Capture the moment.
Protect the footage.
This is a live opening, not a controlled commercial. A missed first customer cannot be recreated. Your priority is coverage first, perfection second.
Photography is contractual, not a bonus
30–60 professionally edited photos for both PCMAE and PopUp corporate. Cover the nine corporate photo categories, but do not confuse checklist completion with 30 final deliverables. Both original video edits remain equally binding.
Quick photo status: 0 final edited · 30 minimum
Live production status
Critical shots still needed
These update automatically when you check items off in the Shot List tab.
At-a-glance camera card
Treat ISO and white balance as location-dependent. Set/test presets at night; verify real morning daylight at 6 AM.
Live decision guide
Where you should be
Switch to the Schedule tab for full details. Times are flexible.
Orientation rules
Live 7–11 AM: aim roughly 60% horizontal / 40% vertical. For one-time action, horizontal 4K with center-safe composition often protects both edits, but a vertical crop sacrifices field of view.
During an available controlled-product window: capture native vertical and horizontal takes without assuming access during an available production lull.
Watch edges: keep faces, bagels, signs and hands within a 9:16-safe center region when planning to crop. Don't assume every horizontal shot will work vertically.
Night-before scout: what you can and cannot lock
Lock: 4K format, 10-bit codec, S-Cinetone, AF behavior, memory recalls, audio workflow, lens suitability, camera positions, flicker checks, storage and gear.
Only baseline: kitchen exposure and white balance if the same fixtures will be used during service.
Recheck at 6 AM: daylight-dependent dining exposure/WB, exterior exposure/ND, window highlights and any lighting that changes from nighttime.
Run a rehearsal: record 10–15 seconds with both lenses in each zone; inspect footage on MacBook at 100% for focus, flicker, motion blur, distortion and audio.
Lens-specific considerations
Sony FE 24–105 f/4: your reliable live-action zoom. Use 24–35mm for lines and room context; 50–85mm for reactions, handoffs and interviews. At 4K60, APS-C crop makes its wide end about a 36mm-equivalent field of view.
Samyang wide prime: kitchen, atmosphere, close-range movement and storefront wides. The exact model is not yet confirmed; verify focal length, maximum aperture, focus distance and filter size before relying on model-specific advice.
77mm 7Artisans 2–5 stop VND: fits Sony. Keep off indoors. Test for color cast, vignetting and X-pattern at stronger settings. Never let removing it cost a key moment.
Interviews & natural audio
PCMAE leadership: “What makes this opening significant?” “What does a successful opening look like?”
Store manager: “How did the team prepare?” “What are you most excited for customers to experience?”
Employee: “What's your favorite part of working here?”
Customer: “What brought you out?” “How's the bagel?” Ask permission before filming testimonials.
Sound checklist: HOT BAGELS! shout, oven/tray sounds, bagel rip, dip, service callouts, crowd energy, 10–15 seconds of room tone per zone. Monitor audio peaks and avoid clipping.
Controlled product pickups · schedule permitting
Priority: clean bagel portraits, oven-to-counter sequence, perfect rip, creamy dip, branded packaging, overhead hero, multiple cream cheese flavors and both orientations.
Food focus: use flexible spot or manual focus for close-ups. Consider f/5.6 for depth of field when lighting allows. Check the lens minimum focus distance.
Boom safety: stage away from customers/staff; use tested support, proper counterweight and sandbags, and secure the camera. Never improvise an unstable overhead rig.
What success looks like in the edit
Vertical 15–30s: fast opening hook → energy/line → oven or rip → dip → first bite/reaction → HOT BAGELS! or brand payoff.
Horizontal 30–60s: storefront/location → anticipation → opening → production and hospitality → customers → team/leadership → celebratory finish.
Optional future assets: evergreen food reel, team story, PCMAE success story, recruitment content and product library. Extra edited deliverables are not automatically included in the contracted scope.
Failure prevention & contingencies
LED banding: test 1/60 and 1/125 under actual fixtures; use fine shutter adjustment if needed and verify on playback.
Bright white packaging: zebras and histogram are more reliable than judging only the monitor image.
AF hunting on food: move to a smaller focus area or manual focus; stop down if possible.
Card/battery issue: swap during a lull, confirm record indicator and remaining time, and review a short clip.
Missed planned shot: capture the next authentic equivalent; reserve repeatable actions for a scheduled lull before departure. Do not recreate customer reactions as if candid.
Footage safety: do not format or delete on location. Make two separate backups before clearing media.
Master shot list
0%★ = critical. Tap a checkbox to mark it complete. Progress saves automatically and syncs across devices.
Photography · Contracted 30–60
30 minimum.
60 maximum.
Deliver 30–60 professionally edited high-resolution photographs for both P.C. Mae and PopUp Bagels corporate. Aim for 50–60 strong selects without sacrificing either contracted video. Corporate's 60–120 photo request is NOT the agreed scope.
Photo production counters
Enter actual numbers, not checkbox totals. These counters sync between devices.
0 final edits · Below 30-photo minimum
Progress bar shows final edited photos out of 60. Coverage checklist below measures shot variety, not deliverable count.
Corporate coverage checklist 0/0
★ = highest priority. Capture horizontal and vertical stills, where practical. Coordinate Grip, Rip & Dip with marketing. Collaboration and influencer coverage are conditional on attendance.
Photography delivery checks
Run of show
Orientation plan
7–11 AM live event: ~60% horizontal / 40% vertical as a planning guide. Frame unrepeatable action with vertical crop safety.
Controlled product pickups, if time permits: prioritize missing hero shots in both orientations before departure.
Deliverables
Contracted: 15–30s vertical social highlight; 30–60s horizontal recap; 30–60 edited high-resolution photographs for PCMAE and PopUp corporate.
Optional future content: food reel, team story, PCMAE leadership story, evergreen product library. Extra edits are not assumed to be included.
Sony A7 IV · Field camera guide
Movie ↔ Still.
Same camera, two workflows.
Godox V480-S stays on the hot shoe throughout. Flash does not illuminate video. Set independent Still and Movie exposure, autofocus, and white balance; confirm the actual values on the camera before doors open.
60-second arrival exposure test
1. Lobby facing the windows: test a person with bright glass behind them. 2. Lobby facing away: test pendant-lit faces. 3. Kitchen: test a moving staff member beneath LED panels and inspect stainless reflections. 4. Check the actual exterior sunlight, then set ND only if needed.
Night photos cannot establish the morning sun angle. The lobby has a long glass wall, dark ceiling, bright pendant fixtures, white counter, and reflective checkerboard floor. The kitchen has white ceiling tiles, LED panels, stainless steel, and glossy white tile.
VIDEO · Shared baseline
30p / 1/60 is a starting point. Test flicker under the real kitchen LEDs and lobby pendants; use Variable Shutter / fine shutter adjustments if banding appears. Keep the flash mounted but powered off while filming.
VIDEO · By location
PHOTOGRAPHY · Flash on camera
A7 IV mechanical flash sync tops out at 1/250s; use 1/200s as a conservative baseline. Turn off electronic silent shutter. Avoid HSS unless needed outdoors; HSS substantially reduces flash reach.
PHOTO 1 · Lobby / customers · direct flash
Starting exposure: 1/200s · f/4 · ISO 400–800 · RAW · TTL flash, FEC −0.7 EV.
Why: Black ceiling makes upward bounce inefficient. Aim the flash forward for candid/editorial energy, watch hard shadows and reflections in glass, and avoid flashing directly into customers' eyes at close range. If daylight dominates, reduce ISO or flash contribution. For backlit faces, expose the ambient window scene first and let TTL fill the subject.
Suggested WB: flash/daylight ~5000–5600K, but mixed pendant and window light may require adjustment. Review a real face, not just the camera screen.
PHOTO 2 · Kitchen / staff · bounced flash
Starting exposure: 1/160–1/200s · f/4–f/5.6 · ISO 400–800 · TTL, FEC −0.3 EV.
Why: White drop ceiling offers a practical bounce surface. Tilt flash roughly 60–75° upward, test light falloff, and adjust for ceiling height. Stainless hood and glossy tiles may create bright specular reflections; move sideways to avoid a reflected flash hotspot.
Suggested WB: start ~4500K and inspect; bounced flash and overhead LEDs can have different color temperatures.
PHOTO 3 · Product / branding
Starting exposure: 1/160–1/200s · f/5.6–f/8 when flash power allows · ISO 200–800 · TTL or tested manual flash.
Use bounce in the kitchen for soft texture. In the lobby, direct flash can suit the bold brand aesthetic, but watch blown-out white packaging, glossy cream cheese, and unwanted reflections. Use a small flexible focus area on the food rather than relying on Human detect.
PHOTO 4 · No flash / window light
Starting exposure: 1/250s for people · f/4 · Auto ISO (review noise) · RAW. For still product, 1/125s may suffice if stabilized.
Use when flash would interrupt a candid interaction, or for soft window-lit food. Keep the subject facing or side-lit by the windows. Avoid mixed-light color casts when possible.
QUICK SWITCH · One operator
Movie: Still/Movie/S&Q switch → Movie. Confirm 4K30, 1/60, S-Cinetone, movie WB, autofocus, audio levels, and flash OFF.
Photo: switch → Still. Confirm mechanical shutter, RAW, 1/200, aperture, ISO, AF-C, and flash ON in TTL. Lobby: direct / −0.7 FEC. Kitchen: bounce / −0.3 FEC.
Critical: Don't assume settings transfer between Still and Movie modes. Confirm actual mode-dependent exposure settings. A flash mounted on the hot shoe can affect balance and interfere with overhead rig clearance.
Lens strategy
Sony FE 24–105mm f/4 is the default for live action, photography, and flash. Samyang wide-angle is for tight kitchen and wide lobby establishing shots; confirm its exact model/focal length. Avoid lens swaps during first arrivals and the rush.
ND, 60p, and troubleshooting
7Artisans 77mm VND (2–5 stops): use on Sony outdoors for video at 1/60; remove for indoor video and flash photos. Check vignetting, color shift, and cross-patterns at high density.
4K60: 59.94p · 1/125 · APS-C/Super35 crop on A7 IV. Expect tighter framing and less light per frame. Use selectively for product motion, not one-time moments with important live audio.
LED flicker: test on recorded clips under both kitchen panels and lobby pendants. Flash not firing: confirm mechanical shutter, flash power, hot-shoe seating, and that electronic silent shutter is off. Dark faces: check ambient exposure and flash compensation before increasing ISO indiscriminately.
Preflight checklists
0%Location & exposure notes
Write down actual morning conditions here. Entries save automatically and sync across devices.
Backup your checklist
Export a JSON backup of your checkmarks and notes. You can import it later in this browser or another device. Browser storage can be cleared, so export occasionally.