Updated: October 19, 2026
What a company move is and why it eats shoot days
A company move is any point in the day when the whole production packs up at one location and relocates to another. Cameras come off sticks, lights get wrapped, cables are coiled, the grip truck is loaded, talent is moved, and everyone drives. At the new place the process runs in reverse. On paper it looks like a 20 minute drive. In practice, on a Miami shoot, a single company move often costs one to two hours of the day, and a schedule with three or four of them can lose half its shooting time to packing and traffic.
Clients love the idea of a video that shows the beach, the office in Brickell, a cafe in Little Havana and a rooftop at sunset, all in one day. It is possible. It just has to be planned around how the city actually moves. This guide explains how we schedule multi-location shoot days in Miami, where the time really goes, and how to decide when a second shoot day is cheaper than a crowded first one.
Where the time goes during a move
When people estimate a company move, they usually think only of the drive. The full move has several parts:
- Wrap at location A. Striking lights, packing camera, clearing the set and returning furniture. Even a small crew needs 20 to 40 minutes, more if there was a lot of lighting or set dressing.
- Loading vehicles. Gear goes back into cases and into the van or truck in an order that makes sense for unloading.
- The drive. This is the number everyone looks up on a map app, and it is the least reliable part of the plan in Miami.
- Parking and load-in at location B. Finding the loading zone, getting through building security, waiting for a freight elevator, walking carts across a plaza.
- Setup at location B. Building the camera, lighting the new space and checking sound before the first take.
Add those together and a move between two places that are fifteen minutes apart by car regularly takes 90 minutes from last shot to first shot. Our article on basecamp, parking and load-in covers the arrival side in more depth.
Miami-specific traffic and geography
Miami has a few features that make company moves harder to predict than in many cities.
Causeways and bridges
Miami Beach, Key Biscayne and the islands of Biscayne Bay are reached only by a handful of causeways. If one is slow because of an accident, construction or an event, there may be no reasonable alternative route. Drawbridges on the Miami River and along the Intracoastal can also open for boat traffic and add unplanned minutes. When a move crosses water, give it more buffer than the distance suggests.
Rush hour and school traffic
Morning and late afternoon traffic on I-95, the Dolphin Expressway, US-1 and the causeways is heavy most weekdays. School drop-off and pick-up windows add local congestion around many neighborhoods. Scheduling a move at 8:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. is asking for trouble. Midday moves, roughly between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., are usually kinder.
Events and closures
Big events, marathons, festivals and game days close roads and fill parking. Before locking a multi-location day, check the event calendar for every neighborhood on the route, not only the location you are filming. We cover that check in detail in our guide to planning a Miami shoot around the city event calendar.
Weather
Summer afternoon storms slow traffic and can turn a covered load-in into a wet one. If your day ends outdoors, try to make the move before the usual afternoon storm window.
How to build a multi-location schedule that holds
The goal is to keep the number of moves low and to place each one at the least painful time of day. A few habits make a big difference.
- Group locations by area. Two locations in Wynwood and one in Miami Beach is one causeway crossing if you shoot both Wynwood locations together. Bouncing back and forth doubles it.
- Let the light decide the order. If one location needs golden hour, schedule backward from sunset and fit the others before it.
- Put the hardest setup first. The crew is fresh, and if something goes wrong there is still time in the day to recover.
- Use walking moves. Two spaces in the same building or block can be covered with a "walking move," where gear goes on carts and the vehicles stay put. These are far faster than driving moves.
- Write every move into the schedule as its own line, with a realistic duration. If it is not on the schedule, people assume it takes no time.
A rough rule we use: on a standard ten-hour day, every driving company move costs about an hour of shooting time. Two moves are manageable. Three start to squeeze the work at each location. Four or more usually mean someone should ask whether the video needs all those places. The video production timeline and schedule guide shows how those blocks fit into the larger plan.
Scout the route, not only the locations
On a tech scout, the crew visits each location to plan lighting, power and sound. For a multi-location day, it helps to drive the route between locations at about the same time of day the move will happen. You learn things a map does not show: a loading zone that is always taken by delivery trucks, a building where the freight elevator needs a key from security, a garage with a height limit too low for the grip van. Our article on the tech scout explains what else to check while you are there.
Splitting the crew and using a second unit
Sometimes a move can be hidden. While the main crew wraps the interview at the office, a small second unit (a camera operator and an assistant) can already be at the next location filming exteriors, establishing shots or b-roll. When the main crew arrives, part of the work is already done. This adds cost for the extra people and gear, but it can turn three locations from impossible into comfortable.
Another option is to pre-light. A gaffer and a grip go to location B early and set the lighting while the main unit is still shooting at location A. When the camera arrives, it is ready to roll in minutes instead of an hour.
Talent, client and the call sheet
A company move affects more than the crew. Talent may need to change wardrobe or have makeup touched up. Clients and agency staff need to know where to go and when. Put every location, every move and each parking plan on the call sheet, with addresses that work in a phone's map app and a note about where to park. Decide in advance who rides with whom so nobody is left at the first location without a car.
When a second shoot day is cheaper
A packed single day can look like the budget option, but it is not always cheaper. Running into overtime on a full crew can cost more than a short second day with a smaller team. A rushed day can also mean fewer takes and a weaker video. When the schedule shows four or more driving moves, compare the two plans side by side: one long day with overtime risk, or two calmer days. The numbers often favor the second option more than people expect.
Planning your multi-location shoot with us
Miami Video Production plans and runs shoots across Miami-Dade, from Downtown and Brickell to Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Wynwood and Key Biscayne. When a project needs several locations in one day, our producers map the route, scout the moves, check the event calendar and build a schedule that leaves real time for shooting at each place. If a second unit or a pre-light crew will save the day, we will tell you, and we will show you what it costs compared with adding a day.
If you are planning a video that covers several Miami locations, tell us the places you have in mind and the date you are aiming for. We will come back with a realistic schedule and an honest view of how many locations fit into one day.