By Nelson Nunez, Producer at Gorilla Creative
You already know that pre-production makes or breaks a shoot. The question isn't whether you need a process. It's whether your process catches everything before the crew shows up and the clock starts running.
This is the pre-production checklist for video shoots that we use at Gorilla Creative. Not a film school overview. Not a theoretical framework. This is the actual list we run through before branded content shoots, corporate videos, and commercials. It's organized by phase so you can track what needs to happen and when.
Use it as-is or adapt it to your workflow.
Quick context for why this exists, then we'll get to the list.
Even experienced producers miss things. The problem isn't lack of knowledge. It's that pre-production involves dozens of parallel workstreams across creative, logistics, talent, and technical departments. The details that get missed aren't the obvious ones. They're the second-tier items that only surface when something goes wrong on set.
A pre-production checklist isn't about following steps in order. It's a safety net that catches the items your brain deprioritizes while you're focused on the big decisions.
Here's how we think about it: the checklist doesn't replace your judgment. It supplements your bandwidth.
Most pre-production checklists organize by department. That's useful, but it misses timing. When something needs to happen matters just as much as what needs to happen.
We organize our video pre-production process into four phases based on a standard 4-week pre-production window. For shorter timelines, compress the phases. For longer ones, spread them out. The structure stays the same.
This phase is about nailing down the creative foundation and making the decisions that everything else depends on.
Creative and Script
Big-Picture Logistics
If your production requires a detailed script breakdown for scheduling, now is the time to complete it. The breakdown feeds directly into your shot list, equipment needs, and shooting schedule.
A common mistake here: locking the script too late. Every week you delay script approval pushes every downstream decision further behind. If your client is slow on approvals, build that buffer into the timeline explicitly. Don't just hope they'll move faster.
This is the most labor-intensive phase. You're confirming the people, places, and equipment that turn a creative concept into a producible shoot.
Locations
Crew
Talent
Equipment
Scheduling
This is the phase where your shooting schedule becomes the backbone of the entire shoot. It's also where tools matter most. Building a detailed schedule in a spreadsheet means manually adjusting cell values every time you move a scene, add a buffer, or shift a meal break. When you're iterating on scene order with a director two weeks before the shoot, that friction adds up fast.
We build our schedules in Dayframe because drag-and-drop time blocks let us rearrange scenes and watch all the times recalculate automatically. No reformatting. No broken formulas. If you're still building schedules in spreadsheets, it's worth trying a purpose-built tool. Start your free trial at getdayframe.com.
For a deeper walkthrough on building your schedule from scratch, see our step-by-step shooting schedule guide.
Everything should be booked and confirmed by now. This phase is about verifying, testing, and catching anything that slipped.
Technical
Confirmations
Production Documents
Pro tip: Don't send the call sheet and the shooting schedule at the same time if they're separate documents. Send the shooting schedule first. Give people a day to flag conflicts. Then send the final call sheet with the confirmed schedule embedded. This avoids the scenario where crew members only read the call sheet, miss a schedule detail, and show up unprepared.
This is your last chance to catch problems before they become on-set fires.
The checklist above covers the standard workstreams. But after producing hundreds of branded content and corporate video shoots, here are the items we see fall through the cracks most often. None of them are glamorous. All of them will cost you time or money on set.
Parking. Especially in urban locations. Where does the grip truck park? Where do 15 crew cars go? If there's no dedicated lot, you need a parking plan or you'll lose your first 30 minutes to people circling blocks.
Power. Confirming that a location "has power" isn't enough. You need to know the circuit capacity, breaker locations, and whether you can run HMI lights without tripping the building. Visit the location with your gaffer if you're using heavy lighting.
Music licensing for client review cuts. You'll select temp tracks during pre-production for the edit. Confirm whether those tracks are licensable within the client's budget before the editor falls in love with one you can't afford.
Talent wardrobe approval. Not just selecting it. Getting the client to sign off on it. Wardrobe rejections on set are one of the most common causes of schedule delays on branded content shoots. Get approval in writing before the shoot.
Media management roles. Who backs up the cards? Where does footage go at the end of the day? Who's responsible for the drives? If this isn't explicitly assigned, you'll end up with a PA formatting a card that hasn't been backed up. We've seen it happen.
Client expectations for on-set changes. Clients often assume they can add shots, change scripts, or redirect talent on the day. If you haven't set clear expectations about the scope of on-set changes during pre-production, your shooting schedule will blow up. Include a brief "what to expect on set" document in your pre-production delivery to the client.
A pre-production checklist helps you track individual tasks. But the shooting schedule is what connects them all.
Every location decision affects the schedule. Every talent booking has to align with it. Every equipment choice shapes how long each setup takes. The shooting schedule is the document that forces you to prove the shoot is actually producible in the time and budget you have.
That's why we treat the shooting schedule as the single most important pre-production deliverable. It's not just a day-of reference. It's the stress test for your entire production plan.
If you're building schedules in spreadsheets, the process works but it's slow. Rearranging scenes means manually editing time values across every row. Adding a buffer for a company move means adjusting every time entry below it. And the output doesn't look like a schedule. It looks like a spreadsheet.
Dayframe is purpose-built for this. Drag-and-drop time blocks, automatic time recalculation, parent/child blocks that keep departments in sync, and a mobile-friendly layout your crew can actually read on set. If scheduling is the bottleneck in your pre-production process, it's worth switching to a tool designed for it.
Looking for a comparison of the best video production scheduling software? We reviewed the top options.
How far in advance should pre-production start for a video shoot?
For a standard branded content or corporate video shoot (1–3 days of filming), four weeks is a solid minimum. Bigger productions with multiple locations, large casts, or complex logistics need six to eight weeks. The real variable is client approval speed. Build your timeline backward from the shoot date and pad the early phases for review cycles.
What's the difference between a pre-production checklist and a call sheet?
A pre-production checklist tracks all the tasks and decisions that need to happen before the shoot. It's a planning tool used over weeks. A call sheet is a single document distributed one to two days before the shoot. It summarizes the essential day-of information: call times, locations, crew list, schedule overview, and emergency contacts. The checklist helps you build toward the shoot. The call sheet tells people what to do when they arrive.
What's the most common pre-production mistake on branded content shoots?
Not getting creative approval early enough. On branded content, the client approval chain is often longer than producers expect. Script, wardrobe, locations, and even talent selections may need to pass through marketing, legal, and brand teams. Start the approval process as early as possible, and build buffer time into your pre-production timeline for each approval stage.
Do I need a pre-production checklist for small shoots?
Yes. The scope changes, but the principle doesn't. A one-day corporate interview shoot still requires confirmed locations, tested equipment, signed talent releases, and a schedule that accounts for setup and teardown. Smaller shoots have smaller checklists, but skipping the process entirely is how details get missed. Scale the checklist to the shoot, but always use one.
Can I use the same pre-production checklist for every project?
Use it as a starting template, not a rigid script. Every production has unique requirements based on the creative, the locations, the client, and the crew. Start with a master checklist and remove what doesn't apply. It's faster to subtract items than to remember them from scratch every time. That's the whole point.
Pre-production planning isn't about checking boxes. It's about building confidence that your shoot will actually work the way you planned it. The checklist is the tool that gets you there.
Download the PDF version to keep on your desk, share with your production coordinator, or adapt for your own workflow.