What does full-service production mean?
Full-service means one team handles the whole project: the planning, the crew, the equipment, the filming and photography on the day, and the editing afterwards, so the client has one point of contact throughout.
For the client that means fewer moving parts. You agree the plan, make the people and the spaces available, and the production team does the rest. Our video production page describes the service and our FAQ answers the common questions before booking.
Everything on the day follows from the planning done before it: the brief, the schedule and the shot list. Our articles on pre-production and shot lists cover that work.
What happens before the crew arrives?
The plan is confirmed a few days ahead: the call time, the schedule of interviews and scenes, who needs to be where, which rooms are used, and practical details such as parking, access and power.
On the client side the most useful preparation is simple: tidy the spaces that will be filmed, confirm the people who are being interviewed and when, and let the team know a crew is coming so nobody is surprised. Our guide to briefing your team before a shoot covers this.
Wardrobe guidance usually goes out at the same time: solid colours, no fine patterns, nothing with a competitor's logo. Small things that make a big difference on camera.
What happens when the crew arrives?
The crew arrives at the call time, walks the location with the client contact, and sets up the first scene: usually the interview, because it needs the most care with light and sound.
Setup involves cases of equipment, lights on stands, a camera or two, microphones and cables. It takes longer than people expect and it is normal. A good interview setup makes the person look and sound their best, and that is worth the time.
While the camera team sets up, the photographer often starts with the details and the spaces: the building, the signage, the products, the areas that will be used later. Nothing is wasted.
How do interviews work on the day?
The person sits with the interviewer, off camera, and talks through the questions agreed in advance. It is a conversation, not a performance, and most people relax within a few minutes.
The questions are shared beforehand so nobody is surprised, but the answers are not scripted. Natural speech sounds better and cuts better. If an answer stumbles, it is simply asked again. Nothing is live.
Each interview usually takes longer than the finished piece suggests, because the editor needs options. The same person is often photographed straight after, while the light is set.
What is filmed besides the interviews?
Everything the story needs picture for: the team at work, the product or service in action, the spaces, the details, exteriors, and vertical shots for social media, all from the shot list.
This is the part of the day the team notices most, because the crew moves through the workplace. People are asked to carry on with what they normally do; staged activity looks staged. The crew works around them and keeps the disruption short.
Drone shots, where they are planned and permitted, are usually scheduled for the light: early or late in the day. Exteriors in Miami are often best in the late afternoon.
Vertical shots for Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn are filmed on purpose alongside the main coverage, so the social clips are not an afterthought.
How does an event production day differ?
At an event the schedule is fixed and the crew works around it: in before the doors open, on the stage and the room during the program, interviews between sessions, and out after the last moment that matters.
The crew coordinates with the venue and the audio-visual team for sound and the presentation screen, places cameras where they do not block guests, and moves through the room for reactions, branding and atmosphere. The photographer works the room for the moments that make good stills.
Our Events page and the corporate event coverage guide describe event days in full.
What happens at the end of the day and after?
The crew checks the shot list, captures anything still missing, backs up every card, packs down and leaves the spaces as they found them. The footage and photos then go into post-production.
Backups happen before the crew leaves. Footage is copied to more than one drive so nothing depends on a single card.
Post-production follows: selection, editing, colour, sound, graphics and photo retouching, with review rounds for the client. Our article on what happens in post-production explains that stage.
- Confirm the schedule and the people a few days ahead
- Tidy the spaces that will appear on camera
- Tell the team a crew is coming
- Have one person available as the point of contact all day
- Keep the interview time clear of other meetings
Frequently asked questions
- How many people will be in the crew?
- It depends on the plan. A brand film with interviews often needs a small crew plus a photographer; an event with a stage and a room needs more. The plan confirms the crew before the day.
- Will filming disrupt the office?
- Briefly, in the rooms being filmed, and the crew keeps it short. Everyone else carries on as normal, which is exactly what the footage needs.
- Do I need to be on set all day?
- One point of contact who can answer questions and open doors is enough. The owner or the marketing lead often stays for the interviews and leaves the rest to the crew.
- What should people wear?
- Solid colours, nothing with fine patterns, and clothes they feel comfortable in. Specific guidance is sent before the day.
- What if someone is nervous about the interview?
- That is normal and it passes quickly. The questions are shared in advance, nothing is live, and anything can be repeated.
- Can we add shots during the day?
- Yes, when time allows. The shot list marks what is essential, so the crew knows what can be added without losing what matters.