How to create a run sheet for your photoshoot.
Think of your photoshoot as a train journey: you get on the train and the train then makes direct and appropriate stops along the way at different stations before arriving at its final destination. A run sheet is the perfect way to stay on track during your shoot and make sure that you are capturing all the imagery that you are wanting to have created. On a photoshoot day, it can be very easy to get side tracked and overwhelmed on what you are shooting and when you are shooting it. Just like with a train journey, there is time calculated on how long it takes to get to each station along the way and how long the overall journey is going to take. This is the other important factor of having a run sheet during your photoshoot; it keeps you on time - and time is critical when you have spent your hard earned money on employing professionals to bring your vision to life!
Let’s break down the fundamentals of a run sheet and what you should include in yours:
Title: the name of your brand and your photoshoot ie: Country Road Winter Campaign 2023.
Day/ Date: of your shoot.
Time duration: what time the shoot is starting and what time it is ending. Weather: Yes, this worth adding in, especially if you are shooting on location outdoors!
Attendees: names of people who are participating in this shoot ie: model/s, stylist, hair and makeup artist, photographer, assistants etc.
Attendee contact details: best ways in which to get in touch with the people attending your shoot ie: email addresses or mobile numbers.
Now let’s get into your shot list:
During the planning stages for your shoot, it is incredibly important to identify what shots you would like to have created. Keep these as clear, simple and in dot point form that you and your photographer/ team can refer to on the day of the shoot. Make sure you share this dot point list with your photographer before you shoot, so they can help determine whether your have booked in the correct amount of time to be able to capture all the shots you need. Once you have this dot point list of shots, highlight the most important shots that are crucial to capture during your shoot session.
Now you can start by structuring out the timeline of your shoot day:
Write or type out half hour increments from your allocated start time to finish time for your shoot. Take a look at your dot point shot list and begin placing these into the time slots, keeping in mind how much time you might need to have for set up and photographing each shot. Remember how you highlighted your most important shots earlier on? Start with placing these into your time schedule first and then fill in the rest of your allocated time with all the other shots. You might find that some shots are going to need longer than others to set up and photograph given the attention to detail or quantity of photos that you require. If you are shooting over a full day, make sure to also factor in time for things like lunch breaks. If you are having multiple models or talent present during your shoot, make note in your time schedule as to what time these models are arriving, what shots they are needed for and what time they are leaving.
If you can’t quite visualise how to structure out your shoot timeline, here’s an example of how things could go:
7:30am - Team (names) to arrive on set and set up
8.00am - Start shooting set up shoot option one
9:00am - Shoot set up shoot option two
10:00am - Shoot set up shoot option three
12:00pm - Break for lunch
1:00pm - Travel to next location
2:30pm - Set up in new location
2:45pm - Shoot set up shoot option 5
3.45pm - Shoot set up shoot option 6
4:15pm - Shoot set up shoot option 7
4:45pm - Last shots, identify any last shots that need to be shot
5:00pm - Wrap shooting and pack down.
