How to Prepare for a Video Shoot at Your Business

By Maylon, founder of Emerald Media & Marketing · November 3, 2026 · 2 min read

Most of our shoots take about an hour at your business, and you don't need to do much to get ready. But a little preparation goes a long way. Here's the checklist we share with clients before shoot day.

The week before

• Approve your scripts. We write every script and send it over for approval. Read them out loud once or twice so the words feel familiar.
• Pick a time that works. For restaurants and shops, a slower window or before opening is usually best. For service businesses, a real job in progress makes great footage.
• Tell your team. Let staff know a shoot is happening, and ask who's happy to be on camera.

Get the space ready

• Clean and declutter the areas that will be on camera: counters, desks, shelves, floors and windows.
• Show off the good stuff: your best products, your signature dish, your awards, your branded vehicles or signs.
• Turn off noisy things if you can, like loud music, fans or TVs, while we're recording dialogue.

What to wear

• Branded shirts are great if you have them. They make your business instantly recognizable.
• Solid colors look better on camera than busy patterns or thin stripes.
• Dress like you do on a good day at work. Customers should recognize you when they meet you.

Feeling comfortable on camera

Almost everyone is nervous the first time. That's normal, and it fades quickly. A few things help:

• You don't need to memorize anything. We break scripts into short lines and direct you through every take.
• Talk to one person. Imagine you're explaining things to a single customer, not an audience.
• Mistakes are fine. We'll just go again. Nobody sees the outtakes.

On the day

We handle the camera, lighting, audio and direction. Your job is to show up and be yourself. Most shoots take about an hour, and finished ads are delivered 2–4 business days later, with 2 rounds of revisions per ad.

Curious what the result looks like? Browse our client work, or read how we make monthly video ads.