When you’re preparing for a film shoot, it can be tough to know what to wear. If you’re already working with an established company that has a look, then stick with that. Your company’s brand can include what you wear on shoots, so when in doubt, stick with your brand. Additionally when it comes to clothes, you want to wear clothes that you’re comfortable in, especially in the film industry when you’ll be running around with camera equipment all day. If these factors don’t narrow down your options enough, then here are some additional styles and tips for different film shoots.
The Professional Look
Your first option is the professional or formal look. This is generally what you should wear when you first meet your clients. For a professional look, wear a button down shirt or a blouse. For pants, stick with khakis or dress pants- no jeans! With shoes you should have some leeway because you’ll be running around with camera equipment all day, however we recommend trying to stick with a pair of nice, yet comfortable sneakers. After your first meeting, gage your outfit for next time by looking at whatever your client wore. If they dressed more casually, then you can dress more casually next time too.
The Business Casual Look
This is the outfit you’ll likely wear the most. You’ll still want to stick with a button down or blouse, but you could also wear a company shirt instead (either your production team logo, or the client’s logo). For business casual scenarios, you can also wear jeans (black is best), and casual sneakers. Just try to stay away from bright-colored running shoes. Keep in mind that your “business casual” look should also be comfortable enough to move around in all day for video shoots.
The Casual Look
Finally, there’s the casual option. You can go with this option if the client themself wears casual attire, if you’ve known them for a long time, or if you’re shooting for a sports or adventuring video. You will be fine wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and whatever shoes are most comfortable. In really active scenarios shorts are okay too.
Now that we’ve covered the three looks, let’s go over some general rules for clothing.
Be Careful of logos: You don’t want to be wearing one company’s logo while filming a video for another! We recommend either wearing non-branded clothing, or your production team’s logo.
Avoid bright colors: As a part of a film crew, you want to blend in. You want to make your talent feel as comfortable as possible so that they can forget about the cameras. Therefore we recommend wearing neutral color clothing. The exception to this is if your company’s brand involves bright colors.
No gym shorts: Unless you’re on an intensely active film shoot with an athlete, stay away from gym shorts. You still want to maintain some level of professionalism.
Pants before skirts or dresses: This is up to you and your comfort level. If you’re a female in the film industry, setting up lights and cameras in a dress can be extremely difficult. When you are running around with a million things in your mind, you want to be wearing clothing that is comfortable and functional.
As we said before, the most important factors when it comes to dressing for any film shoot are your comfort level in the clothes you choose, and what brand and style you or your company has already established. Beyond those two factors, hopefully our tips help you prepare for whatever style film shoot you’re going to be working on. Hopefully then you can feel comfortable and professional while you’re out capturing stories.