Mistakes are part of the learning process, and in the fast-paced world of photo and video production, they can be some of the best teachers. As a producer, I’ve had my fair share of content production mistakes big and small.

Through each misstep I’ve learned a lot about myself and become more confident. Here are some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from the mistakes I’ve made in content production:

Define priorities instead of trying to please everyone

Early on, I thought my job was to make sure every single person involved on a video or photo project got exactly what they wanted. The problem? It’s impossible to please everyone. Instead of focusing on what the project actually needed, I found myself stretched thin trying to accommodate every request.

During one of my video projects, another department’s leader requested adding multilingual captions to videos we were producing. In response to this request, my department researched the cost for translations and figured out a timeline for providing them during a very tight production schedule.

Although this request was well-intentioned, we hadn’t set goals and messaging for these videos. We didn’t even know how many we would make. It caused confusion with internal teams and freelance production teams as everyone struggled to understand the purpose of producing these videos. It’s hard to determine what you’ll be adding multilingual captions to when your videos don’t have an established storyline!

If we had taken the time to understand the priorities for these videos and establish a reason for producing them, the process would have been much smoother. When you don’t set priorities it is not only unproductive but can also become costly if a team has to work overtime because the vision is unclear.

As a producer, I’ve learned that there are all kinds of inquiries from internal teams, contractors, and clients. My job is to balance creative vision, budget, logistics, and timelines. That means setting clear priorities upfront and communicating them to all involved. The goal is to make sure the final video or photography meets the project’s objectives, not to be everything to everyone.

Bad audio can make or break a video

When I started out as a producer, one of the content production mistakes I consistently made was overlooking audio during filming. In one of my early shoots, a director from another department explained that our spaces were great for lighting and visuals, but the audio was challenging. When we set up for the shoot, I understood what he meant as we set up in a room full of echo. The DP pointed out ambient noises throughout the room and asked if we could turn off the refrigerator. I scrambled around trying to figure out whom to ask in the facilities department.

During another shoot I thought everything was in place to record a voiceover. I had reserved an empty office for recording and the DP confirmed he had an audio technician and equipment. When the DP and sound technician arrived, they took one step inside the office and pointed out the air conditioning. The DP asked if we could turn it off, but I realized that might require turning off the air conditioning in multiple rooms.

Together, the DP and I found another room that was much smaller and didn’t have the ambient noise we experienced in other rooms. The only problem: We would have to deal with background noise as installation crews arrived and staff arrived in the office. Quickly, the DP and sound technician worked to set up sound blankets, mics, and equipment quickly so we could begin recording before the office noise started.

Now when I start thinking about a filming location, I remind myself that audio is just as important as the visuals. Background noise, poor mic placement, and low-quality sound can make an otherwise professional video obnoxious for the audience watching it. I’ve learned to think about potential ambient noises, echo, and cars or buses passing by so I can troubleshoot with the production team ahead of time. If the audio isn’t clean, reshooting might not be an option, so getting it right the first time is crucial.

Coordinating production extends beyond your department

A mistake that frequently happens in production is assuming that it only involves certain departments or people. Production involves more people than you might expect. As an in-house content producer, I connect with more than the marketing and communications department.

Pre-production usually involves one or multiple teams from departments across the organizations to understand goals, messaging, and budget. These teams are also crucial for understanding union rules and regulations in our spaces and how a project might impact staffing.

One department I’ve found you need to have a strong camaraderie with is facilities and operations. If you haven’t run it by your security team, you’ll want to know where the DP and their crew can unload their equipment and if they can park onsite. I’ve run into situations where I forgot to check in before the day of filming, leading to confusion both with internal teams and freelancers.

While preparing for a project, I assumed that because we had a confirmed location in our venue, everything else would fall into place. I didn’t check in with the facilities team in advance, and on the day of the shoot, we experienced noisy spaces as a window washer visited the building, unaware that we were trying to film a video interview.

After the shoot, I met with the facilities to make sure I understood what to do in the future so they were aware of filming and if we needed to make other arrangements. There are many pieces and parts to production, it can be easy to overlook something that a simple email or meeting update can clarify. Working my way backwards helps me establish a checklist of whom I need to connect with ahead of time. Always be aware of what you need to confirm and any additional paperwork or approvals. Knowing these details before the shoot day saves time, money, and stress.

Don’t skip the ins and outs of legal and union requirements

Before filming or photographing begins, it’s vital to have all legal agreements in place and if you need to adhere to any union rules. How will the final deliverables be used? Are there any licenses or usage rights that need to be clarified in contracts or other legal paperwork? What kind of insurance does the DP and their crew need? Not having answers to these questions ahead of time is one of the content production mistakes that can lead to bigger headaches.

On one project, I made arrangements to film in a location in our venues without realizing it required union crew for certain roles. When I showed up with a non-union DP, the audio and sound technicians were hesitant to help us out and frustrated they didn’t know a DP would be filming. Afterwards, I followed up with the team to see where we could clear up misunderstandings and the steps I needed to take the next time we filmed in a union space.

In addition to knowing which departments to communicate with, add union requirements to your pre-production checklist. Before finalizing a location or hiring crew, understand which union regulations apply to your venue and budget accordingly to make sure you’re working within the rules. It’s a detail that can easily be forgotten in the many moving parts of production but has major consequences if ignored.

Preparation leads to strong interviews

Getting great sound bites for the story you want to tell in your video is like a delicate balancing act. Sending interview questions ahead of time can help your interviewees think ahead on their responses, but in my experience, some interviewees prepared so well they asked me to hold up signs so they could read off the prompt. Although they had strong, rehearsed responses, their answers sounded robotic.

From my experiences with interviews, I’ve learned a few extra steps can take to ensure a smooth interview process:

Get to know the interviewee before filming. That way they feel like they’re talking to a person instead of answering routine questions.
Spend extra time writing down a few additional follow-up questions. If an interviewee is anxious, you might want to send them questions or a general idea of what you’ll be discussing ahead of time so they feel more relaxed.
If an interviewee prepared their answers with prompts ahead of time, ask them if they’d be open to answering the questions without the prompts. Reassure them that you already have the previous take and that you’ll smooth things out during editing in case they are concerned they’ll mess something up.
Ask interviewees to repeat their key points 2-3 times in different ways. This gives editors flexibility and ensures that you have backups.

Remember the value you bring to the production

At times, I’ve doubted whether I was truly making a difference on set or was the best person for the job. When other departments asked my teammates to step in on a production or praised the freelance production crew, I questioned whether my role was really that crucial. That was until a DP told my colleagues, “Things don’t happen here without Brooke.”

Discounting my valuable skills and assuming my work doesn’t matter is one of the biggest content production mistakes I’ve made. A well-run production doesn’t happen by accident. The smoother things go, the more invisible a producer’s work can seem, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.

A producer’s value isn’t only in putting out fires, it’s also in preventing them from happening in the first place. Coordinating schedules, budgets, logistics, and communication behind the scenes is what keeps a production on track. Even if no one notices when things run seamlessly, that’s a sign you’re doing your job well.

Every mistake I’ve made has taught me something valuable about being a producer. The key is to learn from them, adapt, and continue refining the process. Production is a field where you’re always juggling multiple moving parts and learning. No production process is perfect, but with the right lessons, preparation, and mindset, you can make each project smoother and more successful than the last.

What I Learned From My Mistakes in Content Production