Studios in Virtual Production
It is important to note that people use the term 'Studio' interchangeably. You always have to keep in mind, that the term 'studio' can refer to two variants:
- Physical Studio
- Virtual Studio (we also refer to it by: 'scene' & sometimes 'model')
In this article, we will discuss the approaches and considerations you should take while planning a physical studio. There are a few key factors that you should consider before pulling the trigger and buying the gear.
Studio Size
First things first, you need to take into consideration the size of your studio. There is no ideal size that works for everyone, as the type of production you are making is going to determine the amount of space you need.
Productions can be as small as recording a close-up shot of the talent, to a whole show that involves several talents, cameras, props, etc...
In the case of the former, almost any size should work. Though, if you plan to record the whole figure of the talent and follow him around if he moves from the center of the green screen, then a bigger space is definitely needed. For the latter, the bigger the space the better for both the talents and the production crew.
General recommendations:
- For height, make sure you are not running out of the green screen if you would make a slightly lower angle shot.
- Make sure to have enough space for studio lights,
- Make sure you have enough space to move around with the camera, and always calculate extra room for the operators to move around.
Aximmetry can be used from a small, home-based streaming studio or with a green screen and DSLR camera setup, to an LED wall studio with several broadcast or film industry cameras and professional tracking systems. So, whatever you have planned, Aximmetry can handle it.
Audio Treatment
Acoustic treatment is one of the most essential parts of your studio if you plan to record audio for your production. An untreated studio will color the sound and will result in a lot of unwanted reverberations. Audio is as important as video, so consider adding some sound dampeners and echo killers, or consult with an audio engineer if your budget allows for it as he can give you optimal results for your space.
Heat Management
Studio gear, especially light fixtures, can generate a lot of heat. This heat can affect both the gear and the crew, so you should certainly consider a solution to dissipate the heat and cool the studio.
Truss Structure
We mentioned in a previous section the importance of having the right size for the studio. You should also consider the height of the studio, as most of the time a Truss structure should be installed. This structure allows you to mount different types of production gear on it, mainly light fixtures and tracking systems. It helps tremendously with the accessibility, extendability, and ease of use of the studio.
Aximmetry can be extremely helpful while mounting the lights and the tracking system, as you can monitor the effects of the changes you are making thanks to Aximmetry's ability to render your show in real-time.
Wiring
You need lots of power outlets in your studio — it’s unavoidable. The last thing you want to do is daisy-chain all your gear from a single outlet. So, try to approximate how many outlets you need, and where to put them.
You should also consider audio, video, and electrical cable routes. Studios need a lot of cables, and you don't want your crew members to be tripping every few seconds because of unorganized cables.
Storage room
Studios can require a lot of gear. Think of the cameras, lenses, tripods, cables, lights, tracking devices, computers, etc. As the studio's size and the number of gear used in it increase, the importance of storage rooms should also become more emphasized. If needed, you can create a storage space inside the studio, or you can create a designated storage room where you keep the gear you don't actively use. In case of separate storage rooms, it is best if they are close to the studio, the passage between the studio and the storage room is spacious and easy to navigate (corridor, doors), and are on the same floor as the studio.
Production Types
Let's have a look at the type of productions you can make using Aximmetry.
- Green Screen
- LED-Wall
- Augmented Reality (AR) / Extended Reality (XR)
Aximmetry can be of great help while setting up your studio. You can basically visualize and test everything about your show in real-time using it. This allows you to move things around until you land on the perfect layout for your gear positioning. We will discuss each type of these productions in the next articles.
