Dream Image Club
Videographer
How many days does it take to film a factory video, and do we have to stop production?
Short answer
Most factory shoots are done in one day. With several executives or engineers to interview, or several buildings or sites, it takes 2–3 days — and the line does not need to stop for the day. I film running production lines with a crew of 2–3, lights and stabilisers, and only ask for a machine to pause for brief moments when we need a close detail or clean sound. How long the edit takes depends on length and rounds of changes.
What a shooting day in a factory looks like
Before the shoot we agree what the video must prove, and I turn that into a shot list ordered along the route through the plant, so we never double back, with any moments that need people or a paused machine scheduled when the line can spare them.
The day usually starts with exteriors and wide shots in good light, then the running line, product and machine details, and finally interviews in a quiet room. If you want aerial views of the plant, I fly the drone when weather and permission allow.
What makes it take more than one day
- Several interviews — especially when people are free on different days.
- Several plants or provinces, which need travel days (travel is already in the quote).
- Processes that run in cycles — machines that only run on certain shifts, or steps that take hours before the result is visible.
- Both day and night footage, or scenes that need morning or evening light.
- A main film plus a set of vertical shorts — shot together, but needing time for extra angles.
No need to stop the line — but I need your safety rules first
Before the shoot I ask for the plant's safety requirements: no-go zones, required protective equipment, areas where lights or drones are not allowed, and anything confidential that must stay out of frame. That lets me plan angles without stopping work or reshooting.
For hazardous areas, I have made a demonstration film of work in a confined space, following the site procedure strictly — so the footage can genuinely be used for training rather than being staged.
What the camera cannot see, graphics explain
Many industrial products have parts a camera cannot show — a reaction inside a tank, the inside of a machine, standards and figures. I talk to the engineer or whoever really knows first, then separate scenes that must show the real machine from those better explained with graphics, so no shooting time is spent on footage that still would not explain anything.
If the film will loop on a silent trade-fair screen, I build it to make sense from pictures and text. For overseas buyers, I can add narration or bilingual subtitles.
After the shoot — when do we get the files?
Edit time depends on length, number of versions and rounds of changes. You review through an unlisted YouTube link with 3–5 rounds of changes, then the master files arrive via Google Drive. The delivery date is agreed when we first discuss the job.
Rush jobs are possible: for one company and factory film I was contacted just two days before the shoot, filmed for one day and finished the edit within three days. The trick is for everyone who approves to send one combined set of comments per round, so the edit does not go in circles.
What the factory should prepare
- One coordinator on site who can walk us round and get each department's permission.
- Photos of the areas in advance, or a short recce if the plant is complex.
- The machine and shift schedule for the shooting day.
- Clean, tidy areas where we will film.
- Names, positions and correct spellings for everyone being interviewed.
