Does Batch Filming Save Time or Burn You Out?

Chris Schwager: Batch filming for content can feel like a dream or a disaster. Some people pack three months of content into one exhausting day and walk away burnout. Others churn out repetitive videos repeating the same message 50 times for 50 different clients. And then there's those who've got the student at their fingertips, but never quite make the time.

The secret isn't just more filming, it's knowing when batching helps you and when it can actually hurt. Because the real power of batch filming content lies in.

Hi, I'm Chris Schwager, video coach and founder of the Complete Video Success System, and I've spent decades helping professionals create high impact videos that build trust, generate leads, and drive business success.

And if you've ever felt unsure or under-prepared, or just play an awkward with video, this is for you. I'll give you the mindset and strategies to take control, build video confidence, so that you show up like a pro. It's time to make your videos work for you. Batch filming for content is one of those strategies that can either free you up or frustrate the shit outta you.

You might have seen someone seemingly produce an avalanche of videos in no time and thought, oh, how did they do it? And the answer usually lies in batching. And in this episode, I wanna explore how batch filming for content works, the stresses it can create, and why the setup you have can make all the difference in whether batching becomes your superpower or your stumbling.

Block. So take Greg Gladman as one of our clients in Brisbane, who's a business coach. He once packed three months of content into a single day on paper, sounds efficient, but by the end he was absolutely fried. That kind of batch filming for content can take its toll, especially on small business owners who aren't used to being in front of the camera for those long stretches.

And if they're relying on hiring a production company. At cost, the stakes are even higher. All that stress to squeeze maximum efficiency out of one marathon session can sometimes do more harm than good. And when I looked at some of the content that Greg had created, that was what I saw. Mediocre content and.

Yeah, a lot of work, a lot of strategizing to get there where he could have just had the system that allows him to switch on and shoot the content ad hoc when he needs it. Now, let's compare that with something like a video brochure concept. For those that don't understand what a video brochure is. A video brochure.

In our terms is like one of those little thank you cards. When you open it up, it's, it speaks to you, sings a song and all that type of stuff. I dunno if you remember those, you open it up, sing a song's, got a little battery in it. The same thing happens with video brochures, but it instead it's got a screen, it's got a display in it.

Very popular, been great for outreach for us over the years and something we still often sell to our clients. What made it unique for us is that we used to put personalized. Videos into those video brochures and go out cold to call prospects and it was great. We closed tens of thousands of dollars by campaigning like that and all we did is we created a formulated a script, maybe one minute script, and then we effectively just changed the name and the company.

In that script that then gave us capacity to batch all of those in one session because they were short enough. At one stage we had actually several clients come through here that did all 50. Video scripts for 50 video brochures in one session. And if you've got someone that is pretty good on camera, they can knock that over pretty quickly.

I think the quickest, we did 50 videos for a client in here was, I think 36 minutes it took to record. 51 minute videos, hang on. Must be 50, 32nd videos because that doesn't work. That'll be 50 minutes. He, I don't think he really made any mistakes. I think he went right through. So yeah, it must have been 36 seconds each for 50 videos.

And he got it all done in one hit and it was impressive. And then of course all of those clips are then cut up and splice and dice and put into a video brochure and. Sent out and each one of those individuals gets this whole Hello Tom, a personalized experience, which feels really great.

It's amazing, and it also shows a lot of effort from the person that's sending it. There's a whole bunch of marketing reasons why that campaign works right now that you've understood all that. Yes. It's the same script, the same flow, just 50 variations with different names, businesses, or industries swapped out suddenly.

Batch filming makes total sense, right? That's something that is manageable in a controlled environment. Somebody that knows what they're doing and can present a message and has all the filming all locked away in terms of all the tech for the filming, then that is a completely doable. Scenario. It's a repeating formula.

You're not reinventing the wheel. And that means 50 videos knocked out in record time. That's batch filming for content at its best. But then there's the rise of desktop video studios ready to go. Professional setups you can use whenever you want. And of course, I'm completely biased. If you go to our website, yes, we sell these, but one.

Of the best things it takes away the pressure of having to book time with crew 'cause now you can just hit record any time, which is incredibly liberating. And on the other hand, the accessibility can breed procrastination and we've found that as well. People that haven't prioritized their time properly.

Knowing you can film whenever you like, often means you don't, funnily enough, that just is up to you. But yes, we all carry some toxic 10 patterns. Procrastination is one of those. And, it's more about the knowledge and the muscle memory to build the discipline, and that is a critical element to making sure that you own it, you own the space, you own the studio, you own your ability to pump that content out.

Okay? Yes, I can coach you through it, that's fine. But ultimately the buck stops with you. You are the business owner. Another lens on batch filming is personalized outreach videos. Do you film them on the fly interrupting your day with consistent like little recordings, or do you just script and film them all in one go?

I've always found that just quickly, if you are ready to take control of your video production. Feel stuck. Check out the video Confidence Collective. It's live coaching in a supportive community that's got your back. We cover four essentials tech messaging on camera presence and implementing what you learn so you can create consistent, confident content that truly connects links in the show notes.

Now back to the episode. Recording the morning is sometimes a little bit easier. Now I'm recording this podcast if you are looking at this on YouTube. Late in the day, it seems to be the last thing on my day. Sometimes I use filming these podcasts as a little bit of a light way to end my day as well.

But often I find that I don't always get the best outta my performance, shooting late in the day when perhaps I've had a big day, lots going on. Sometimes a fresh start is. Perhaps a better way to go. You'll know what the optimal time of day is for you. So I've gone through both approaches, scattering, filming throughout the day or just batching it in one hit.

I think with the desktop studio, it does make it easier just to get on and quickly launch a video. It's it is that easy. I think it's nice to actually break the rhythm of your day as well and jump in and just record. It's nice to not just be stuck at your desk doing admin or whatever it is that you're into, but be able to jump on here and actually go on camera for a bit.

And just, free yourself up. I stand up when I film, which is cool. And it just gets the blood flowing and and it's sometimes nice to challenge yourself with a different activity throughout the day and knowing that. The time that you spend in front of the camera is critical because you don't want to be doing a hundred takes and you don't wanna be piss fighting around.

You wanna make sure that this thing is done as quickly as possible and you get back to the job that pays you. Often appearing on camera is not the job that pays you and certainly not the role of being a video pro producer. It's the. Outcome of what you create is what is gonna be generating the money, not the job itself, not the filming itself, right?

So just keep that in mind, right? Your goal is still to get this done as quickly as possible, as imperfect as it is, and get back to the job that pays you. Okay? So this is all about making sure that you pick the right workflow for you and the one that's gonna be favoring your business. One of the favorite examples that come from one of our clients is Tara Sharma.

She's a recruitment agency in Sydney. She and her team create a Monday ritual for one hour. They all come together in the same room. They sit around the desktop video studio, and they batch film the content. Everyone comes together, they encourage each other, they get all their videos for the week done in one session.

And I just loved that. I thought it was just bringing the team together. I think it's a really nice way to support each other, in some cases, in one of the more vulnerable spaces that they are exposed to. And it's nice. I think that's a really nice activity for everyone to collaborate on to support each other.

To encourage each other with appropriate feedback. So when I heard that in one of our interviews with Tara, I just was like, that's the sweetest thing. I just think that's so nice. Such a great business move as well. And it shows that batch filming for content just shows how when it's supported and when it's structured properly, becomes really sustainable.

So simplicity wins, guys. Simplicity always wins, right? Batch filming for content isn't just about cramming in as much as possible. It's about finding the right rhythm for your business, magnetizing the right opportunities, of course, saying yes to growth without burning yourself out. Batch filming for content can save you time.

It keeps you consistent and it helps you scale, but only when you approach it with balance. You've got the option to film everything you want in a marathon day to systematize repetitive videos or to lean on ready to go studio. That gives you the flexibility, whatever approach you take. Remember, it's not just about getting the content done.

It's about creating a process you can repeat without the stress. That's what keeps you showing up and building momentum week after week. Thanks for listening to the Video Confidence Collective Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a five star review on Apple Podcast and Spotify and subscribe to us on YouTube so you never miss an episode.

For more resources, check out the show notes and follow me at Chris Schwager All Ridge Films and see you on the next episode.