Production Guide
Most of the friction in a first production comes from not knowing what to expect — not from the production itself. Clients who've never worked with a professional video crew often don't know what they need to prepare, how the shoot day will run, or what roles each crew member plays. This guide covers all of it so your first production runs smoothly.
The most valuable thing a client can bring to a production is clarity. The clearer you are about what you need, the faster and more efficiently the crew can deliver it. Before your shoot date, make sure you have the following sorted:
Know what you're producing before the crew arrives. Are you shooting a two-minute corporate overview? An executive interview for a conference keynote? B-roll for a press release? The answer shapes everything — camera configuration, lighting approach, how many setups the crew needs to execute, and how long the day will take. Vague briefs produce vague results. A specific deliverable brief produces a specific, usable result.
For scripted or structured productions, a shot list tells the crew what needs to be captured and in what order. For live events and presentations, a run of show (ROS) — a timeline of every segment, speaker, and transition — is the production crew's bible. Share it with the crew as early as possible. A well-prepared crew that has reviewed the ROS in advance will move faster and catch problems before they happen.
If you're shooting at a venue — a hotel, convention center, casino property, or office — make sure your access is confirmed before shoot day. This means: someone at the venue knows your crew is coming, load-in time is reserved, parking is arranged, and any required permits or Certificates of Insurance (COIs) are in order. Crews that arrive to find a locked loading dock or an unaware security team lose hours. That time comes out of your shoot day.
If you have on-camera talent — executives, spokespeople, employees — confirm their availability, arrival time, and wardrobe in advance. Brief them on what they'll be asked to do. On-camera subjects who've been prepared deliver better interviews. Wardrobe matters more than clients expect: solid colors photograph better than busy patterns, and certain colors (pure white, neon) cause exposure challenges. A quick heads-up to your talent saves time on set.
Professional video crews have clearly defined roles. Understanding who does what helps you communicate effectively and avoids the common mistake of asking the wrong person the wrong question.
The camera operator is responsible for framing, focus, and capturing the shot. On ENG and smaller productions, the camera operator may also handle audio and basic lighting. On EFP productions, the camera operator focuses exclusively on the camera. All direction about what to shoot, how to frame it, and when to roll should go through the camera operator or the director.
On any production where audio quality is a priority — interviews, presentations, anything with spoken word — a dedicated audio engineer manages microphones, levels, and the audio mix. Never assume audio is handled if you haven't confirmed a dedicated audio person is on the crew. Bad audio is the most common reason footage becomes unusable.
The gaffer is responsible for the lighting package. On EFP productions and corporate shoots where the final piece needs to look polished, a gaffer sets up and adjusts lights to ensure the subject is properly lit. Setup time for a full lighting package can range from 20 minutes to over an hour depending on the complexity of the setup and the location. Factor this into your day's schedule.
On larger productions, a producer or field director coordinates the crew, manages the schedule, communicates with the client, and keeps the day on track. If your production has one, direct your questions and concerns to them. They are the translator between what you need and what the crew executes.
A typical professional shoot day in Las Vegas runs something like this:
Load-in and setup. The crew arrives before talent or the event begins. They stage gear, run cables, set lights, and test audio. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours depending on the production size. Don't schedule your first interview or event segment immediately after the crew's call time — build in setup time.
Technical checks. Before any recording begins, the crew will verify that everything is working: camera exposure, audio levels, focus marks. If there's a presenter or on-camera subject, expect a brief blocking and audio check. This is normal and shouldn't be rushed — it's where problems get caught before they become unusable footage.
Production. Once the setup is locked, the crew executes. On a well-prepared shoot, this is the smooth part. The crew does what they do; your job is to keep the schedule moving and flag anything that needs to be captured that isn't on the shot list.
Wrap and load-out. When the shooting day is complete, the crew breaks down and loads out. For venue shoots, coordinate load-out timing with the venue just as you coordinated load-in. Don't assume the crew can take as long as they need — dock windows close, and other productions may be loading in immediately after yours.
A few things that make on-set communication go smoothly:
One point of contact. Designate one person on your team as the primary point of contact for the crew. Multiple people giving direction to the crew simultaneously creates confusion. One voice, one set of priorities.
Flag changes early. If the schedule changes, a speaker is running late, or a location has changed, tell the crew as early as possible. Crews are highly adaptable — but they need the information to adapt. Surprises that could have been communicated hours in advance but aren't communicated until they're problems are the most common source of shoot-day stress.
Trust the crew's technical calls. If the camera operator says a shot won't work from a particular position, or the audio engineer says the ambient noise is too high for a clean recording, take that seriously. They're telling you something that will affect the quality of your final product. Push back if you have a strong reason to, but generally, trust the professional judgment of the crew you hired.
Before the crew wraps, confirm the delivery timeline and format. Know the answers to these questions: When will you receive the footage? In what format will it be delivered? If editing is included, when will you see a first cut? How many revision rounds are included?
For productions where Mr. Camera is handling post-production, we'll confirm all of this before the shoot. For productions where you're handling post internally or with another editor, make sure you've confirmed the delivery specs in advance — the right codec, resolution, and frame rate for your edit system.
Mr. Camera has been producing in Las Vegas since 1981. If you're planning your first production in Las Vegas and have questions about what to expect, get in touch with us here.
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