Lights. Cameras. Assets?

Here’s a scenario. You’re on set for a thirty-second commercial. Everyone who needs to be there is there. Until they aren’t.

The agency’s social team shows up to shoot GIFs with the talent. The client’s in-house production team, two interns with an iPhone, arrives to produce a behind-the-scenes video for an upcoming franchisee conference. All last-minute requests. All unplanned. And the director is losing his mind because he’s losing the precious daylight of a ten-hour day.

This is increasingly normal. The demand to create content for multiple platforms is placing real stress on commercial productions. Here’s how to manage it without it turning into a disaster.

Treat It as an Opportunity, Not an Imposition

Every production is a chance to create campaign bonus content. The behind-the-scenes clip, the blooper reel, the short character piece with the talent: these things have real value when planned correctly. The problem isn’t that people want them. It’s that they show up wanting them without having planned for them.

When a client or agency flags secondary content needs before the production day, it can be built into the schedule, the crew call, and the shot list. It adds value. When it shows up on set without warning, it’s a disruption.

Build the Secondary Shoot Into the Pre-Production Process

The fix is simple: during pre-production, ask the question explicitly. “Who else is going to be on set, and what are they producing?” Force the answer before the call sheet is locked.

This means:

• Identifying all stakeholders who have a content agenda on this shoot
• Assigning dedicated time in the schedule for secondary content capture
• Defining clear zones and handoff moments so competing crews aren’t stepping on each other
• Establishing who has authority on set when the director needs to override secondary requests

Protect the Primary Shoot

The director’s job is the deliverable you’re paying for. Secondary content, no matter how valuable, is not worth compromising the primary shoot. That hierarchy has to be established and respected, and it’s the producer’s job to enforce it.

“We’ll get that BTS shot after we wrap the hero setup” is a sentence that needs to be said, and followed through on. Every time.

The platforms have multiplied. The shoot day hasn’t gotten longer. Plan for it, or manage the fallout.