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Filmmaking
The 12-shot list I use for every business video
Copy the shot list I use on every business shoot. Twelve shots in four groups that give you everything you need for a promo, reel or website video.
Never come home missing coverage
The worst feeling in the edit is realising you didn't get the shot. A shot list fixes that. I use the same twelve shots for almost every business I film, from cafés to clinics to builders.
The twelve shots
Establish: the exterior, the signage, the way in. People: an owner portrait, hands working, a customer moment. Process: the making, the tools, an over-the-shoulder shot. Proof: a happy customer, the hero product, the team together.
The order matters
Shoot exteriors first while the light is good. Film people once they've warmed up to the camera. Save the hero shot for last, when you know the space and the light.
Why four groups work
Establish tells people where they are. People make them care. Process shows you know what you're doing. Proof makes them believe it. Any promo video, from 15 seconds to two minutes, can be built from those four beats.
Get more from each shot
For every shot on the list, get a wide and a close-up. That doubles your options in the edit without doubling your time on location. Hands and tools close-ups are the most useful shots you'll ever film.
Make it your own
Print the list, add the two or three shots unique to that business, and tick them off as you go. Send it to whoever films with you. It turns a stressful shoot into a calm one.
