Video Shoot Checklist for Outfitters

As an outfitter or guide, I'm sure you have all been there at some point in time or will be there in the near future. You've decided to bring in a film crew to shoot an episode or marketing video at your location. Your fingers are crossed that you made the right decision and you're hoping you get a solid return on your investment. Regardless if you've already made a commitment to a certain TV show for this year or if you are considering it in the future, do yourself a favor and go through this checklist. When a film crew comes in to do a shoot at your location, it's a big investment for both you and the company that's willing to spend a week shooting video at your location. I've witnessed a lot of the good, bad and ugly over six years of being an Outdoor TV producer. It's important for me to help see that you spend your advertising money wisely.

If you are wanting to bring in a TV show, ask yourself these questions:

What Network does the show air on?

How many times will the episode shot at my location air and how and when can I get the video for my own marketing materials after it airs?

What time of the day will it air? (typically a tv show will air three times in a given week then re-run at a later date three times during that week)

• If all the airings are in the middle of the night or super early in the morning, you most likely aren’t going to get many phone calls as the viewership won’t be very good.

What type of digital exposure will my episode get on the internet?

What type of following does the tv show and host have?

• Check out their instagram page.
• Check out their facebook pages; TV show and personal. You are better off going with a show that has a large following, is personable and has a great reputation in the industry than a brand new one.
• Check out their websites and see how they look. Also, see if they have a section on their site dedicated to TV shows that have already aired on the networks.
• Talk to some other Outfitters who have had (xyz) TV show in camp to film and see how their experience was, start to finish. Ask what type of results they got once it aired.

How many people will I, as an outfitter, need to accommodate and feed?

How are the other hunters in camp going to respond to having a film crew there at the same time? I’ve seen it happen time and time again. Other hunters in camp have a tendency to get bitter when a film crew is there because they feel they are getting the short end of the stick. If you loose repeat hunters by having a TV show come in, you most likely won’t come out ahead.

What are my total expenses going to be?

Do I have enough time to be able to scout in advance before the film crew gets in camp?

Am I confident that I can produce quality animal footage?

(If you are a whitetail Outfitter) Do I have the ability to hang double sets? There will always be a cameraman over a hunter’s shoulder that will need a comfortable place to sit in a treestand. Typically, it's right above the hunter or in a ground blind right beside the hunter.

Be fair to the TV show. Don’t have a show come in and film just because you want to see yourself on TV. Outdoor TV budgets are very expensive and it costs a lot of money to produce each one.

Make sure you communicate with the show enough to fully understand what their expectations are as well as yours. You don’t want any gray areas.

Do I have the time to dedicate and stay with the film crew for a week?

• This is important. I’ve been on countless shoots where the Outfitter was scheduled to be available all week at the film crew’s request but it was like pulling teeth to get them to come back to camp and film. That’s no good.

If you love the idea of filming hunts, but just haven't had great experiences with TV shows, an alternative solution to seriously consider is a Guidefitter Spotlight marketing video. We take pride in shooting high quality footage and producing a compelling video to help you book more hunters. We tell your story in a unique way. This piece is 100% about your outfitting business, you as an outfitter/guide and the hunts you have to offer.

Before having Guidefitter come film an Outfitter Spotlight marketing video ask yourself these questions

Can I produce results in a window of 5-7 days to get great animal footage?

Will I be able to have the property properly scouted? (You could have a very talented camera operator in camp but if you are unsure if the game will be plentiful enough to get solid footage of, it’s probably not worth it for you.

Can I dedicate a week to filming this piece while guiding one of my hunters at the same time? This can easily be accomplished with our cameramen as they capture all the needed footage while you are guiding your client(s).

• If you have other projects going on outside of the outfitting business, put those on hold while your piece is being filmed. We are there to make you look good. The more time we can spend together in a week, the better your final product will be.

Here are some of the major differences between a TV show shoot and Guidefitter's Spotlight marketing video shoot.

Guidefitter's marketing videos involve filming you as the outfitter and the hunters you already have on location that week so you aren’t giving up any spots and don’t have to change up your bookings. The hunters don’t have to be experts in front of the camera because the story and what your outfit has to offer is told by you as an Outfitter, not the hunter. We come when you tell us you want us there to capture the best week of hunting possible, not when you can squeeze us in, hoping to make it work. Typically, you only need to accommodate and feed a single camera man as opposed to a whole film crew and hunter(s).

All in all, video marketing is key to help your potential clients feel like they can make a personal connection with you outside of a phone call. In this day in age, video sells and digital marketing is stronger than ever.