Design A Pre Production Checklist That Cuts Filming Stress In Half

Stress on shoot day usually comes from avoidable things. Dead batteries, missing cards, forgotten shots, noisy locations, last minute script confusion. A pre production checklist catches most of this before you leave the house or hit record. It is not glamorous, but it is one of the highest leverage tools a creator can have.

TL;DR

Break pre production into a few sections, such as story, gear, location and people. For each section, write short checks you can tick in 5 to 10 minutes. Run the checklist before every shoot until the boring problems mostly disappear.

List your worst filming headaches so far

Design from your own pain first.

Think back to stressful shoots and write down what actually went wrong.
Separate problems caused by planning from genuine surprises.
Focus on repeat offenders like dead gear, missing props or unclear shoots.

These are the issues your checklist needs to kill first.

Split pre production into clear sections

Sections keep the checklist short and scannable.

Common sections: story and script, gear, power and storage, location, schedule, people and backups.
Adjust names to fit your channel format.
Aim for 4 to 7 sections, not a single massive list.

Each section will get its own small set of checks.

Write simple checks for story and structure

Clarity saves time on set and in the edit.

Confirm the main promise or question of the shoot in one sentence.
Check that you have a beat sheet or outline with key moments.
List any must have shots or lines that cannot be recreated easily.

Story checks help you avoid coming home with pretty footage and no spine.

Lock down gear, power and storage

This is where most chaos lives.

Check batteries are charged, packed and matched to each device.
Check cards are empty enough, labelled and in the bag.
Check you have key accessories: audio, mounts, filters, cables and a simple cleaning kit.

Write the checks so you can run them in a set order before leaving.

Check location and sound basics

Even simple locations benefit from a look ahead.

Confirm address, access times and any permissions if relevant.
Note potential noise sources and backup angles or locations if sound is bad.
Check weather and basic light direction if you rely on natural light.

These checks reduce awkward surprises when you arrive.

Confirm people and schedule expectations

People are part of pre production too.

Confirm who needs to be where and when, including any guests or helpers.
Share a simple timeline for the shoot, even if it is rough.
Check that everyone knows what they are responsible for on the day.

Clear expectations reduce last minute confusion.

Add one or two backup plans

Backups are insurance, not pessimism.

List what you will do if your main location fails, such as a simpler backup set.
Pack one backup audio option wherever possible.
Have at least one lower effort version of the video you can film if time collapses.

Knowing you have options makes shoots feel lighter.

Turn the checklist into a repeatable ritual

The magic is in running it every time.

Store the checklist where you actually prepare, such as your bag, studio wall or a simple app.
Run it at the same point before each shoot, for example the night before or first thing on shoot day.
Time yourself once and aim to keep it within 10 to 15 minutes.

If it takes too long, trim it until it feels easy to repeat.

Update the checklist after real shoots

Real life will keep teaching you.

After stressful shoots, add any simple checks that would have prevented the problem.
Remove or merge checks that never catch anything useful.
Keep the checklist lean so you do not start skipping it.

The list should evolve, not grow bloated.

Practical checklist for a pre production checklist

List your most common filming headaches and mark the ones better planning could fix.

Split pre production into clear sections like story, gear, location, schedule and people.

Write short, concrete checks for each section that you can tick in seconds.

Decide when and where you will run the checklist before every shoot.

Use the checklist on your very next shoot and notice which items save you from issues.

After each stressful day, update the checklist so the same problem does not bite you twice.

When you design a pre production checklist that cuts filming stress in half, shoot days stop feeling like a gamble. You still need to solve creative problems, but the boring, preventable chaos shrinks, and that makes it easier to show up as the version of you that viewers want to spend time with.