There’s nothing quite like a shoot day.
The buzz on set, the energy of the crew, the moment when creative finally becomes content. But as any agency will know, production is where things can start to wobble, if you’re not set up for it.
Luckily, most of the chaos is totally avoidable. It’s usually a case of getting aligned early, keeping things lean, and knowing how to flex when the unexpected happens.
Here are a few common pressure points, and how to keep them from turning into full-blown problems.
The crunch happens early
One of the most common ways a shoot goes off-track? A brilliant idea, a quick green light… and not quite enough lead time to get all the ducks in a row. Suddenly, things that should be simple . kit lists, crew, logistics… become last-minute fixes.
But a well-paced pre-production process solves most of this. Even with tighter timelines, clear shotlists and smart scheduling give everyone breathing room and help make sure the creative actually comes to life the way it was intended.
Creative drift
We’ve all been there, the brief is solid, the idea is clear, but by the time the first draft lands, something’s gone missing. The look is off. The tone feels different. It’s no one’s fault, but somewhere between the brief and the edit, wires got crossed.
This is where early alignment matters. When production is brought into the creative conversations early, everyone’s working from the same picture, and there’s way less room for drift. Even better, you unlock extra creative thinking from a team who knows what’s actually achievable on set.
Too many boots on the ground
Big crews have their place, but they can also slow things down. The more people on set, the longer everything takes to move, and if the setup doesn’t need it, things get clunky fast.
The good news? A small, sharp crew that’s used to moving quickly can get just as much done (often more), without the drag. Shoots stay nimble, the energy stays high, and you’re able to capture more without compromising on quality.
The dreaded post slowdown
Everything’s wrapped, the team’s happy, and now it’s time to get the edits turned around. But without a clear plan for post, things start to drag. Stakeholder feedback becomes a tangle. Timelines blur. Suddenly the campaign’s stalled waiting on version seven of a thirty-second cut.
This is one of the easiest fixes. Lock your post workflow early. Agree on sign-off stages and keep feedback clear and centralised. A tight post schedule keeps everyone on track and gives the creative room to shine.
The fix is in the rhythm
Most production issues aren’t about big failures, they’re about small things slipping. The good news is, they’re easy to avoid when you’ve got the right rhythm in place.
That means looping in production early, aligning around a shared plan, and building trust in a team that’s there to keep things calm, creative, and on time. Whether you’re producing a hero film, a bank of social content, or a full campaign rollout, the structure matters.
Get that right, and everything else flows.
Final thoughts
Production should feel exciting, not overwhelming. With the right rhythm in place, clear creative, lean crew and smart planning, it becomes the part of the process where everything clicks into place. No chaos. No drama. Just good people making great work happen.
If you’re an agency looking for a calm, collaborative production partner who can jump in early, bring everything under one roof and help your ideas land exactly how they should, we’d love to chat.