So, you’ve decided to create a video for your school. Great idea.
Whether you want to showcase your school to prospective parents, promote an open day, attract new students, support staff recruitment or simply give people a better feel for everyday school life, a well planned school video can do a lot.
But if you have never organised a school video shoot before, you might be wondering what actually happens on the day.
Who needs to be involved? What should people say? Do classrooms need to be spotless? What happens if a pupil who cannot be filmed walks into shot? And how much do you actually need to organise yourself?
The good news is that you do not need to become a film producer overnight. A good school videographer should take care of much of the filming process for you. Your job is mainly to make sure the right people, places and activities are available while the videographer works out how best to capture them.
Here is what I would recommend thinking about before your school video shoot.
1. Decide What You Want Your School Video to Achieve
Before thinking about cameras, interviews or what everyone is going to wear, start with the most important question:
What do you want the video to achieve?
A school video could be used to:
• Attract prospective parents and pupils
• Promote school open days
• Support admissions and marketing
• Showcase your school facilities
• Communicate your school’s ethos
• Introduce a new building or facility
• Support staff recruitment
• Promote extracurricular activities
• Give prospective families a feel for everyday school life
It is worth being clear about this from the beginning because it will influence everything else.
A school promotional video aimed at prospective parents might focus heavily on teaching, pastoral care, facilities and the pupil experience. A recruitment video might put much more emphasis on staff, professional development and the working environment.
If you are working with a professional school videographer, these are the sorts of things you should discuss before the filming day. The clearer the objective, the easier it is to work out what needs to be filmed.
2. Decide Who Should Appear on Camera
A school video should feel like a genuine representation of your school, so think about the different people who could help tell that story.
Depending on the type of video, you might want to include:
• The Headteacher or Principal to talk about the school’s vision, ethos and what makes it different
• Teachers to explain the approach to teaching and give an insight into everyday school life
• Students, who can often be some of the best people to feature because they can talk about their experience in their own words
• Parents, particularly if the video is aimed at prospective families
• Support staff including reception, pastoral teams, librarians and technicians
• Senior leadership where the video needs to communicate the wider vision of the school or trust
You do not necessarily need everyone speaking directly to camera.
Some people might be interviewed while others simply appear naturally during lessons and activities.
The best school videos usually feel like a reflection of real school life rather than a series of people delivering rehearsed speeches.
3. Prepare Your Interviews and Testimonials
Interviews can be one of the most daunting parts of filming, particularly for people who have not been in front of a camera before.
The good news is that nobody needs to be a professional presenter.
In fact, some of the best interviews I have filmed have come from people who were initially quite nervous.
Rather than asking someone to memorise a long script, it can be much more natural to work from a few key questions or talking points.
For example, instead of asking a teacher to memorise a paragraph about the school’s science department, you might ask:
“What do you enjoy most about teaching science here?”
That tends to produce a much more natural answer.
And do not worry if someone gets their words wrong. They do not have to deliver the perfect answer first time. A professional videographer will guide them through the interview and can simply ask the question again if needed.
Do You Need a Script for a School Video?
Not necessarily.
For a Headteacher delivering a specific message, a script can be useful. For student, parent and staff testimonials, conversational interviews often work better.
The important thing is that the person understands the key messages you want to communicate without sounding like they are reading from a brochure.
4. Think About What You Want the Videographer to Capture
One of the biggest things people do not realise when commissioning a school video is how much footage is needed beyond the interviews.
This is where B roll comes in.
B roll is the supporting footage that shows the school while somebody is talking.
For example, if your Headteacher is talking about the school’s approach to science, you might see:
• Students carrying out an experiment
• A teacher helping a pupil
• Close ups of practical work
• Students working together
• Equipment being used
• The science classroom itself
Other useful footage could include:
• Students arriving at school
• Lessons taking place
• Sports
• Music and drama
• Clubs and extracurricular activities
• Break and lunchtime
• Teachers interacting with pupils
• Students moving around the school
• Libraries and specialist facilities
• Outdoor spaces
• School buildings and grounds
This supporting footage is what helps turn an interview into a film about your school.
Before the shoot, think about the things that make your school different. Those are the things you want the camera to see.
5. Check Your Filming Permissions and Safeguarding
This is one area where it pays to be organised before the filming day.
Schools will normally have their own policies around photography and video, and your videographer will need to know which pupils and staff can appear on camera.
Ideally, the school should provide an up to date list of anyone who cannot be filmed and make sure the relevant staff members know that filming is taking place.
It is also worth considering things that might accidentally appear in the background, such as:
• Names on classroom displays
• Personal information on computer screens
• Student work containing sensitive information
• Pupils who do not have filming permission
• Visitors who have not consented to being filmed
Having someone from the school who understands these requirements available on the day can make the process much easier.
The videographer can concentrate on getting the shots while the school’s designated contact can help identify any potential issues.
6. Choose the Best Location for Interviews
The obvious place to film a Headteacher might be their office, but it is not always the best option.
When choosing an interview location, think about:
• Background
• Natural light
• Noise
• Available space
• What the location says about the school
A library, classroom or other interesting part of the school can sometimes make a much more engaging background than a plain office.
The important thing is to make sure the location works both visually and practically.
Schools can be surprisingly noisy places. Bells, corridors, playgrounds, nearby classrooms and announcements can all create problems when recording audio.
Your videographer should be able to help identify suitable locations when they arrive, but having a few options in mind beforehand is useful.
7. Do Not Worry About Making the Whole School Perfect
Yes, it is worth tidying the areas you are planning to film.
But do not feel that the entire school needs to look like it has been prepared for a royal inspection.
The aim should be to make the school look presentable and authentic.
A few simple things can make a big difference:
• Remove outdated posters
• Clear unnecessary clutter
• Check whiteboards
• Tidy desks and workspaces
• Make sure displays are current
• Put away anything that should not be there
At the same time, do not remove everything that makes the classroom look like a classroom.
Student work, books, artwork and displays can all help make the footage feel genuine.
The aim is not to create a showroom. It is to show the school as it really is, just at its best.
8. Keep the School Day Running Normally
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is trying to make every shot look staged.
You do not need thirty students pretending to work because a camera has entered the classroom.
In most cases, it is better to let lessons and activities continue as normally as possible.
A good school videographer should be able to work around the school day and capture natural interactions without constantly interrupting teachers and pupils.
Sometimes this means waiting for the right moment rather than forcing a shot.
That can take a little patience, but the result is usually much more natural.
9. Prepare a Rough Schedule
You do not need to plan every minute of the filming day, but having a rough schedule is extremely helpful.
Before the shoot, it can be useful to provide your videographer with:
• Which teachers are available
• Which students are involved
• Lesson times
• Important activities taking place
• Break and lunch times
• Interview availability
• Any areas that need to be included
• Any restrictions around filming
This allows the videographer to build a realistic filming plan.
It is also worth remembering that the schedule may change.
A lesson might finish early, the weather might change or a particular activity might take longer than expected.
That is normal.
The filming plan should have enough flexibility to adapt rather than falling apart when something does not go exactly to schedule.
10. Have a Backup Plan for Outdoor Filming
Outdoor footage can be fantastic for a school video, particularly when you want to show sports, school grounds, outdoor learning or students arriving at the school.
Unfortunately, British weather does not always cooperate.
If outdoor footage is important to the video, think about alternative indoor activities that could be filmed if the weather turns.
Your videographer should also be able to adjust the schedule and make use of better weather when it appears.
Sometimes the best shot of the day is not the one that was originally planned.
11. What Actually Happens on the School Filming Day?
If you have never worked with a videographer before, this is probably the bit you are most interested in.
Typically, the videographer will arrive, meet the school’s main contact and have a look around the building.
They will look at things such as:
• The best locations for interviews
• Available light
• Backgrounds
• Noise levels
• Which classrooms and facilities are worth capturing
• Where the most interesting activities are happening
From there, the filming can begin.
Interviews will usually be filmed separately from the general B roll, with time built into the day for setting up the camera, lighting and audio.
The rest of the day is about capturing the school in action.
And this is where having an experienced school videographer makes a difference.
Rather than expecting the school to know exactly what shots are required, the videographer should be able to look at the environment and identify opportunities as they appear.
12. How Long Does a School Video Shoot Take?
There is not a single answer because every school video project is different.
A half day shoot might be enough for a relatively simple project with one interview and a small amount of supporting footage.
A full day may be more appropriate for a larger school where you want to cover multiple departments, facilities, activities and interviews.
The filming time can also increase if you want:
• Multiple interviews
• Parent or student testimonials
• Several different videos
• Photography as well as video
• Content for different social media formats
• More detailed coverage of facilities
• Multiple schools filmed on the same project
It is worth discussing the intended final videos with your videographer before booking the shoot. This will allow them to recommend how much filming time you will realistically need.
13. What Happens After the Filming?
Once the cameras have packed away, the project is not finished.
The footage needs to be reviewed and organised before the editing process begins.
Depending on what you have commissioned, the post production process might include:
- Reviewing the interviews
- Selecting the strongest answers
- Selecting supporting B roll
- Editing the main video
- Adding music
- Adding titles, logos or graphics
- Colour correction
- Audio mixing
- Creating shorter versions for social media
- Making any agreed amendments
- Supplying the final videos ready for use
You may also want more than one finished video.
For example, a school might have a main two minute promotional film alongside shorter testimonial videos that can be used on social media or individual pages of the school website.
It is worth thinking about these requirements before filming because they can influence what needs to be captured on the day.
14. How Long Should a School Video Be?
There is not a magic length that works for every school.
The right length depends on where the video will be used and what you want it to achieve.
A website hero video might work well at around 60 to 90 seconds, while a more detailed school film could be two or three minutes.
You may also want shorter versions for social media.
The important thing is that the video holds the viewer’s attention and communicates the key messages without adding unnecessary content simply to make the video longer.
15. Do Not Forget the Small Details
When you are preparing for a school video shoot, it is easy to focus on the big things and overlook the smaller details.
Think about:
• School signage
• Logos and branding
• School entrance
• Uniform
• Student work
• Awards and achievements
• Specialist equipment
• Interesting architectural features
• School grounds
• Facilities that make the school different
These shots can be particularly useful during editing and help establish a sense of place.
16. Choose a Videographer Who Understands Schools
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that filming in a school is not the same as filming in an empty studio.
There are safeguarding considerations, busy timetables, unpredictable pupils, noisy environments, changing light and lessons that cannot simply be stopped because a camera needs a shot.
An experienced school videographer should understand all of this and be able to work around it.
The aim is not to disrupt the school day. It is to capture it.
The best school videos do not feel like a production has taken over the school for the day. They feel like an authentic glimpse into what makes that school special.
Ready to Film Your School?
If you are considering a school video and are not sure where to start, that is completely normal.
You do not need to have a detailed production plan before getting in touch. A good starting point is simply to explain what you are hoping the video will achieve, where it will be used and what you would like people to take away from watching it.
From there, your videographer can help work out what needs to be filmed, how much time you will need and how best to structure the day.
Parker Photography & Video works with schools across London and the UK, creating promotional films, school videos, staff and parent testimonials and other video content for schools and education groups.
If you are looking for a school videographer in London and would like to discuss an upcoming project, get in touch to talk through what you have in mind.