The shoot is the most demanding part of the video production process.

It is disruptive...

... and it's time consuming.

Shooting can seem to take a long time and many attempts to get a particular shot in the can.

The director and cameraman will be working to get the most interesting and convincing result that the video editor can use.

There is no point in compromising for the sake of convenience; the end result will be disappointing.

The minimum crew will consist of the director and camera operator.

This is fine for many shots, particularly outside, but there is obviously a limit to what can be done in a day if only the camera operator is moving the kit, setting up lights, etc.

To get productivity up, the crew may include a sound recordist, an assistant, an autocue operator, steadicam operator, or other specialist.

If you also have a presenter and a cast of actors or interviewees on site then using additional crew becomes more esential.

It's very much a question of horses for courses.

But on many occasions an experienced two person crew, with a helper supplied by you, can do the job well, and this will cost you less without compromising quality.

Next: Supervising the video shoot >>