Disclaimer

LAST UPDATED · 11 SEPTEMBER 2026

General information only

Everything published on firsttakeguide.com is provided for general informational and educational purposes. Our guides describe common conventions, working habits and starting points used in small-scale video production. They are not personalised technical advice, and they are not a substitute for the manual that came with your camera, recorder or editing tool.

Filmmaking is highly situational. The same shutter setting, microphone placement or scheduling approach that works in one room, with one camera, with one group of collaborators, may work poorly in another. Where a decision depends on your specific circumstances, treat our guidance as a hypothesis to test rather than an instruction to follow.

No outcome, income or audience promises

We make no representation that following anything on this site will produce a particular creative result, a particular level of technical quality, an audience, paid work, festival selection or income of any kind. Results depend on your equipment, your location, your collaborators, your practice and a substantial amount of ordinary luck. Individual outcomes vary, and we deliberately publish no case studies, testimonials or earnings figures.

Not legal advice

Our articles touch on filming permits, appearance releases, location releases, property access and music licensing because ignoring them causes real problems. None of that discussion is legal advice. Rules differ between countries, states, cities, park systems, transit authorities, campuses and individual property owners, and they change. For any question with legal consequences, consult a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

Safety

Assess your own set, do not improvise electrical work, secure anything overhead, keep cable runs out of walkways, and do not ask volunteers to do things you are not trained to supervise. If a shot requires a permit, a professional, a closed road or specialist rigging, it requires those things regardless of what any article suggests is possible.

Third-party products, names and links

Where we mention a category of equipment or a technical standard, that is description rather than endorsement. Product names and trademarks referenced anywhere on this site belong to their respective owners and are used only for identification. We do not accept payment for mentions.

External links are provided for convenience. We do not control third-party sites, we are not responsible for their content, accuracy, availability or privacy practices, and a link is not an endorsement of the linked organisation.

Accuracy and revisions

We try to be accurate and to hedge claims that deserve hedging, but specifications change, conventions shift and mistakes happen. We do not warrant that content on this site is complete, current or error-free. Articles may be revised without notice; substantial revisions are noted on the page. If you find an error, please write to hello@firsttakeguide.com.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, First Take Guide, its publisher Miami Video Productions, and its contributors accept no liability for any loss or damage — including damage to equipment, loss of footage, lost time, lost opportunity or consequential loss — arising from reliance on any material published on this site. Your use of the site is at your own discretion and risk.

Publisher

First Take Guide is published by Miami Video Productions, 13380 SW 131st St Ste 114, Miami, FL 33186, United States. This disclaimer applies to the site as published.

Contact

Questions about this disclaimer can be sent to hello@firsttakeguide.com, or to the postal address on our contact page. See also our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.