Allow time in the filming schedule for setup and de-rigging. It’s part of the shoot day and takes about an hour to set up and half an hour to de-rig. If you have different people presenting to the camera, allow a bit of time to mic them up and get them comfortable in front of the camera.

Allow time for multiple takes; even professionals need a few takes to get it right. This also has the added benefit of giving editors more to work with during post-production. The more prepared and practiced everyone is for the shoot, the more efficient and cost-effective filming is.

Sometimes it will save money to have extra crew on set during filming, as this makes the shoot faster, more efficient, and results in better footage, which means fewer editing hours are needed. Ensure parking and access for crew to load in their gear (there’s often a lot more equipment than you think!).

If you have a bit of extra time, capture some general b-roll for your stock library. This means you can repurpose footage at a later date, giving you a better return on your filming costs.