Lecture: Photo Shoot Planning & Production

Photo Shoot Planning & Production:

> Shoot Categories
> On-set roles and responsibilities 
> Team hierarchy
> Creative direction
> Still image production
> Styling workflow
> Tips and advice

Shoot Categories:

> Fashion shoot:

- Editorial 
- Magazine
- Advertising - client work

> Beauty:

- Hair
- Make-up

> Still Life:

- Products
- Non model

> Portrait / Celebrity:

> Commercial:

- Working with client
- Lots of planning 

> Location:

- Outside of a studio
- Considerations - weather/back-up plan
- Recce / test

On-set Roles & Responsibilities:

> Model/talent
> Photographer
> Photographic assistant - setting up lights
> Digi tech/Digi operator - checking focus/colour/cropping photos as the photo shoot is happening.
> Stylist - putting together looks on set
> Styling assistant
> Art director/creative director
> Client 
> Set designer - making the set pieces/props
> Set design assistant - building of the set
> Movement director - involved with the models poses 
> Hair stylist
> Hair assistant
> Make-up artist
> Manicurist/nail technician - especially beauty shoots
> Seamstress - couture shoots
> Chaperone
> Director (videos) - directing what the actors do
> Director of photography - using the camera
> Sound technician
> Producer - planning/management/co-ordinating all the other departments
> Production assistant 

Team Hierarchy:

> Every team, client or industry sector has their own way of working and emphasis / focus. An editorial shoot for Vogue will have a very different approach to a campaign with Clarkes. Regardless of the category of shoot, it is always very important that there is clear communication and decision making on set.

Creative Direction:

> A creative document pre-shoot serves various functions:

- Provide a sign off for client/publication/agency.
- Ensure the creative team are all on the same page.
- Keep on set decision making efficient.

> Mood boards
> Shot list
> Layout/dimensions

Still Image Production:

> Excell sheets/data/back-ups
> Enterpreting creative
> Location scouting
> Casting
> Equipment rental
> Travel & accommodation
> Catering
> Scheduling
> Call sheets - information/phone numbers/addresses

Styling Workflow:

> Fashion styling (as with many jobs in the industry) involves a fair amount of 'ego management'. Once you've made friends with the gatekeeper PR teams, your first responsibility is to manage the logistics of your look requests. You will work closely with the client/publication and the photographer as well as the talent/model. As with production, styling requires careful planning and organisation in addition to creative intuition in order to be delivered effectively.

Client -> Look request -> Collection -> Fitting -> On set -> Packing -> Credits -> Returns

Tips and Advice:

Ten Commandments of Shoot Prep"

1. Communicate clearly during pre-production.
2. Time is your most valuable asset.
3. Over plan, have backups but be flexible on the day.
4. Solve problems, don't make them.
5. Negative energy can kill a shoot, keep it positive.
6. Look after the model, and your fellow team.
7. Respect the hierarchy, be polite to everyone.
8. Food, drink and music is essential.
9. Collaboration is the key to strong creative.
10. Take responsibility for your fashion communication.