Set up a Home or Office Video Studio for under £300
More companies, individuals, charities and groups are realising that video is an ideal tool to get a message to people quickly and efficiently. Technology has evolved so much over the last few years and video technology of 4K / 5K is readily available on smart phones and devices. In the year 2000, professional cameras (with a fraction of the image resolution that you get on a smart phone) weighed a tonne and were expensive to buy or to rent. Nowadays we can fit that technology and more into a pocket.
Video technology and accessories have dropped in price and are now more accessible to consumers. Video studios are appearing in the workplace and more dedicated spaces for people to record video are becoming available! Home video studios are becoming more common as people influence others with their skills, knowledge or messages.
The ring light with phone clip became the must have accessory during the pandemic days with home delivery shopping companies raising the price of these items and running out of stock regularly during this period. The ring light throws light onto a subjects face. Some allow the user to switch between daylight and tungsten settings and some even offer a variety of colours and patterns. These lights are not an ideal solution when it comes to shooting professional looking video however they serve a purpose of lighting a subject and are handy for video conferencing. Often when using one of these lights you will notice that it isn't the most flattering for the subject often emphasising wrinkles and fine lines on the face or should the subject wear glasses showing a reflection of the ‘ring of light’ in the glass.
When designing the home video studio good lighting is a vital necessity. All too often people position themselves with a window behind them and wonder why the subject looks dark on camera. To avoid this you need to position lights in front of the subject.
Good video lighting kits are readily available online and vary in price. When choosing a video lighting kit ensure you have a variety of settings to alter the temperature of the light. If you want to give the effect that the video is being filmed with daylight then the colour temperature should be set to 5600K and for warm lighting (tungsten) settings they should be set to 3200K. These settings can often be dialled into the light using the controls. Having these colour temperature settings available are often more costly for the buyer. If colour temperature isn't important to you and you just want to light your subject then consider a standard video lighting kit consisting of a minimum of three lights. Always check when buying lights that they are video lights. Some non-video lights have a flicker which isn't visible to the eye but can be picked up on some video formats so ensure you double check this.
Another important part of the studio is the background.
Consider the following:
Will you be using a natural backdrop eg: office, bookshelf, kitchen etc
Do you want a virtual background eg: green screen or blue screen
Do you just want a plain background eg: wall or backdrop
Roll up backdrops are available in a variety of colours and can be easily stored when not in use. Coloured lighting can also be added to a variety of backgrounds and can give your video a variety of professional looks.
If you want to go for a virtual background then consider a blue or green screen backdrop. Creating a chromakey effect in the home or office studio can be difficult especially with minimum lighting and can result in parts of the subjects body being chopped off or missing when recorded or parts of the background not showing due to bad lighting. The general consensus when filming with this technology is to leave it to the professionals.
Think about the distance you have between the camera to the subject to the backdrop. Ideally you should have some space to stop shadows falling on the backdrop and also for the camera not to be too close to the subject to pick up eye movement (especially when using a teleprompter).
Another factor to consider when setting up the home or office studio is the audio. Audio often gets neglected on video shoots as people concentrate their efforts into the look of the video. There are a variety of mics available for the smart phone, DSLR or camcorder. If you intend to just being the only person talking on camera then a clip on wireless mic will suffice. Rode do an amazing clip on mic which works on most devices. If you intend to use an Apple device you may require an additional cable and adapter for this to work but check with the supplier if in doubt. If you wish to film with more than two people on-camera at any one time then consider a directional microphone. This clips onto the the top of the camera or you can use an extension cable to bring the microphone closer to the subject.
When selecting an area in your home or office studio think about ambient noise. Close your eyes and listen. Are you setting up the studio near to busy road - will the sound of sirens or noisy motorbikes disturb the shoot? Is your office or home near a school? Will the sound of kids playing interfere with your video pieces etc.
Setting up an home or office studio doesn't have to be a costly process. We have put together a recommended studio package with a neutral backdrop and standard set of lights for under £300.
To see our recommendations click here: https://www.presenternetwork.com/reviewsandrecommendations/settingupahomeorofficestudio
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