helps the crew group shots by location or setup rather than scrambling between them. For the client, the value is simple: the team knows exactly what they need before they ever arrive on set.
Step 5: Confirm the Location
Location planning goes well beyond picking a nice-looking room. Before shoot day, the production team checks background noise, lighting, room size, power access, parking, loading access, elevators, building rules, security requirements, and backup spaces. A space can look great in photos but still be genuinely difficult to film in, whether that’s loud air conditioning, traffic noise, limited outlets, harsh lighting, or simply not enough room for the crew and equipment.
For office shoots, the business should also think about what areas need cleaning, reserving, or blocking off. If filming happens in a public space, permits may be required, and Florida specifically has its own patchwork of city and county film permitting rules, which Film in Florida, the state’s official production resource, outlines in detail. If filming happens in a private space, written permission from the property owner or building manager is usually needed instead. These details are far easier to solve before shoot day than during it.
Step 6: Prepare the People Appearing on Camera
Commercial videos often include employees, executives, founders, customers, actors, presenters, or voiceover talent, and anyone appearing on camera should know what to expect before the shoot, including scripts or talking points, interview questions, wardrobe guidance, arrival times, where to go, how long they’ll be needed, what the video is about, and basic on-camera coaching. This matters especially when employees or executives aren’t used to being filmed. The goal is never to make them perform like actors. It’s to help them feel prepared, comfortable, and natural.
Sharing talking points in advance and scheduling a short prep call goes a long way toward helping non-professional talent feel confident before filming actually starts.
Step 7: Organize Props, Products, Wardrobe, and Set Needs
Anything appearing on camera should be ready before the crew arrives, including products, branded materials, office spaces, tools or equipment, uniforms, signage, props, wardrobe, demo items, and customer-facing materials. Products should be clean, working, and camera-ready, office spaces should be tidy, and branded items should be on hand if they’re part of the video. Wardrobe deserves its own conversation before filming too, since distracting patterns, very thin stripes, bright white, or solid black often don’t work well on camera. Small details like these create big delays when handled at the last minute, so preparing them ahead of shoot day keeps the whole production moving.
Step 8: Finalize the Schedule and Shoot Plan
A commercial shoot day is planned carefully, typically covering crew arrival time, talent arrival times, setup time, scene order, interview times, location moves, breaks, product shots, client review windows, and wrap time. The production team usually creates a call sheet, a document telling everyone where to be, when to arrive, who is involved, and what is being filmed. The client should also assign one main contact person for the day, someone who can help with building access, room changes, employee coordination, approvals, and any last-minute questions. Without a clear schedule, shoot day can lose time surprisingly fast.
Step 9: Handle Permissions, Releases, and Approvals
Before filming, the team may need permission to film at the location, talent releases for anyone appearing on camera, location releases for private spaces, approval to show branded materials, music or asset usage rights, insurance documentation when required, and final approval on the script, schedule, and creative direction. This doesn’t need to become complicated for the client, but it shouldn’t be ignored either, since these steps protect the business and prevent problems after the footage is already captured. If someone appears in the final video, the company needs permission to use their image and voice, and if a private location appears, the business needs permission to film there.
What Should the Client Prepare Before Shoot Day?
The client plays a real role in making shoot day smooth. Before the crew arrives, that means approving the script and creative direction, confirming the main decision-maker, reserving filming spaces, notifying employees or building staff, arranging parking and building access, preparing products, props, or branded items, cleaning and organizing filming areas, sharing talking points with anyone appearing on camera, confirming wardrobe guidance, assigning one on-site contact person, and avoiding major last-minute changes. This preparation lets the crew focus on filming instead of waiting around for rooms, people, products, approvals, or access.
What Happens If You Skip Pre-Production?
Skipping or rushing pre-production creates problems that ripple through the entire project, including unclear messaging, missed shots, delays on shoot day, unprepared employees or executives, location problems, missing props or products, confusion over approvals, extra editing revisions, higher costs, reshoots, and ultimately a final video that doesn’t match the business goal it was supposed to serve. Poor planning tends to show up later as costly delays, slow approval cycles, and extra rounds of post-production editing, exactly the kind of expense pre-production is designed to prevent in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a script before contacting a video production company?
No. You can contact a production company with a general idea, goal, or campaign need, and the production team can usually help develop the concept and script from there.
How long does pre-production take?
It depends on project size. A standard commercial or corporate video usually needs one to two weeks of planning, while larger projects with multiple locations, actors, approvals, or permits can take longer.
Can changes be made on shoot day?
Small adjustments happen, but major changes should be avoided. Shoot day is built around the approved script, schedule, shot list, location, and crew plan, and changing the concept mid-filming usually causes delays or added costs.
Do we need permits for a commercial shoot?
Permits are often needed for public locations like streets, parks, sidewalks, or government-managed spaces, and Florida’s specific rules vary by city and county. Private locations usually just require written permission from the owner, tenant, or property manager.
Should employees be coached before appearing on camera?
Yes. Employees or executives should get talking points, expectations, and basic guidance before filming, and even a short prep call can help them feel far more comfortable and natural on set.
Making Your Next Commercial Shoot Day Actually Run Smoothly
Commercial video production is far smoother when the planning happens early rather than being squeezed in at the last minute. Before shoot day, the production team should understand the goal, audience, message, script, location, schedule, people, props, and approvals, and the client should know exactly what to prepare and what decisions need to be finalized before filming starts.
That upfront discipline is exactly what Big Boy Productions brings to every commercial video project in Orlando. We handle the pre-production work, scripting, storyboarding, location scouting, permits, and talent prep, so shoot day is fast, organized, and focused entirely on capturing what the business actually needs.
