Shooting Seasons: The Importance of Booking the Right Season
The best marketers focus on creating content strategically rather than just seasonally. However, leveraging the weather can help differentiate yourself from the rest.
Shooting on location is an effective way to make your video content feel fresh and authentic, and it’s something we regularly practice at JV Studios.
Shooting in Winter & Colder Months
Many production companies don’t want to shoot in the winter, but let’s be honest—they are missing opportunities. Winter can be a great time to shoot video content if you know how to do it right.
Here’s a handful of content that we can shoot in the winter:
- Testimonials – You don’t have to stand in the snow if you’re shooting customer testimonials.
- Culture and Brand Story – Many company culture and brand story videos don’t need to be shot outside.
- Product Videos – Shooting product videos in the winter is ideal for indoor product demos.
- Holiday Promos – ‘Tis the season. Winter is a great time to shoot holiday promos, products, and services.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Cold Weather Filming
The Advantages
Accessing an experienced crew is also easier in winter, since winter tends to be a slower production season. With fewer crowds and the option of indoor shooting, work can be more manageable.
Another advantage is the early sunset and the lack of harsh daylight. Indoor locations can easily be strategically lit in the late afternoon without having to battle harsh sunlight through windows and doors.
The Disadvantages
Depending on your location and creative style, winter can limit outdoor shooting. Weather can also be unpredictable, and shorter daylight hours make filming challenging, requiring careful planning.
Shooting in Summer & Warmer Months
Summer is perfect for many activities, including hot dogs, music festivals, and pool parties. It’s also an excellent time for shooting video content.
The famous “golden hour”—the time just after sunrise and before sunset—is worth the extra effort and resources to capture the best shots.
Warm temperatures and prolonged hours of daylight make shooting on location practical for the following:
- On-location Filming – Shooting on location outside of the studio is ideal for authentic, real-world content.
- Lifestyle Brands and Content – Summer is the best time to film active product lifestyle products.
- Outdoor-specific Content – Outdoor products are best shot in the summer, due to the weather and sunlight.
- Drone Footage – Clear summer days are fit for filming drone footage.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Warm Weather Filming
The Advantages
Summer offers a variety of filming locations.
Natural lighting is also easier to work with, and the weather is great for capturing motion and energy—perfect for active lifestyle brands.
Summer is also the best time to film ambitious projects that require plenty of space and colors.
The Disadvantages
Summer means harsh lighting and long outdoor shoots, which can be exhausting and uncomfortable.
Since it’s a busier season, it can also be challenging to find shooting locations, sets, and talent during the summer months.
Obtaining location permits may also take longer, which are needed for filming on location.
Shooting in the Fall
We can’t overlook the beauty of fall.
With its changing leaves, crisp air, and the popularity of pumpkin spice everything, many people consider autumn one of the best seasons of the year.
The warm, vibrant foliage of autumn provides an ideal backdrop for content, especially in the Midwest. Unlike summer, fall is cooler and less crowded. Plus, there is still plenty of daylight, and the color-changing leaves make for stunning drone footage.
Benefits of Seasonal Productions
Shooting seasonally is less about the season and more about the planning, but seasonal production does have its benefits:
- Staying Relevant – Shooting seasonally keeps your content fresh and relevant throughout the year.
- Taking Advantage of Outdoor Activities – Warmer seasons and longer days allow us to shoot more.
- Generating Seasonal Leads – Seasonal sales are ideal for generating new leads online.
Shooting on Location
Shooting on location can set the stage for a successful video shoot.
An outdoor shoot can highlight your product in a new light, especially if you’re shooting products like running shoes, bicycles, or even an Airbnb.
For example, take a look at the 60-second lifestyle commercial we shot for Serenity Springs. This intimate getaway was shot on site during a week of beautiful Midwest fall, utilizing the resort’s amenities and natural beauty.
We also did this with SeaDek. Our crew filmed three commercials on the water and at the beach through humorous and memorable skits.
Location Scouting
Finding the right location to shoot your video content can be challenging, but this isn’t our first rodeo.
JV Studios is well-versed in scouting for the best location for your video production project. This is a crucial step in the pre-production process to ensure no hiccups during the shoot.
Location Permitting
You will need a permit to shoot on location, which we will handle for you.
After securing the permit, we will create a schedule and distribute a call sheet that outlines the work. The times listed on the call sheet are binding for all team members.
Set Management
The last thing we want to do is waste time.
We make sure everything is ready to go and that the team is fully prepared for the beginning of the shoot.
Why Choose JV Studios for Your Next Video Shoot
Creative video production is what we do best—and we love to flex our creativity through seasonal video shoots. Whether you need to capture your new outdoor product or highlight positive customer experiences, JV Studios delivers.
Our team takes time to involve you in the video production process, educating and supporting you along the way. Let’s make something epic.
