Remotely directed shoot: how to film a video in Asunción (or another city) with a production company in Spain

What a remotely directed shoot is

A remotely directed shoot is a recording in which the camera crew is in one place and the person directing is in another. On location there is a local crew: camera, sound, lighting and sometimes a producer. And from another city, or another continent, the director watches live what the camera is recording, talks to the crew and to the people on screen, and decides every shot.

It is a way of working that has become normal in recent years, for two reasons. Technology lets you send the camera signal at good quality and with little delay anywhere in the world. And many companies want to work with a particular production company, for its style or because they already know it, even if the shoot has to happen far away.

For companies in Asunción and the rest of Paraguay looking for a production company or creative agency in Spain, it is the piece that completes remote work. We have already explained in a remote creative agency for companies in Paraguay that strategy, concept, editing and graphics can be done remotely without losing quality, and that what needs presence is the shoot. Remote direction is how that shoot gets done without anyone crossing the ocean.

The same applies to a shoot in Lisbon, London or Madrid, or to a European company that needs to film at one of its offices. Here we use Asunción as the main example, because it is one of the cities people most often ask us about this way of working from.

How the work is split between Spain and Asunción

In a shoot like this, each side has a clear role.

From Spain, the production company handles the creative side and the direction. It prepares the concept and script, the shot list, the visual references and the lighting and colour style. During the shoot, the director follows the image live and makes the calls. And after the shoot, it does the edit, colour, sound, graphics and every version for each channel.

In Asunción, the local crew provides the hands and eyes on site: the director of photography with their camera, the sound recordist, lighting and, on a bigger shoot, a local producer who deals with permits, locations, transport and catering. They know the city, know where filming is allowed and talk to local people.

And the client company provides the people on screen, such as staff, clients or management, and access to its premises.

The production company in Spain also helps choose the local crew if the company does not have a trusted one. Asunción has experienced professionals and production companies; what matters is that the director of photography understands the style being sought and works with kit compatible with the post-production workflow.

For the specific case of a podcast recorded in Asunción and edited in Spain, which has its own logic, see producing your video podcast from Asunción with a production company in Spain.

Pre-production: where a remote shoot is won or lost

On a normal shoot, if something is unclear, the director sorts it out on the spot. Remotely that is possible too, but harder. That is why, on a remotely directed shoot, pre-production is locked in more detail than usual.

This is what we have ready before a camera is switched on.

The script, finalised and approved by the company, with what each person says or at least the questions for each interview.

The shot list, with each take described: what is seen, from where, with what movement and for which part of the video. We explain how it is done in what a shot list is.

The storyboard or visual references, with example images for light, framing and colour, so the local director of photography knows exactly which style we want. We cover it in what a storyboard is.

The shooting schedule, with times per scene, who needs to be there and when, and what gets filmed if something goes wrong.

The recce. The local crew visits the locations in advance and sends us photos and video of each space, with its light at the time of the shoot. Sometimes we do that recce by video call from the location itself.

And a pre-shoot meeting with everyone, the company, the local crew and us, to go over the plan and clear up questions.

With all of that, on the day there are no surprises that cannot be solved with a direction through the earpiece.

Shoot day: how to direct from another country

On the day, the camera signal is sent over the internet to the director's screen in Spain, with a delay of one or two seconds. The director sees the same as the operator and talks to the crew over an audio channel that stays open the whole time. If the person on screen needs direction, such as repeating a line, looking elsewhere or slowing down, the director gives it directly or through someone in the local crew.

Some practical details make the difference. The live feed is a reference: what is recorded on the camera's card is full quality, even if what the director sees arrives compressed. Fine colour and detail are checked afterwards. The location's internet connection is tested beforehand. If it drops, the plan is for the local crew to keep shooting the shot list and for the director to review takes as soon as the signal returns. And someone in the local crew logs every take: number, whether it is good or not, and the director's notes. In the edit suite, that is hugely appreciated.

Time zones play a part too. Paraguay has kept the same time all year round since 2024, so the difference with Spain is four hours in the Spanish winter and five in summer. A 9am shoot in Asunción starts at 1pm or 2pm in Spain. It is a comfortable schedule for both sides, and lets the director start reviewing footage that same afternoon.

Our experience of remote work comes mainly from podcasts: with our partner Dull Light we post-produce shows recorded in the United States, such as The Sage Steele Show or Finding Freedom, without setting foot in the studio.

After the shoot: sending footage and editing in Spain

When the day ends, the footage has to reach Spain complete and safe.

The first rule is backup. The local crew copies the cards to two separate drives before wiping them, and one of them stays in Asunción until the footage is confirmed in Spain. It is standard on any professional shoot, but remotely it matters even more.

Then the transfer. For most shoots, the footage is uploaded to a transfer service or cloud storage and downloaded in Spain. A day's shoot can take up a lot of space, so it is worth knowing in advance what connection the local crew has and how long the upload will take. If the volume is huge, a drive can be couriered, though that is rarely needed.

With the footage in Spain, the work is the same as any production: selecting takes, editing, colour, sound, music, graphics and subtitles. The company reviews a first cut, requests changes and approves the final version, all by link with comments on the image itself.

If the video needs versions for several markets, for example Paraguay, Spain and the United States, this is the time to prepare them: text changes, subtitles or a different voice-over.

In the end, the company receives the main video and its derived pieces for social media, the website or a presentation, just as if the shoot had taken place at our studio door.

When it makes sense and how to start with us

Remote direction makes sense when the creative side carries a lot of weight, when the company wants a specific style and when the shoot is one or two days with a clear plan. A company video, staff interviews, a product video, a podcast or social media content fit very well.

It makes less sense when the shoot is very large, with many locations, actors and improvisation. In those cases it usually pays for the director to travel, and remote direction is used for pre-production and smaller shoot days.

We want to be clear: we do not yet have clients in Paraguay. What we do have is experience working remotely with shows recorded in the United States, a very tight pre-production method and a post-production team that works every week with footage recorded far away from us.

If your company is in Asunción, or any city far from Barcelona, and you want to work with us, the sensible approach is to start with a small project: an interview, a short company introduction video or a social media piece. That way you test the workflow, get to know the local crew and adjust whatever is needed before a larger project.

See how we work as a video production company in Barcelona and book a free diagnosis by video call. We will tell you how we would approach your shoot and what we would need in your city.

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