What is batch filming?

Batch filming is exactly what it sounds like.

Rather than setting up your camera every time you need to make a video, you record several videos in one session.

You prepare your ideas, get your equipment ready, set up your lighting and film a collection of videos that you can publish over the coming days or weeks. It's something I've used for years.

The beauty of batch filming is that you only have to deal with the fiddly bits once.

• The camera.
• The lighting.
• The microphone.
• The background.

And, if you're anything like me, the inevitable ten minutes spent wondering why something that worked perfectly yesterday has suddenly stopped working.

Get everything set up properly and you can concentrate on making your videos.

1. Start with a plan

Before you even think about pressing record, decide what you're going to make.

You don't need a complicated content calendar covering every waking moment of the next six months.

But having a list of ideas makes a huge difference.

For example, let's imagine you're an independent musician preparing to release a new single.

You could make five videos around that one song:

• The story behind the lyrics.
• A short acoustic performance.
• Something unexpected that happened during recording.
• The inspiration behind the song.
• A question you've been asked about the music.

That's five pieces of content without having to invent five completely unrelated ideas.

And you could probably film most of them in one afternoon.

You can also turn a bigger topic into a series.

Perhaps you're recording an album and want to share what happens along the way.

Rather than trying to squeeze everything into one enormous video, break it into smaller stories.

• One about writing.
• One about recording.
• One about working with other musicians.
• One about something that went spectacularly wrong.

People love a good story. Particularly when it involves somebody else having a difficult day.

2. Put filming time in your diary

This is where a lot of people fall down.

They decide they're going to make some videos when they have a spare moment.

Unfortunately, spare moments have a habit of disappearing.

So treat filming like any other important part of your work.

Put it in your diary.

It might be an entire afternoon.

It might be a couple of hours on a Tuesday morning.

The important thing is that you've deliberately set aside some time to make content.

And when that time arrives, you're ready.

You've already decided what you're filming.

You know what you want to say.

And you're not wasting the first hour trying to think of something interesting.

3. Keep your setup simple

One of the biggest advantages of batch filming is that you don't have to keep setting everything up.

Find somewhere you can film comfortably.

Think about the background, the lighting and where you're going to position the camera.

And remember that you don't need a professional studio.

A corner of your rehearsal room might be perfect.

So might your home studio, a comfortable chair or somewhere that feels connected to your music.

The important thing is that it looks good, sounds good and feels natural.

There's also something to be said for familiarity.

If people regularly see you in the same environment, that setting can become part of your visual identity.

But don't feel every video needs to look identical.

You can change the framing, move to another part of the room or use different camera angles.

A little variety can go a long way.

4. Know what you're going to say

This is a big one.

And it's where I see plenty of people making life unnecessarily difficult for themselves.

They switch on the camera and hope the words will somehow arrive.

Sometimes they do.

Quite often they don't.

So before you start filming, have a rough idea of what you want to say.

Personally, I prefer a few bullet points.

I know how I'm going to open the video, the main points I want to cover and where I'm going to finish.

That gives me enough structure to stay on track without making the whole thing feel rehearsed.

Now, you could write a complete script.

But there's something worth understanding about scripts.

Writing for the spoken word is a skill. And delivering a script naturally is another skill altogether.

It's not the same as reading something aloud.

You need to understand rhythm, emphasis, pacing and how to make the words sound as though they're coming from you rather than a piece of paper.

And that takes practice.

More importantly people will spot when you do it badly.

You don't have to be an actor to spot a bad actor.

People can tell when somebody doesn't sound genuine, even if they can't quite explain why.

For most musicians making informal videos for social media, I'd suggest starting with a few talking points rather than trying to memorise a speech.

You'll probably find you sound much more like yourself.

And that's exactly who people want to get to know.

5. Film everything before you start editing

Once you're set up, concentrate on recording.

Work through your list of videos, one at a time.

Don't worry if you make a mistake.

Just stop, take a moment and start that sentence again.

You can remove the mistake when you edit.

And don't feel you have to get everything right in one take.

Sometimes the second or third attempt is better because you've relaxed into what you're saying.

The important thing is to keep moving.

I wouldn't recommend stopping to edit every video before filming the next one.

That rather defeats the object.

Get all your recording done while your camera, lights and microphone are ready.

Then tackle the editing separately.

It's a much more efficient way of working.

6. Change your clothes!

Here's a little trick I mention in the video.

If you're recording several videos that will be published over the next few weeks, consider changing your outfit between recordings.

You don't need an entire wardrobe.

Just a couple of different tops can make your content look as though it was filmed on different days.

Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with people knowing you've recorded several videos in one session.

But a little visual variety can help.

You could also change the camera angle or move to another part of the room.

Just remember to check your lighting and sound if you move things around.

And try not to get so carried away with costume changes that you spend longer choosing tops than making videos.

7. Build a library of videos you can use again

This is one of my favourite benefits of batch filming.

Not every video needs to be about something happening this week.

In fact, some of the most useful content you can create is what marketers call evergreen content.

That's simply content that stays relevant over time.

For musicians, it might include:

• The story of how you first started making music.
• What inspired you to pick up your instrument.
• The artists who influenced your sound.
• The meaning behind one of your songs.
• A memorable experience from a live performance.

These stories don't suddenly become irrelevant because another Friday has come and gone.

You can share them again later, perhaps with a different edit or a new introduction.

And if somebody has only recently discovered you, there's a good chance they won't have seen them before.

Over time, you can build a library of useful videos that take some of the pressure off constantly having to create something new.

8. Leave room for the unexpected

Now, here's something I wouldn't recommend.

Planning every single piece of content so far in advance that you've got no room for anything spontaneous.

Because some of the best moments happen when you're not expecting them.

A brilliant rehearsal.

An unexpected conversation.

Something funny that happens on the way to a gig.

A new idea that you're desperate to share.

Those moments can make wonderful social media content.

And they often reveal more about you than anything carefully planned.

So think of batch filming as a way of creating the foundation of your content.

It takes care of the videos you know you want to make.

Then you've got the freedom to share the unexpected things as they happen.

9. Schedule your content

Once you've recorded and edited your videos, the final step is getting them ready to publish.

Fortunately, scheduling content is much easier than it used to be.

For Instagram and Facebook, Meta Business Suite offers scheduling tools, and Instagram also supports scheduling for eligible accounts.

There are other options available if you're publishing across several platforms.

Personally, I find it useful to have a simple content calendar so I can see what's going out and when.

You don't need anything complicated.

A spreadsheet, a calendar or a project management tool can do the job.

Just make sure you know which video is being published, when it's going out and what you're going to say alongside it.

And don't forget to check back after it's published.

Scheduling is useful, but social media still needs a human being on the other end.

If somebody leaves a thoughtful comment or asks you a question, make time to respond.

The real benefit of batch filming

For me, the biggest advantage isn't simply saving time.

It's removing some of the pressure.

When you've already got several videos filmed and ready to go, you don't have that nagging feeling that you ought to be making something for social media.

You can concentrate on the other parts of your work.

And for an independent musician, that's particularly valuable.

Because your social media content should support your music career, not become the thing that takes all your time away from making music.

So next time you've got a couple of hours free, don't just make one video.

Make four or five.

Get yourself organised, keep things simple and build up a little library of content you can draw on whenever you need it.

You might be surprised how much easier the whole thing becomes.

And you might even have time left to make some music.