PLANNING NOTES
A useful construction record begins before the first major change. Plan the views, milestones and deliveries that will make the build understandable from start to finish.
By Solidarity Drone Videos · Planning guide
IN THIS PAGE
Start with a baseline Build a repeatable shot list Connect visits to milestones Define what the team receives Prepare a usable baseline brief Review the story at each milestoneCapture the site and its surroundings before excavation or another major stage begins. Agree which features matter: access routes, the footprint, the relationship to neighbouring buildings or the eventual approach to the entrance. This baseline becomes a reference for later updates.
Choose a small set of useful viewpoints and record the intended framing. At each visit, review access and operating conditions before attempting comparable views. Consistency helps the viewer see progress, but a safe filming plan takes priority over matching an earlier camera position.
Ask the site team which changes are likely before the next visit. Foundations, framing, enclosure and landscaping may need different coverage. A shared milestone list helps avoid missing a short phase that matters to the final story.
Specify update length, orientation, labels and turnaround in the proposal. Separate internal progress material from marketing edits if the audiences need different information. At handover, a final film can bring selected moments together; it should not be presented as an engineering inspection or survey.
List the areas that will change, the viewpoints that help explain them and the people who will use the footage. A simple annotated site plan is often more useful than a long list of shots. Name the person who can confirm access and advise when the programme changes. Keep an agreed naming convention for the project, date and view. That makes it easier to compare material months later and reduces the risk of selecting the wrong stage for a presentation.
A repeat view provides continuity, but new activity may deserve a different detail. Review whether a milestone needs an additional capture window, a ground-level sequence or a short explanation in the edit. The objective is to show the change clearly, not to accumulate the largest possible archive. Before the final visit, identify the missing ending shots. Finishing, landscaping and a clear completed exterior can make the difference between a record that stops and a film that concludes.