Write a plot and script for your video. The plot must have a beginning, a middle and a resolution. Write your script in the proper format using scriptwriting software, if possible. Make sure your script matches how long your want your video to be. A good rule of thumb is that one page of your script will be equal to approximately one minute of screen time.
Storyboard and plot out each scene. Using note cards or sheets of paper, outline approximately how long each scene will run, where it will take place, which characters will be in the scene and what they will be wearing, what the lighting will be like and what kinds of camera shots and angles you want. If you can draw, sketch comic-style frames of what you'd like the scene to look like. This will help you set up the scene visually.
Obtain written consent from the locations you want to use. All privately owned establishments and even some public places require you to get written consent. Although you most likely will be able to shoot at the home of a friend or relative or at a public park or street, you will need to get consent from places such as hospitals, courthouses, restaurants and shopping malls. Some towns, cities and private establishments will even charge you to film there. Find this information out well in advance.
Test all of your equipment before you start shooting the scene. Get a feel for the camera. Know what functions and features it has and how to operate it. Put the camera on a tripod so you get steady shots. Test your lighting equipment to make sure it works properly. Have a back-up supply of charged batteries so you can continue to tape should any batteries die.
Perform a few practice takes with your equipment to see how your storyboard ideas show up on screen. Test different angles and degrees of close-ups to see which ones work best. Test your sound equipment to see how the actors will sound. Use an external microphone with a windscreen on your camera, and use a boom microphone if possible. While you tape, listen to the audio through headphones so you can clearly hear how the sound will come across in the video and adjust it as needed.
Rehearse each scene several times. Have your actors run through their scenes on camera to get a feel for their on-screen chemistry and to ensure that each actor knows all of his lines and has a good feel for his character. Decide where each actor will stand, sit or move to interact with each another in relation to the setting. (This is called "blocking" the scene.) Rehearsing on-screen can also help you see how each actor's costume and makeup looks so any adjustments can be made if needed.