How to plan a content shoot day for a client
How to plan a content shoot day for a client as a freelance social media manager: briefs per video, a shot list, a schedule for the day, and what to do after.
The difference between a good shoot day and a wasted one is usually decided the week before. Turn up with a vague idea ("we'll get some nice shots of the food") and you'll leave with two hours of footage and nothing you can post. Turn up with a plan and you'll leave with a month of content.
This guide is for freelance social media managers who shoot their own content. It covers how to plan a client shoot from brief to backup, using a restaurant as the running example.
Start from the calendar
A shoot exists to fill the content calendar. So before you think about shots, look at the month ahead and count the slots you need to fill.
If your package includes eight Reels and four carousels a month, the shoot needs to produce eight Reels and four carousels, plus a buffer. Plan for at least two more videos than you need. Something won't work, and a spare is always welcome mid-month.
Then check the fixed dates. Is there a new menu launching? An event? A seasonal dish? These become the priority videos.
Brief every video before the day
This is the step most people skip. Write a short brief for each video you plan to film. It takes ten minutes per video and saves hours on the day and in the edit.
A useful brief answers five questions:
- What's the idea? One sentence on what the video shows.
- What's the insight? Why would someone stop scrolling for it?
- How long is it? Fifteen, thirty or sixty seconds.
- What format is it? Reel, Story, carousel or static.
- Which platform is it for? Instagram, TikTok, or both.
Here's what that looks like for a spring menu shoot:
| Video | Idea | Length | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Behind the pass: chef plating the new spring lamb | 30s | Reel |
| 2 | Quickfire tour of the farms behind the menu | 60s | Reel |
| 3 | Head chef talking through the menu in one take | 15s | Story |
| 4 | Hands-only prep of the wild garlic butter | 20s | Reel |
| 5 | Before and after of the dining room on a Friday night | 15s | Reel |
Write the hook for each video in the brief too. The first two seconds decide whether anyone watches, so you want to know exactly what you're opening on before you film it.
Build the shot list
From each brief, list the individual shots you need. For video 1, that might be:
- Wide of the pass, chef walking in
- Close-up of the lamb coming off the grill
- Overhead of the plate being built, ingredient by ingredient
- Hands placing the final garnish
- Server picking up the plate
- The plate landing on a table, guest reaction (with permission)
Shot lists stop you forgetting the close-up you needed and only realising in the edit. They also let you group shots by location. Everything at the pass gets filmed together, even if it belongs to three different videos.
Sort out logistics with the client
Send the client a short shoot sheet a few days before. Keep it to a page. It should say:
- Date, arrival time and how long you'll be there
- Which dishes, products or people you'll need, and when
- Anything they need to prepare (a dish plated twice, a clean bar, staff in uniform)
- Who your point of contact is on the day
Restaurants are busy. If you need the head chef for 20 minutes, agree the exact slot. Shooting before service is usually easiest, but you'll want some footage during service for atmosphere.
Check consent too. If you're filming staff or customers, make sure the client is comfortable and that people know they're being filmed. A sign at the door and a quick word with anyone who appears clearly on camera is a sensible minimum.
Plan the day itself
A rough schedule keeps a shoot on track. For a half-day restaurant shoot:
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 10:00 | Arrive, set up, walk the space |
| 10:15 | Exteriors and empty dining room while the light is good |
| 10:45 | Kitchen prep shots (video 4) |
| 11:30 | Chef interview (video 3) |
| 12:00 | Plating sequences (video 1) |
| 12:45 | Service atmosphere and B-roll (video 5) |
| 13:30 | Pack down |
Build in B-roll time. Generic shots of the space, hands, steam and pouring drinks fill gaps in edits for weeks afterwards.
While you're shooting, film each clip a little longer than you think you need, and get a second angle when you can. Trimming footage is easy. Going back for another take after the chef has gone home isn't.
After the shoot
Back up the footage before you do anything else. Two copies, in two places, the same day.
Then label everything against your briefs. If your files are named by video number ("V1_plating_03"), editing is quick. If they're named "IMG_4471", you'll spend the first hour of every edit hunting.
Finally, put the videos onto the content calendar as soon as they're edited, with a status, so you and the client can see what's ready for approval.
Keeping briefs and calendar together
Most freelancers write briefs in a notes app, shot lists on paper, and the calendar somewhere else. It works, but the brief and the finished post end up in different places, and the reasoning behind each video gets lost.
Koda has shoot plans built in for this. You brief each video with the idea, insight, length, format and platform. You can add caption examples in the client's tone, then push the whole plan straight onto the content calendar. Moodboards sit alongside, so reference images and Reels links are there on set. It's included on every plan, from £19 a month.
FAQ
How many videos can I get from one shoot?
From a well-planned half day, eight to twelve short videos is realistic, plus photos and B-roll. A loose, unplanned shoot often produces half that.
Should the client approve the shoot plan?
Yes, at least the list of video ideas. It catches problems early ("we're taking that dish off the menu") and makes approving the final posts quicker.
How often should I shoot for a client?
Once a month suits most small businesses. Busy, fast-changing clients like restaurants with weekly specials may need a short top-up shoot mid-month.