Pre-shoot checklist for UGC videos

The short version

Use this checklist the day before a shoot and again right before you press record. It has four stages: the day before, setting up your space, your phone settings and a final test.

The checks people skip most are the shot list and the test clip. A shot list means you don’t discover at the edit that a deliverable is missing. A ten-second test catches bad sound and a smudged lens before you’ve filmed twenty minutes of takes.

Tick items as you go. Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can come back to the list on shoot day.

The day before

Re-read the brief and list every deliverable.Write down each video, its length and aspect ratio, every hook variation and any raw clips. Briefs often ask for more than the headline video, and a missing deliverable means a reshoot.
Turn the list into a shot list.Write one line per shot: each hook, the talking part, the product close-ups and the B-roll. Filming from a list is faster than deciding on the spot, and you can tick shots off as you go.
Check the product arrived complete.Compare everything in the box with the brief. If something is missing or damaged, take photos and email the brand the same day. Most brands would rather send a replacement than receive footage of a broken product.
Charge your phone, mic and lights.A phone below 20% can dim the screen or stop recording when it gets warm. Charge overnight and keep a cable within reach of where you film.
Free up storage on your phone.Retakes in 4K fill several gigabytes quickly, and a full phone stops recording mid-take. Back up and delete old videos first, then check the free space in your phone’s storage settings.

Example: a skincare brief as a shot list

The brief asked for one 30-second testimonial, three hook variations and raw clips, all vertical. This is the shot list that came out of it.

Example shot list for a skincare serum briefExample brief, not a real brand.

Shot	What to film	Used in
Hook A	Close-up of you, first line to camera: “I stopped buying serums until this one.”	Main video
Hook B	The dropper falling onto your fingertips, no talking	Hook variation
Hook C	You at the mirror: “Day 14 of using this, no filter.”	Hook variation
Talking part	Why you tried it and what you noticed	Main video
Product close-ups	Bottle front and back, the dropper, the texture on your hand	Main video and raw clips
Routine B-roll	Applying it at the sink, putting it back on the shelf	Main video and raw clips
Ending	Your skin in the same light as hook C	Main video

Set up your space

Face a window, or put your main light in front of you.Light from the front and slightly to one side shows your face and the product clearly. Light from behind turns you into a silhouette. Switch off ceiling lights, because their warmer color mixes badly with daylight.
Clear the background.Take out clutter, other brands’ products and anything personal you don’t want online, such as letters or family photos. Check the edges of the frame, not just the middle.
Remove price stickers and shop labels.Brands reject footage that shows a price tag, a shop label or another brand’s logo. Turn the product in your hands and check every side the camera will see.
Clean the product.Dust and fingerprints show up in close-ups, especially on glass, metal and dark plastic. Wipe it with a microfiber cloth and keep the cloth nearby for retakes.
Switch off anything that hums.Fridges, fans, air conditioning and washing machines are easy to stop hearing while you film, and hard to remove later. Close the windows if there’s traffic outside.

Set up your phone

Clean the camera lens.A fingerprint on the lens makes the whole video look hazy, and you won’t notice it on the small screen. Wipe it with a microfiber cloth before every session.
Set the resolution, frame rate and orientation the brief asks for.Most briefs ask for vertical 9:16 video. If the brief doesn’t say, 1080p or 4K at 30 fps is a safe choice. Check the setting before you film, because a wrong frame rate can’t be fixed cleanly in the edit.
Turn on Do Not Disturb.A call can stop a recording, and a notification vibration can ruin a take. Turn it off again when you’re done, so you don’t miss the brand’s messages.

Final test before you record

Leave room for captions and app buttons.TikTok, Reels and Shorts cover the bottom of the screen and the right edge with captions and buttons. Keep your face, the product and any text you plan to add away from those areas.
Frame the shot, then lock focus and exposure.On an iPhone, press and hold on your face until AE/AF Lock appears. On most Android phones, tap to focus and use the lock or the exposure slider in the camera app. A locked setting stops the picture pulsing when you move or hold up the product.
Record a 10-second test clip and play it back with headphones.Check that your face and the product are sharp, the light is even, and your voice is clear without echo or hum. It takes a minute and is the check that saves the most reshoots.

Common mistakes

Trusting the phone screen. A small screen hides soft focus and background hum. Zoom in on the test clip and listen with headphones.
Filming only the main video. Briefs often ask for hook variations, raw clips or a shorter cut. Check your deliverables list before you pack up.
Mixing light sources. A window plus a warm ceiling bulb gives your skin two different colors. Switch off the bulb, or close the curtains and use one lamp.
Leaving other brands in shot. A logo on a mug or a shopping bag can make a video unusable as an ad. Check the whole frame, including the edges.

Questions creators ask

When should I start this checklist?

Do the first stage the day before, so there’s time to ask the brand about a missing deliverable or a damaged product. The other three stages are for shoot day, right before you record.

Do I need a ring light?

No. A window in front of you gives soft, even light for free. A light helps when you film in the evening or need the same look across several videos. The lesson on lighting and sound with a phone covers both.

Should I film in 4K?

Only if the brief asks for it. 1080p is enough for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, and smaller files are easier to send. Some brands want 4K raw clips so they can crop them, so check the brief.

What if the product arrives damaged?

Take photos of the damage and the packaging, and email the brand the same day. Don’t film a damaged product unless the brand tells you to.