Setting up a home studio for video production is not expensive and requires less equipment than years ago. A DIY studio can consist of a computer, a keyboard, a Monitor, Video capture card and a software such as Finncast Studio

This is an ideal situation which requires so much physical less space, using less electricity and has everything in one package.

Such a system can have 4 cameras connected to it, Built-in without needing any addition equipment such as, Lower Thirds, Video Switcher, Green screen removal using the chroma key settings, Virtual sets, audio mixer and a full downstream system.

Your studio is where you will spend a lot of your time whether it is your full-time career or just a hobby. It will become your pride and joy where you will create some fantastic productions. Some maybe prerecorded or live broadcasts which is easily achieved with so many streaming websites available like Facebook Live video, Ustream, Twitch, YouTube live stream and so many more offering similar services.

Your studio could also be a perfect movie maker anything is possible with today’s technology. Using such modern equipment is not, cheap studio equipment but cost-effective studio equipment. It is the software that is king and offering the intelligence to eliminate mountains of equipment.

Today’s computers with powerful CPU’s and GPU’s on graphics cards can easily render video of sizes 1920×1080 Full HD and 4K.  Connecting cameras to your computer is easily done using compatible video capture cards. The same inputs on the video capture card can be used to connect various devices like computers, tablets and even some smart phones. There is a wide range pf professional cameras on the market like the Sony HXR-NX80 Full HD XDCAM with HDR & Fast Hybrid AF.

Good lighting is essential for your studio and a good quality Green screen, especially if you are going to use Virtual sets. The amount of lights will depend on many factors such as studio size, quality & size of your green screen the main objective is even light across the green screen.

A home studio setup will sometimes have some sort of console wooded frame effect to accommodate your equipment & work area. Even though there is much less equipment required in today’s world it is always good to layout your equipment in a usable manner.

Video editing, broadcasting & production is growing worldwide on a daily basis, with so many people making review videos & shows both uploaded & live. In the past usually, someone pursuing a career in TV as a broadcaster comfortably put themselves in front of the camera but today with selfies and YouTube reviews people are very comfortable in front of the camera and presenting their content in a very confident way. Such videos are making in some cases a full-time income or at a least an extra income from views and advertisement sharing. These uploaded videos on YouTube are about absolutely anything from applying make-up to reviewing the latest smart phone & other technology.

video production software

Companies are now making their own advertisement videos and churches are broadcasting live their sermons and such system make a perfect way to do this.

So, let’s break it down into a list now of the main requirements.

1:        A video live broadcast & Editing software with a video switcher.

2:        A Good spec computer with a Quad core 3gz CPU and a graphics card with 2GB or greater.

3:        A 27” monitor or greater.

4:        A Video Capture card suitable for the software to utilize video cameras and other devices .

5:        A Green screen to use for backdrops & virtual sets

6:        Lighting

7:        Camera or cameras

8:        Some sort of console made from wood or other material

9:        A good quality microphone like a Blue Yeti

10:      A Teleprompter with teleprompter software

The first steps to take.

Step1: Buy your equipment

Step2: Start to make your console, this can be just a simple desk to a more well thought out console.

Step3: Place your computer into a well-ventilated area as the computer needs to breed and stay cool.

Step4: Place computer keyboard in an easy to use place.

Step5: Assembly your green screen. If you are using a cloth screen remove as many creases as possible.

Step5: Assembly your lighting, you aim is to spread the light as evenly as possible over the green screen and have an additional light on the subject (presenter).

Step6: Connect your cameras to the computer

Step7: Connect your Teleprompter using a second computer and additional monitor & install your Teleprompter software.

Step8: Carry out all necessary test.

If you are only new to video production, then all of the above will be easy to work with. If you have been in the industry for a long time, you will be used to using much more equipment with many more buttons and you would have required a very large console to accommodate all the equipment. Now you will have so much less equipment and even less of a work load and you may be very surprised you are able to do even more than previously all from one computer.

Of course, the video switch operator and or technical director would still have a workload that requires good thinking and will enhance with experience.  Small shows the technical director will most likely do his or her own switching with the video switcher. More fast-moving shows with lots of video footage like the news will most likely have a 2^nd person to do the video switching referred to as the video switch operator.

With today’s video production software there is even the ability to zoom & pan cameras with a scaling solution and this in return can even eliminate to need for some camera operators. The same is applicable to using Virtual sets / studios the ability to zoom and pan the virtual set is easily done. Virtual sets are a new way of cutting down on the cost of making a studio for presenting a show or live broadcast, if you are unfamiliar with virtual sets read here.

Your production software is the most important part of your studio and it should consist of a

1:        Built-in video switcher.

2:        Green screen removal system referred to as chroma keying.

3:        Have the ability to create virtual sets.

4:        Have the ability to add virtual screens to the sets.

5:        Have the ability to pan & zoom cameras & virtual sets.

6:        To be able to record your video production.

7:        To live stream your video production.

8:        Be able to create lower thirds and edit them on the fly.

9:        Have built-in video players for video footage.

10:      Have downstream available for things such as logo, clock, images and so on.

11:      Have a built-in audio mixer

The technical director needs as much as possible near at hand and with such modern systems it will reduce staff numbers.

A final note: Teleprompter software should be threated as a separated system using its own computer and monitors and operator though it is possible for the technical director and or switch operator to also operate the teleprompter, but this would add an additional work load.

You should where your budget allows, select a good computer with a powerful CPU and graphics card with as much memory as you can have. Such computers are in most people’s budget and it will make your video productions run smoothly without the unwanted lag. With cloud storage so widely available you can now keep all your footage in the cloud.

The post Home Studio Setup appeared first on Video Switcher.