Mad Hatter Films & Media
Preparing for your shoot
Ten minutes of reading that makes a full day of filming easier. Nothing here is homework — it's just everything our best-looking, most relaxed shoots have in common.
01The week before
- Skim your scripts or talking points once a day. You don't need to memorise anything — we use a teleprompter and shoot in short takes. Familiarity beats memorisation every time.
- Send us questions early. If a line feels unnatural to say out loud, tell us before the day and we'll rewrite it in your voice.
- Book the time out properly. Block your calendar, set an out-of-office, and let your team know you're offline. The best takes happen when you're not glancing at your phone between setups.
- Sleep is the best skincare. A good night's rest the two nights before shows up on camera more than anything you can buy.
02What to wear
Bring two or three options on hangers and we'll pick together on the day. When in doubt, wear the thing you feel most confident in — comfort reads on camera.
Works beautifully
- Solid colours — jewel tones, navy, earthy shades
- Layers and structure: jackets, blazers, knits
- Your normal work wardrobe, one notch sharper
- Glasses are fine — we light around them
Best avoided
- Fine stripes, checks and small patterns (they shimmer on camera)
- Pure white or pure black head-to-toe
- Large logos or busy graphics
- Noisy jewellery near your chest — it fights the microphone
Ironed or steamed makes a genuine difference — wrinkles are the one thing we can't fix in the edit.
03Hair, makeup & grooming
Come camera-ready as you'd want to look in the final video. For most shoots that means your everyday grooming, done well. A touch of powder tames shine under lights — we keep some on set, so don't stress.
If a makeup artist is booked for your shoot, arrive with a clean face and we'll handle the rest — your call sheet will say either way.
04On the day
- Eat a proper breakfast. Filming takes more energy than it looks like it should. We'll have water and snacks on set, but don't arrive hungry.
- Go easy on the coffee. One is great; three makes for jittery hands and a racing delivery.
- Arrive at your call time, not early. The set genuinely isn't ready before then — your call sheet has the exact time, address and parking.
- Bring your options. Wardrobe on hangers, glasses if you wear them, and anything specific your call sheet mentions.
05On camera
The prompter is your friend, not a test
We control the speed — it follows you, you don't chase it. We'll do a relaxed pass first so you can feel how it works before anything counts.
Mistakes are part of the process
Every single video you've ever admired was stitched from multiple takes. Fluff a line, laugh, take a breath, and go again from the top of the sentence. Nobody ever sees the outtakes — there is no such thing as wasting a take.
Aim ten percent bigger
Cameras quietly shrink energy. What feels slightly too enthusiastic in the room reads as warm and natural on screen. Talk to the lens like it's a friend who asked you a great question.
Our one real rule: trust the process. Our job is to make you look and sound fantastic — you'll never be sent anything less than the best version of you.