2. Find the right supplier(s)

Here in BC, we’re lucky to have access to a diverse pool of talent. Content creators will bring a unique perspective to your experiences and products—and the strongest ones will act as a creative partner for you to help you bring your brand to life through compelling visuals. While there are benefits to working with the same suppliers who are familiar with your brand and product, there are also advantages to seeking out fresh perspectives and creative approaches.

• Where to start? If you don’t already have a list of local suppliers developed, reach out to your tourism partners, such as CDMOs, RDMOs, or Destination BC to see if they have suggestions. You can also research talent through their websites, portfolios, professional networks, and social media channels, or consider issuing a call-out through your own networks. 
• An important consideration when selecting a supplier is whether you expect them to manage the logistical planning for your shoot (e.g. reaching out to business owners on your behalf to arrange shoot schedules, or working with BC Parks to secure filming permits). If so, we recommend engaging with someone who has demonstrated experience with this specific skill set. Asking for references from past clients can be a helpful way to evaluate a photographer or videographer’s professional experience.
• Consider both subject matter and style when selecting your supplier(s). Are you primarily shooting landscapes, or are you capturing more experiential or emotive shots of people? This may impact whether you select a photographer who’s experienced with landscape photography, or has more of a lifestyle approach. Is the photographer’s or videographer’s style a good match for your brand? Consider asking them to share a selection of work that they believe best aligns with your brand as part of your decision-making process.
• Depending on the subject matter, consider whether lived experience, community connections, cultural knowledge, or specialized expertise would bring valuable perspective and authenticity to the project.

3. Define your usage rights

Think about how and for how long the materials will be used, and what channels or markets they will be used in; these elements can impact the quote you’ll get from your supplier. We recommend seeking third-party usage rights in perpetuity if budget allows, as that will allow you to grant usage to others (i.e. third parties), such as businesses in your community, sector associations, media publications, or Destination BC.

If budget is a concern, you can try negotiating a shorter usage window, or usage rights for specific channels only (like digital). It’s often more cost effective to negotiate third-party rights for your organization from a supplier before the shoot, than to go back to them each time you want to add another party to the usage terms. Destination BC can share suggested usage rights language to ensure we and other partners are also able to use the materials in future to promote your destination or experience. Contact [email protected] for more information.

4. Consider your models

While identifying subject matter and locations is critical, it’s also important to consider who will be in front of the camera experiencing your destination or business. If you are not capturing an editorial-style story where there’s a narrative arc with a lead character, you or your production team will likely be hiring models to “star” in your visuals. Your chosen production supplier can often help you to source models, provided you identify that need up front and build it into the project timeline.

• Consider who is represented in your content and whether your visuals authentically reflect the diversity of the people who live in and travel through British Columbia. Discuss representation with your production team early in the planning process and consider diversity both behind and in front of the camera. Where content involves specific communities or cultures, consider whether community knowledge, involvement, or permission is appropriate. 
• Ensure you build costs for compensation for models into your shoot budget, and that you ask models to sign a release form that outlines how the images they appear in may be used in the future (even if they are friends/family of the production team).
• Also, consider providing your production team with guidance on wardrobe; sometimes the difference between a good and a great shot can be as simple as removing a distracting patterned jacket or bright running shoes!

5. Think about formats

Shoots are often initiated in support of a specific campaign or marketing initiative. In addition to considering the photo and video needs for those specific uses, consider how the content could be adapted across your broader mix of channels and formats. For example, do you need vertical video for short-form social content? A mix of horizontal and vertical photography? Short clips, longer-form footage, or behind-the-scenes content? Holding a quick brainstorming session with your team or agency during the shoot-planning period can help identify opportunities to extend the life and versatility of your new visuals. You can then proactively build these deliverables into the contract with your supplier.

You will also want to give your production supplier guidance on what format(s) you’d like the final materials delivered in. Here are DBC’s recommendations:

Video:

• B-Roll: Rendered selects in ProRes format (with LUT applied) and corresponding raw files delivered via hard drive
• Social: 9:16 vertical format 
• Converted clips for upload to the DAM: H265 in the best possible quality (your supplier can batch convert all of the ProRes files to expedite this)
• Final/Edited videos: Provide high quality ProRes or H265 files

Photography:

• High-res, 8-bit TIFF files for all assets
• We suggest asking for a mix of horizontal and vertical images

6. Create a contract

It’s important to put a written agreement in place with your supplier to ensure that you are aligned on the terms of the work they will be doing for you. This critical step can help you to avoid relationship issues or even legal challenges in the future. The contract should clearly outline the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, payment terms, usage rights, cancellation terms, and responsibilities for expenses and contingencies. You may want to consider including a requirement for insurance on the part of the supplier as well.

7. Don’t skip pre-production

Taking the time to talk through the goals, creative vision, and logistics of the shoot with your production team before the shoot starts will result in stronger alignment, more clarity for the team on the ground, and a better outcome for you as the client.

We recommend planning for at least two check-ins with your production team before the shoot begins: The first can focus on the creative brief: sharing your vision for the content while also inviting the production team’s creative perspective. The second can focus on pre-production logistics, including locations, model wardrobes, accessibility needs, permits and permissions, cultural or environmental considerations, safety responsibilities, and  contingency plans for inclement weather or other circumstances.

Ideally, you’ll create a project brief so the key details, responsibilities, and expectations are clearly documented and shared with everyone involved in the production.

8. Be prepared on the ground

Ensure you set your production team up for success with the following tips:

• Create an itinerary that includes key contact information for businesses they’ll be visiting, so that they can call ahead if they’re running late or if plans change due to unexpected events.
• If your shoot is primarily taking place outdoors, consider having a backup plan for inclement weather.
• Ensure consent and release forms are on hand for tourism business staff or members of the public who may be included in shots to sign.

 9. That’s a wrap!—but don’t forget to debrief

On-location shoots are dynamic projects with many shifting elements; you will likely generate some key learnings from your project that you will want to apply to future projects. Take the time to debrief with your production team to discuss what worked, what was a challenge, and what you may want to do differently next time. Document key learnings while they are fresh and incorporate them into future briefs, contracts, shot lists, and production planning.

10. Share your new visuals with your BC tourism partners via the BC Content Hub

A simple and effective way to extend the ROI of your content creation investment and increase reach and exposure for your destination or experience is to share your new visual assets with others in the BC tourism industry via Destination BC’s shared Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, the BC Content Hub. Provided you have secured third-party usage rights from your supplier, and all recognizable individuals in the images have signed Destination BC’s Consent & Release Form, you can submit your visuals in order to give Destination BC and others who promote tourism in BC such as Destination Canada, RDMOs, sector associations, and global travel media and travel trade the ability to use your visuals in their marketing activities.

For more information on how to submit your visuals to the BC Content Hub, please contact [email protected].