The Contractor's Video Shot List

What to capture on every job, even on a phone

By John Markadakis · Updated Sep 28, 2026

The rule that makes footage useful

Before you press record, ask one question: what does this video prove? Craftsmanship? Process discipline? A real transformation? If the answer is unclear, don’t film it. Every shot below exists to prove something a premium buyer cares about.

Pro Tip

Even phone footage becomes valuable when it’s intentional. The difference between “content” and proof isn’t the camera. It’s knowing what each video is for.

1. Establishing

Action steps

Wide exterior of the property or jobsite: the setting tells the price range
Arrival shot: trucks pulling up, crew setting up. Professionalism starts at the curb
Establishing interior, if applicable

2. The Founder

Action steps

Walking the site with purpose: documentary feel, never staged
Speaking to camera: 2–4 short prompts, 60–90 seconds each (some will be usable, that's the point)
Interacting with the crew or checking work quality

Prompts that work: “What makes this project genuinely excellent vs. just finished?” · “What do most homeowners not realize about this trade?” · “What’s your standard that others skip?”

3. Team & Process

Action steps

Crew at work: real moments, not performances
Coordination between team members
Quality-check and problem-solving moments. Buyers fear chaos; show them order

4. Craft Details

Action steps

10–15 tight detail shots of finished or in-progress work
Materials before and after application
The angles that make work look editorial: low, close, raking light

Pro Tip

Detail shots are what justify premium pricing visually. The details most people never notice are exactly what a $100k client is paying for. Show them.

5. Before / After

Action steps

Same angle, same framing, both states. This is the single most powerful content you can capture
Wide and close-up versions of each

6. The Reveal + Verticals

Action steps

The finished space: wide, medium, close
Client walkthrough or reaction if they're willing
Vertical (9:16) versions of your best moments for social
One 3–5 second loop of the single most striking visual: that's your hook

Keep it organized

Name files DATE_Client_What_v1 and sort into RAW / SELECTS / EDITS folders the same day. Six months of organized footage is a brand film waiting to be cut; six months of camera-roll chaos is nothing.

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