When creating marketing material for food or products, more goes into it than you may think. You need far more than a camera, photography equipment, and the product itself for some large-scale projects. This post will look inside two types of commercial production jobs: large productions and small crew remote shoots.

Whether you’re the photographer, a production team member, or the client, it’s important to know the differences so you can understand what to expect from each type of shoot. Familiarizing yourself with the various team members and production flow will prepare you to produce the best results as efficiently as possible.

 

 

The goal of commercial productions is to create advertising material that will promote a brand, product, or food. The visual material may include video footage, clips, stills, and/or photographs. Then, the material can be used for commercials, advertisements, social media, product packaging, and print materials—an extensive array of digital marketing purposes. The project’s size and budget determine whether you’ll need a full production crew or can get the job done with a small but mighty crew for a remote shoot.

 

What is a large production in commercial advertising?

A large production job can have upwards of ten people on a shoot, each with a specific job. Large productions involve shoots that require specific or challenging locations, complex sets, large deliverable amounts, a variety of deliverables (such as both photo and video), or any project that requires multiple roles on set at one time. Large productions sometimes feel fast and furious, so it’s important to have the right people on the job for each part. Previous experience (in addition to their knowledge) is crucial.

(For those looking to gain more experience with large production jobs, check out my previous post: The Power of Collaboration | 5 Reasons to Test Shoot with Other Creatives.)

Each member of the crew must excel in the following areas:

• Troubleshooting
• On-the-Fly Creativity
• Planning + Logistics
• Flexibility + Adaptability
• Knowing the Ins + Outs of the Role
• Collaborating Well with Other Crew Members
• Understanding the Roles of the Other Members
• Following the Lead of the Director + Producer

Large production crews typically involve the following professionals:

• Photographer
• Photographer Assistant
• Prop Stylist + Assistant
• Food Stylist + Assistant
• Digital Tech
• Creative Director
• Producer
• Agency Representatives

What is a small production in commercial advertising?

Meanwhile, a small crew production works great for a small but specific job, such as product photos, branding photos, or stop-motion clips. A skilled commercial photographer can either do those alone or with a small group of help. Often, the client is not even on the set and will instead proof and approve the images remotely via screen sharing or through shared screenshots.

A remote shoot may take place at the photographer’s studio or on-location by the photographer alone. Or the client or photographer may enlist the help of a small crew for their commercial productions. A small crew may include professionals such as:

• Photographer Assistant
• Stylist
• Model(s)
• Digital Tech

 

Get the Expertise You Need with Lindsay Kreighbaum Photography

From independent projects to large-scale productions and everything in between, Lindsay K has done it all. View recent client work as a Los Angeles commercial photographer in her Portfolio.

Lindsay is a Los Angeles-based food, product, and commercial photographer. She specializes in Still Product & Food Photography, Lifestyle & Portrait Photography, Stop Motion, and Food Styling. Connect with her here for product marketing!