A pop-up studio is a place with the optimum conditions for having video meetings and recording videos. It can be made to suit your confines of space, budget and time. You can make your own within your own home or office.

  1. Framing/ Background –

Background must reflect what you’re doing and what kind of message you’re trying to convey. What are you saying with your background? Keep it tidy too, hide the domestic cluster, can easily be done with framing. Also on framing, don’t cut off your head!

Plain background is good. Simple curtains or props. Consider painting a wall – cream

Green screen is complicated. Virtual background in Zoom is not great, especially when you move around.

Pull Up – can be very useful, and is inexpensive.

 

  1. Camera Angle –

The camera lens on the laptop or webcam should be at the same height as the speaker – eye level. Not above or below, or people might be looking up your nose!!

Get a stand for your laptop, or put your laptop on a box or set of books.

Ensure the angle is correct.

 

  1. Lighting –

Recommended – white light bulb, makes room a lot brighter and takes away a lot of shadows. Domestic light has a yellow tint, not good. Check back of bulbs – looking for “cold white light”.

Lighting is very important at this time of the year. Use daylight – i.e. sit near the window, not behind the window.

Ensure that it’s a balanced light on the face – doesn’t create more shadows.

 

  1. Sound –

Get the sound right – sound is vital. Microphone is on the laptop – soft furnishing around you make a big difference. Sound can bounce off hard surfaces – tiles, wooden floors etc..

External USB microphone – with good quality can be attached to your laptop.

 

  1. Camera Quality –

Use a webcam.

Laptops have low quality cameras versus smartphones.

720 megapixels is the standard on most laptops, 1080 megapixels is the standard on most smartphones.

Webcams – full HD 1080 HP.

 

ALTERNATIVELY – use newer tablet or smartphone attached to a screen where you can see meeting attendees.

 

My three production rules –

  1. Keep it simple – don’t overthink or complicate
  2. Work with what you have – the time you have, the budget you have, the equipment you have
  3. Cut your losses – give yourself deadlines

 

Equipment Suppliers for us

  • camerakit.ie – Terenure, Co. Dublin – LED lights, audio equipment, great advice. Say Aileen sent you!