Video Production Basics for Creators and Small Teams

Every video goes through three stages (plan it, film it, finish it) and most of the work happens in the planning. For a small team, the basics are agreeing where it's posted, who asks the questions and where you're filming, then getting the sound right before the light.

Most small shoots don't go wrong on the day. They go wrong beforehand, when nobody agreed where the video is going, who is asking the questions, or where it's being filmed.

I've run my own production company for about 15 years and taught video at General Assembly in London for close to ten. This is how I plan, shoot and finish a video with one or two people, covering the three stages, the kit that matters, and the mistakes I still see. Where a topic needs more than a paragraph, I've linked to the full guide.

From the shoot, when the questions don't arrive

On one interview job, the planning hadn't gone right. The questions never reached the people being interviewed, so they arrived on the day not knowing what they'd be asked. Honestly, this happens more often than you'd think, and the year doesn't matter. It comes down to not preparing for how hard interviews can be. You get all sorts of personalities, plenty of people aren't media-trained, and most people like to know what's coming. So I make no assumptions, and I give the person on camera as much time as I can to anticipate the questions and prepare.

The fix on the day was not to panic. I calmed the situation down, handed them the questions and gave them time to prepare before we started. It worked, but it cost time we didn't need to lose. Now the questions go out well before the shoot, and that's the first item on my list below.

The three stages, in plain English

Every video goes through the same three stages, whether it's a 30-second social clip or a 3-minute brand film.

1. Pre-production (plan it)

This is where most of the work is, and I do it well before the shoot day. Before I film anything, I agree the following with the client.

Where it will be posted. Website, LinkedIn, TikTok or a screen at an event.
What formats are needed. Widescreen, portrait, square, or more than one.
How long it should run. The running time of each version.
Who asks the questions, and how many there are. This decides how long each person is on camera, and stops you keeping anyone too long.
Where it will be filmed. Knowing the location tells me what the production will be, so I can bring the right kit.

Then the questions go to everyone who'll be on camera, in good time.

Seeing the room matters too. I once arrived to film the key interview for a micro-documentary in an old London office, probably fitted out in the 1980s. The space looked great and we'd landed exactly the contributor we wanted, but a big air-conditioning unit drowned out almost everything. We turned the contributor's back to it, moved them to the quieter part of the room and recorded on two mics, a boom and a lapel, so the edit could use whichever was cleaner; an AI noise-reduction tool took out most of what was left. We couldn't see the room beforehand. All we had were photos, and photos don't hum. Not every project has the luxury of a visit, but if you can get one, or ask whoever is organising the shoot to stand in the room and listen for a minute, problems like this get caught while they're still easy to fix.

2. Production (film it)

On the day, I arrive ahead of schedule. If you're rushing and under pressure, you're far more likely to make a mistake. Getting there early gives you time to deal with the last-minute problems that always come up.

Then I work through the room in order, starting with sound, then light, then the background. My routine for a room I've never filmed in is in lighting and sound for video.

3. Post-production (finish it)

The edit is where filming too much catches up with you (more on that in the mistakes below). I tell the client "Don't worry, I've got this," cut the footage down, and show them what I'm planning to put in before I polish it. Good communication while the edit comes together goes a long way.

Before anything goes out, I check the files against the formats and running times agreed at the start. Captions and exporting are covered in editing, exporting and getting your video found.

Who does what with one or two people

On a small shoot, the same person is often director, producer and camera operator at once. What matters is that everyone knows who decides what before the day. That means who signs off the questions, who looks after the guest, and who watches the picture and sound. How to split the roles, and cover all three with two people, is in video crew roles on a small shoot.

The kit that matters, and the kit that doesn't

Spend on sound first, then light. A phone, a decent mic and two small lights will beat an expensive camera used without them. My own phone kit is a RØDE Wireless PRO, two amaran lights and a tripod. The full list with UK prices is in my budget phone rig. For cameras with interchangeable lenses, see prime vs zoom lenses. Why the kit matters less than you think is in the best filmmaking gear is you.

Interviews and events

Interviews are the backbone of most small-team video, such as testimonials, case studies and vox pops. My setup, from where the mic goes to the test clip I record with a stand-in, is in how to film an interview on your phone.

Events bring their own problems. There's noise you can't control, people who are there to network rather than be filmed, and very little time with each person. Kit, positions and sound feeds for talks, conferences and gigs are in how to film a live event.

The mistakes I see most

No decent microphone. People treat sound as secondary because video feels like it's all about the picture. Get the sound wrong and the whole thing sounds amateur, and cheap mics exist.
No proper light. Not investing in light does the same damage. I've seen plenty of people filmed while practically sat in the dark.
A bright window behind the person. The phone exposes for the window and the face goes dark.
Questions that arrive on the day. The person on camera needs time to think about their answers, so send the questions before the shoot.
Reading word for word. Perfectionists want every word right. Reassure them that the edit will make them look their best. If they need help, hold up a few bullet points to the side of the camera, never a full script, because you can see people's eyes move as they read, and it spoils the authenticity.
Filming far too much. More isn't better. If the finished piece is a minute and a half, 30 or 40 minutes of one person gives you a daunting pile to sift through. There are tools that help you find the best moments, but a set number of questions keeps it manageable from the start.
Turning up late and rushed. It leads to mistakes such as files delivered in the wrong format. Do the checks ahead of time, and arrive early.

Questions I get about the basics

How much planning does a small team need?

Enough to answer five questions before the shoot day. They are where it will be posted, in what formats, how long it runs, who asks the questions (and how many), and where you're filming. If you can answer those, the shoot and the edit get much easier.

What should beginners learn first?

Sound. A mic on the person improves a video more than anything else you can buy or learn. Then light, then framing. Lighting and sound for video covers the order I fix things in.

Do I need expensive gear?

No. A modern phone, iPhone or Android, will give you a great result if the sound and light are right. Spend on a mic before anything else. Why skill beats kit is in the best filmmaking gear is you.

Video production basics