Why A Professional Studio is The Best Place To Film

In an expanding media world, it may be hard to imagine that there were once just a handful of TV channels, all mainstream terrestrial broadcasters. People from Generation X may recall the excitement of Channel 4 starting in the 1980s. It was a different world then.

Now, with a plethora of mainstream channels but also any number of small operators using the various cable and satellite opportunities that exist, not to mention the internet, the diversification is greater than ever.

With equipment more widely available as well as opportunities to broadcast and reach an audience, it is not hard to set up a TV company, whether a small firm or even a one-person band. Indeed, there are many YouTube channels of this type.

A Question Of Resources

This creates plenty of diversity, but also raises the question of resources. Take sport as an example: One area of expansion was football clubs establishing their own TV channels, in which case the club can provide space on its own premises and spend its own money (which, in the case of big clubs, means very deep coffers) to resource them.

By contrast, there are many independent fan channels out there, run on a relative shoestring, for whom issues like production space are pertinent.

This raises the question of whether hiring a professional studio for at least some commercial production is a smart move. The emphatic answer is yes.

It is true that some work has to be produced in outside broadcast form, perhaps live. Sport is a case in point. A stadium event may have its own facilities for this, but other places might not. For example, a rally car race in a forest will be a classic example of an outside broadcast from out in the wilds.

Other channels may focus on outdoor events like music festivals or conduct vox pops with members of the public. However, for so many other things, you can benefit from having a high-quality studio space.

The Environment You Need

First, and the most obvious, is the controlled environment, where there is no background noise interference, the light levels can be set as you need them, the sound can be calibrated for your needs and there is no weather interference.

Furthermore, the space can be set up just as you need it, with various sets and stages, not to mention lots of props.

Indeed, in our own case, we have a vast array of props, enabling you to create the backgrounds you need, as well as emphasising the appropriate themes for each broadcast. Nor are these low-quality items of the ‘pantomime horse’ kind; instead, they are high-quality items that can enable you to enjoy excellent backgrounds and special effects.

The only cons to using a studio are that it doesn’t quite mimic the ’real world’ of an outside broadcast with natural lighting and authentic natural settings.

The Benefits Of Flexibility

However, this is not always a simple ‘either-or’ matter; you might have outside broadcasts as well as studio productions, for example, by filming something happening in real time outside and then interviewing someone about it all in the studio. That way, you use both settings and get the best of both worlds.

It is not all about studio v outside broadcast, however. It may be that if you have a small, shoestring operation, you will have a little broom cupboard that doubles as a studio. You might even take steps to add new facilities and decorate it to suit the topic you regularly make content about. However, such a small scale means limited facilities.

With a professional studio space, you can take up more room if you need it, make use of better technology, as well as all the props. Quite simply, you can hire the resources that you could never cram into your own little studio.

Post-Production Work

Alongside these considerations is the matter of post-production work. You may need a lot of facilities for these and when space is at a premium, you could be limited in what you can do. That converted broom cupboard may simply not be big enough to contain the high-calibre equipment you need.

Put together, it makes perfect sense to use a professional studio for at least some of your filming as well as post-production work. It gives you greater flexibility and enhances the quality of your content, meaning more people will happily sign up to view it.

If you need such facilities, our own studio, the Longhouse Studio, is a great place to start. We can offer all the equipment, space and props you need, whether you need to do this regularly or just on sporadic occasions. Check out our Instagram page for more details.