The roof project shot list: every frame, in order

Before you start: the setup checklist

• Permission first. The homeowner has agreed in writing to photos and video, and any limits are noted (for example, no house number, no family members). See the consent guide.
• Pilot confirmed. If aerials are planned, the pilot has confirmed their Transport Canada certificate covers this address and type of flight. See the drone rules guide.
• Lens clean, storage free. A smudged phone lens ruins more footage than bad light.
• Settings agreed. Same resolution and frame rate for the whole job; horizontal by default.

Stage 1: The walkaround (before any material arrives)

This is your "before" set. Do it before bins, tarps or bundles hit the driveway, or the before shots look like a job site rather than a home.

1. Wide shot of the front of the house from the sidewalk edge, at standing height. Mark where you stood; you will repeat this exact frame at the end.
2. The same from each side and the back, where accessible.
3. Close-ups of the problems that justify the work: curling or missing shingles, granule loss in the eavestrough, moss, damaged flashing, stains on soffits.
4. Aerial set (pilot): the full roof from each corner and a straight-down overhead. These become the "before" half of your strongest before-and-after pairs.
5. Fifteen seconds of the crew lead explaining what they found, in plain words, with the clip-on mic.

Stage 2: Tear-off

Tear-off is noisy and fast, and it is the moment most buyers have never seen.

1. A static time-lapse from a safe ground position covering the whole tear-off. Set the phone on a tripod and leave it.
2. Two or three short handheld clips of debris being managed: tarps over gardens, the bin placement, magnetic sweeps.
3. One clip of protection for the house: tarps over windows, landscaping and anything fragile.

Stage 3: The deck

This is where trust is won or lost, because it is where hidden problems appear.

1. Wide shot of the exposed deck.
2. Close-ups of any rot, soft spots or damaged boards, with something in frame for scale.
3. The replacement boards going in.
4. A short spoken explanation: what was found, and why it is being replaced. Honest footage of extra work, explained calmly, is the most convincing answer to "why did my bill change?"

Stage 4: Underlayment, membranes and flashing

These are the details that separate careful work from quick work, and they disappear under the shingles forever.

1. Ice-and-water membrane going down at eaves and valleys.
2. Synthetic underlayment with laps visible.
3. Drip edge installation along the eaves and rakes.
4. Flashing at chimneys, sidewalls and skylights: step flashing, counter-flashing, the sealing.
5. Pipe boots and vents being replaced.

Close, steady and well lit beats wide and shaky. Hold each shot for at least five seconds.

Stage 5: The field, ridge and vents

1. A second time-lapse of shingles or panels going on.
2. Close-ups of a few courses, showing alignment and nailing pattern where visible.
3. Ridge cap or ridge vent going on.
4. For metal: panel seams, fasteners or clips, and trim details.

Stage 6: Finish and clean-up

1. The yard and driveway after clean-up, including the magnetic sweep.
2. Repeat the exact walkaround frames from Stage 1, from the same marked spots. These pairs are gold.
3. Aerial set (pilot): repeat the Stage 1 angles, plus a slow orbit or pull-back for the film's closing shot.
4. Optional, with permission: a few seconds of the homeowner looking at the finished roof. Never stage a reaction or script what they say.

After the job: what to send

• Upload everything to the job folder in your photo library the same day.
• Tag roof type, material, town and consent status.
• Flag the strongest two or three clips in a short note.

How one job becomes a month of content

That table is the logic behind our project films and short clips services.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the before set because the crew arrived early and started unloading.
• Filming only the dramatic moments and missing the flashing details that actually sell quality.
• Moving the walkaround spot, so before and after frames do not match.
• Leaving audio on loud equipment at full volume; a few seconds of real sound is enough.
• Neighbours in frame. Keep cameras pointed at the client's roof, not over the fence.

Adapting the list to the season

Canada's roofing calendar is compressed in most regions, and weather shapes what you can capture. In shoulder seasons, short days mean planning the aerial sets for when light allows. In wet coastal months, footage of weather protection is valuable in itself. Each region page describes the local climate pattern. If you want help turning this list into a routine your crews follow every time, call, text or email.