Why we use a YouTube video production checklist

A checklist is useful for the things we already know how to do but can still forget.

We don't need a checklist to tell us how to be creative. We do need one to remind us that the microphone needs testing, the thumbnail needs preparing and the final export needs watching before we upload it.

That's the difference for us. We use checklists for repeatable parts of production, not for every creative decision.

It also means we don't have to mentally reload the whole production process every time we start another YouTube video.

Our YouTube video production checklist

We split the checklist into stages because checking everything at the beginning doesn't make much sense. We don't need to think about the final YouTube description while we're still deciding what the video is about.

The basic journey looks like this:

The exact checklist changes depending on the video. A simple talking-head video obviously needs less than a tutorial with several cameras, screen recordings and B-roll.

1. Before we start the video

Before scripting or filming, we want to understand what we're actually making.

This doesn't need to become a huge strategy session. We just don't want to get halfway through writing and realise we're not sure what the video is supposed to do.

• Define the main idea
• Decide who the video is for
• Choose the main angle
• Write down the main message
• Decide the format
• Set a target publication date if we need one

For bigger projects, we might also think about the problem we're addressing, the main benefit for the viewer and the emotion we want the video to create.

Our video planning template guide goes into this stage in more detail.

2. Before we film

This is where the checklist becomes especially useful for us because there are a lot of small things that can make filming easier or much more annoying.

Script and content

• Finish the script or talking points
• Read the important sections out loud
• Check that the structure still makes sense
• Prepare any visual notes or demonstrations
• Make a shot list if the video needs one

We don't always use a full script. Sometimes an outline is enough. The important part is that we know what we're trying to say before we start recording.

If you want to go deeper into that part, we've written a guide on how to write a video script.

Camera and equipment

• Charge camera batteries
• Charge the microphone if needed
• Check memory cards and available storage
• Prepare the tripod or camera mount
• Check lights
• Prepare any cables or adapters
• Keep backup batteries or cards nearby for important shoots

Most of this takes a few minutes. Discovering a dead battery after everything else is ready takes longer.

Location and setup

• Check the background
• Look for distracting objects
• Listen for unwanted noise
• Check the lighting
• Make sure there's enough room for the setup
• Prepare any props or products

We also check whether anything in the room is going to change during the shoot. Natural light can look great when we start and completely different an hour later.

Audio and image test

• Record a short test
• Listen to the audio with headphones
• Check focus
• Check exposure
• Check framing
• Make sure nothing important is cropped

This is one of those checks that feels unnecessary right up until the day it saves the whole shoot.

Our full video shoot planning guide covers this stage in more detail.

3. While we're filming

Once the camera is running, we don't want to stare at a checklist after every take. The list is there to help us remember the important things, not interrupt the whole shoot.

We normally check these things between sections or before changing the setup.

• Capture all the main sections
• Redo important takes when needed
• Capture the B-roll on the shot list
• Film useful close-ups
• Record screen demonstrations if needed
• Capture alternative angles when they're useful
• Take thumbnail photos if the setup is useful for them

We also try to think about the edit while filming. If there's a section that will probably need a cut, having B-roll or another angle gives us more options later.

Before changing the setup

If we're about to move the camera, change the lighting or leave the location, that's when we stop for a second and check the shot list.

It's much easier to film one forgotten close-up while everything is still in place than recreate the setup tomorrow.

Before ending the shoot

• Check the most important footage
• Listen to a few audio clips
• Make sure the key shots are there
• Check that nothing important is out of focus
• Redo anything we're not confident about

We don't review every second of footage. We just want enough confidence that we're not packing away a problem.

4. Before we call the edit finished

Editing has its own checklist because it's very easy to focus on the big picture and miss a tiny thing.

We don't use every item for every video, but these are the kinds of things we check:

• Remove mistakes and unnecessary pauses
• Check the overall pacing
• Clean or balance the audio
• Add B-roll where it helps
• Add music if the video needs it
• Add graphics or screen recordings
• Check subtitles
• Check spelling in on-screen text
• Check transitions
• Watch the final version from beginning to end

That last one matters. We don't want our first complete viewing of the video to happen after it's already on YouTube.

We watch the exported file too

The editing timeline can look perfect and the export can still have a problem.

So for important videos, we check the actual exported file. We make sure the audio is there, the image looks right and nothing strange happened during export.

5. Before we publish on YouTube

This is the part we used to treat as something we'd deal with once the video was finished. That usually meant doing everything at the last minute.

Now we consider publication part of production.

Video and channel details

• Final video uploaded
• Title ready
• Description ready
• Thumbnail ready
• Playlist selected if relevant
• Audience settings checked
• Visibility checked
• Publication or scheduling date confirmed

Final content check

• Title matches the actual video
• Thumbnail is readable at a small size
• Description links work
• Important credits or resources are included
• Subtitles are available if we've prepared them
• The correct file has been uploaded

That last one sounds almost too obvious to put on a checklist. Which is exactly why it's on the checklist.

6. After the video is published

We don't think the checklist needs to stop the second the video goes live.

There are a few things worth checking afterwards, especially if something went wrong during the upload or if the video is part of a bigger content plan.

• Open the published video
• Check that playback works
• Check the title and thumbnail
• Check the description and links
• Reply to useful early comments when we can
• Note anything we want to improve next time

We also want to bring publication statistics directly into Peliku so this part of the workflow can eventually stay connected to the project too.

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We don't use the same checklist for every YouTube video

This is important because a checklist can become annoying very quickly if half the items are irrelevant every time.

A simple talking-head video and a detailed tutorial shouldn't need exactly the same preparation.

We keep the repeatable basics and adapt the rest to the project.

The checklist mistakes we've made ourselves

Yes, it's possible to organize a checklist badly too.

Making the checklist too long

If we need twenty minutes just to read the checklist before every video, we're probably going to stop using it.

We prefer keeping the repeatable things that genuinely prevent problems and adding project-specific tasks separately.

Adding things we never forget

A checklist doesn't need to describe every action involved in making a video.

If something happens naturally every single time and forgetting it isn't a real risk, it probably doesn't need to take up space.

Using one giant checklist from idea to publication

Seeing publication tasks while we're still writing the script just creates noise.

We prefer smaller checklists that appear when that part of production becomes relevant.

Forgetting to change the checklist

Our production changes, so the checklist should be allowed to change too. If we keep forgetting the same thing, we add it. If something hasn't been useful for months, we remove it.

We want the checklist to reflect the way we actually make videos now, not the way we worked a year ago.

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How Peliku fits into our YouTube production checklist

We didn't want to keep one giant checklist in a document and copy it every time we started a new video.

In Peliku, the checklist can stay connected to the content we're actually working on. That means the things we need to do before filming aren't separated from the script, shooting date or rest of the project.

The video can move through the production workflow while the relevant tasks and information move with it:

We don't need every checklist item to become a production stage. If we're in Editing and still need to add subtitles, that can simply be a task. If we need to charge batteries before filming, that's a task too.

The workflow tells us where the video is. The checklist and tasks remind us what still needs to happen.

We can prepare things before they become urgent

If a video has a shooting date, we can prepare the tasks that need to happen before that date instead of remembering them when we're already setting up the camera.

The same goes for publication. If we know when the video is going live, we can prepare the thumbnail and publishing information before the last minute.

The checklist stays with the project

This is the part we find most useful. When we come back to a video after a few days, we don't need to remember which checklist belonged to it or what we'd already completed.

We can see the project, its current stage and the work that's still left.

It also works better when we're not alone

If someone else is helping with the video, tasks can be assigned instead of us assuming everyone remembers who agreed to do what.

One person might handle the thumbnail while someone else finishes the edit. The checklist becomes part of the actual production instead of a separate document nobody looks at.

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FAQ about YouTube video production checklists

For us, the best checklist is the one we barely have to think about

We don't want to spend a filming day thinking about how well we're following a checklist. We want to make the video.

The checklist is there for the repeatable stuff. Charge the batteries. Check the audio. Capture the shots. Watch the final export. Prepare the thumbnail. Make sure we're uploading the right file.

None of that makes the video creative. It just stops small, avoidable problems from getting in the way of the creative part.

And once something becomes second nature, maybe it doesn't need to stay on the list forever. The checklist can change with the way we work.

That's really all we want from it: fewer moments where we look at each other and say, "We forgot that again."