5 Things to Know When Filming in a Studio
Published on: Monday, September 11, 2023 - 1:36pm
Filming your content in a virtual production studio gives you the unique opportunity to stand apart. By utilizing professional audio, lighting, and LED volume to produce your content, you convey an amplified level of quality and detail to your audience. Simply put, studio content is crisper, cleaner, and more impactful.
Before striding into the studio, however, there are a few key factors your team must be aware of. Every film session is different, and every message nuanced. As an experienced production company with two unique studio spaces, CTS is positioned to set you up for success. Below are our top tips we recommend reviewing before entering the studio.
1. Plan Ahead
Capturing content in a studio – whether a corporate video, product demonstration, brand commercial, music performance, or traditional broadcast – is an entirely different endeavor than self-filming with your phone or personal camera. Because you will have access to better audio, more camera angles, and the creative support of the studio team, you should delineate beforehand how exactly you want to navigate the session.
A script is always encouraged, as well as a visual outline of who will be the focal point at each point in the video. Get in touch with the studio team ahead of time to clarify what exactly you will need to bring, and directly communicate which aspects of the video design you are leaving to the professionals.
2. Dream Big
As mentioned, the enhanced production services available in the studio environment allow for more creative freedom. If this is your first time filming content in a studio, our team highly encourages you to dream bigger when it comes to your content outline. Review our capabilities as a point of reference; how can you leverage services like these to elevate your content? Mentally experiment with crossfades, backgrounds, and cut-aways. In a studio with limitless digital scenery options, take advantage of the opportunity to film in distinct, immersive “environments.”
3. Know Your Lighting
A smartphone camera is designed to capture content with the ambient lighting of your surroundings. However, a studio will offer higher output lighting that makes for a crisper image through their professional cameras. Therefore, take this enhanced lighting into account when you design your wardrobe and visual layout. How will your digital background on the LED wall be affected by the lighting setup? How will reflective fabrics and accessories appear in the studio light? These are all key questions your team should consider and discuss with your production studio provider.
4. Understand the Environment
Every member of your team who will be on camera should know exactly what they can expect from the studio session. Will they be seated or standing? Will they use a lavalier, or a boom setup? Who can they expect to see on the day of, and who is the point-person for their questions? Having a firm grasp of the environment you are stepping into will allow you to focus more intently on delivering your message. Furthermore, logistics such as parking options, facility amenities, and a map of the space can help you get situated before your studio day. Check out our venue pack as an example of a beneficial resource you should seek out from your studio provider.
5. Your Content Will Shine
Lastly, you should understand that you are making an incredibly wise decision by filming your content in the studio. You should feel confident that the final product will be more professional and easy to engage with than home-made deliverables. There are a myriad of possibilities that a team of technical experts and a high-end virtual production studio can bring to your creative process. It might be hard to produce your content any other way once you see it done the right way.
Your Production Partner
If filming at multiple sites, traveling to and from production locations, and paying for travel and lodging fees are not in the cards for your team, consider taking advantage of a virtual production studio. Here at CTS, you can produce your content with various digital environments in one day. We are proud to offer two state-of-the-art studios, an isolated control room, an experienced team of technicians. and the largest 1.9mm LED wall in Nashville. Save time and money and expand your creativity by coming to the CTS studio for your next project. Give us a call at 615.337.8808, or connect with us online.
