We’ve all heard of the 3 L’s before: location, location, and… you guessed it, location. When it comes to where you shoot your professional video, you have a lot of location options to choose from. Whether you want a residential home, small studio locations, or a specific outdoor shot for your video, this is a critical element you need to get right, and each kind of location comes with its unique set of pros and cons. The first step to any professional video production project, and to determining the your location, should be to develop your video creative brief. Fully developing the vision for your professional video will help direct what kind of location will be needed to clearly communicate your story and align with your brand’s message.
While we have a whole article dedicated to film location scouting for professional video production, as well as specific articles for individual locations and how to properly scout them, we’ll be taking a closer look at studio locations in this article. From the various pros and cons, to different aspects of studios you might not have considered before, this article will hopefully give you an introductory understanding of whether or not a studio is the ideal location for your professional video.
Pros to Studios
Chances are you’ve seen a lot of videos shot in a studio, whether you realize it or not. Studios offer many benefits to videographers and are extremely versatile in the kind of atmosphere you can create. The most attractive advantages studios offer, though, come down to their price and their transformative properties.
Price
Studio locations are usually the most affordable kind of location you can shoot at in comparison to others like residential homes, outdoor locations, and commercial buildings. For many brands looking to create a high-quality video but are looking for an affordable location, studios are typically their answer. But be aware that if you’re looking into bringing in a lot of props and set designs, your overall cost could increase so much, you might be better off renting out a space that’s already built and staged to your needs.
Blank Canvas
Although the initial idea might sound boring, having a only a white background for your video is a major benefit studios provide. In fact, one of the most brilliant companies of all time, Apple, has made it a signature look for many of their video commercials – and there’s a reason for this. This simple background allows the viewer to focus on the story and message being told without any competing visual elements. Take a look at this video we created for SheIn.com and how they were able to zero in on their personality and brand through their fun and colorful clothing contrasted against a white backdrop.
Other companies also enjoy the freedom they have with studios to design it specifically to align with their vision. Instead of renting out a home to shoot in one of the bedrooms, you can make your exact vision come to life when staging your studio. You can also choose from a variety of studio sizes, which can also help keep your project within your desired price range. This creative freedom isn’t for everyone’s budget or schedule, but it is another reason why studios remain a popular choice for professional video locations.
Cons to Studios
One of the biggest cons we see when people choose a studio location for their video production location is failing to stage it correctly. If you’re looking to transform it into a home, office, or any other type of scene that’s not very simple, you can run the risk of it looking cheesy or unnatural. As mentioned above, this blank canvas freedom is a draw to many companies, but executing it correctly is of critical importance. You don’t want your brand coming off as cheap because you chose the incorrect props or design aesthetic to match your message.
Many videos’ messages would also be communicated better if they had a larger set, or more variety of location to tell their story. Although you can transform a studio into whatever kind of location you may need, this can be time-consuming and can start eating up your budget. If your creative brief calls for more diverse settings, you might be better of with a mixture of different locations, rather than just sticking with a single studio set.
Creating Your Studio for Professional Video
Choosing a studio for your professional video gives you a lot of creative freedom when designing what it will look like. Having your creative brief completely developed will help you decide what to include to design the correct atmosphere and aesthetic to properly convey your message. Along with ensuring it aligns with your brand’s message and identity, there are some other aspects of staging a studio you should take into consideration.
Lighting
With any studio used for video or photography, lighting is key. Getting this aspect right when creating your studio will go a long ways in making the other aspects look impressive. Investing in a few quality lights to make this happen will pay off when it comes to the final product. There’s only so much post-editing you can do to create good lighting that doesn’t look over edited. Getting it right when it’s time to shoot will help you save time and money.
Backdrop
As mentioned above, the white and clean canvas backdrop of studios are a big appeal for many companies who want their video to have no competing elements. You can also choose a green screen for your backdrop and superimpose your desired one over it, although this can run the risk of looking cheesy and cheap if it’s done on a low budget. Beyond a simple color, backdrops can also include a set you design to help place your actors in a certain setting. Take time to consider what you think will work best to communicate your specific message and the best way you’ll be able to create a backdrop to support it.
Props and Set Designs
If you’re looking to transform your chosen studio location into a bedroom, office, living space, or any other kind of indoor space, your props and set design is critical to making sure your desired message is communicated properly. Similar to designing a home, you’ll want to take into consideration the overall feel you’re hoping to create, your brand’s aesthetic and color palate, and your budget as well. Some companies choose a professional staging company to take care of this aspect to ensure it’s done correctly and professionally.
Professional Video Production for Studio Locations
Studio locations for professional videos offer a number of benefits to the companies looking to utilize them. While this article is just an overview of the different aspects of a studio to consider for your professional video production, they do provide great value for those who know how to use them correctly. Without the proper set up or knowledge of best practices for studios, it could have a negative affect on the overall quality of your video. We always advise our clients to fully develop their creative brief to ensure a studio is the right location for them.
At MarzMotion, we have decades of experience in different studios shooting for a variety of brands and companies. We can help your studio location align with your overall video creative brief to ensure it reflects your company’s message and branding as well. Contact MarzMotion today to start your video production project today.
