If you’re planning a commercial or presentation video or simply want to take a few professional headshots or pictures of your product, why not do it yourself? With a small investment in equipment, you can create a fine production space where you can shoot high-quality videos and photographs. Not sure where to start? Consider the following tips for setting up a photo or film studio while building and outfitting your set.
Lights!
Lighting is vital to any shoot, providing clear illumination that lets your subjects show off their best features. Likewise, lighting grants mood and feeling to a shoot in several ways: dimmer or brighter lights, colored gels, or stage lighting that creates different effects. All you need, however, is a portable studio lighting kit with two lights, reflectors, clamps, and stands; this should run you no more than $200 or less. Two lights can provide a lot of illumination, but you can buy a third light and stand to light up both subjects and backdrop. As you learn more, you can add other lights, but a two-light setup is a good start.
Camera!
While there are high-grade and highly-priced professional cameras available, you needn’t break open the piggy bank to get decent production values. The latest smartphones can produce high-quality images and videos that are automatically converted into easily edited formats—as do many computer tablets. Purchase a tripod to hold the phone or tablet steady while you shoot. Webcams provide another great and affordable alternative but realize that more expensive cameras come with more features and settings, giving your shoots a more professional look. Practice with your phone or tablet for a while first until you feel ready to upgrade.
Sound!
Naturally, your smartphone or tablet comes with an internal microphone; however, for the purposes of, say, an interview, you’d be shocked at how little dialogue it catches and how much noise it picks up. On the other hand, lavalier microphones are an affordable way to ensure crisp sound from your subjects. Some are even equipped with splitters so you can have two on-camera subjects wired for sound. USB microphones are also cheap yet effective and can be connected to a tablet or laptop. A basic boom mic, held just off-camera, is another option for recording without interfering with the set or on-screen talent.
Scene!
As one of our final tips for setting up a photo or film studio, you may not be able to build a large-scale cyclorama wall system—though keep it in mind when you eventually expand—but that’s okay. Plenty of portable, collapsible backdrops are available for purchase online. A blank or patterned backdrop is like a canvas for your production, eliminating visual clutter by providing a clean background. Backdrops let you slip in logos and other branding elements as well. And if you invest in a green screen and ensure your camera and editing software have chroma key capability, you can add special effects and graphics that can really sell your final product!
