It doesn’t happen often, but the last time I filmed something, I found myself with a flat battery.  I also messed up a couple of the shots because I didn’t think hard enough about depth of field and lighting.  To help prevent that, I now have a checklist for filming.  Just like a pilot, work through the steps each and every time and common mistakes can be caught, time saved, and quality improved.

Preparation:

• Charge batteries
• Clear SD card/s

Equipment:

• Camera/s
• Microphone
• Batteries
• Battery charger/s
• Lenses
• Tripod and base plate
• Lighting (is it required?  If so, which)

Setting up a shot:

• One camera, or more?
• Does the angle clearly illustrate the object?
• Is there enough light?
• Is the light from the best angle?
• Does camera/s interfere with movement?

Camera prep (for DSLR):

• Check depth of field is sufficient
• Check frame rate
• Check shutter speed
• Press record!

Post shot:

• Check footage is ok!