Many photographers, like myself who have a photography studio set up are moving towards providing recording services for video content. In order to make this a reality and be successful, there are a number of considerations to take into account. This is costly and needs to done properly with planning and time, and some budget allowances. Most photography studios offer great natural light and are not soundproofed, nor are they located in areas where there is no outside noise or interferences. This is where the planning and costing begins.

Cancel the Outside Noise

Firstly, block off the outside noise. This is essential, as cars and bikes and busy sidewalks influence what is captured in the recording. The last thing you need is to have to redo takes every time a motorbike drives past your window. There are many ways to address this, most of which involve a large capital injection. When making this decision, take your projected turnover of “video clients” into consideration and do the math as to how long it will take you to recover these costs. Make sure you are prepared to lose the natural light and fresh air generated from the windows. Do not get confused with acoustic boards, or curtaining, nor foam acoustic panels, as these materials are designed for purposes of absorbing the sound to ensure a rounded and good acoustic result, they do not block out the sound. To ensure you achieve 100% soundproofing, do your research, as previously mentioned, there are many options that do the trick and can save you a lot of money.

A cost effective solution for Soundproofing your Studio

My suggestion is the following:

  • Removable high density, well fitted plugs for all the windows. Removable is key, so you are able to still use the natural light for shooting stills in your studio, as well as have fresh air of course which helps.
  • Plugs need to be at least 70mm deep and of high density. These boards need to fit snug within the window sill.
  • Make sure they are secured with a high-density noise proofing acoustic green sealant.
  • The frame can be made from super wood, just ensure you add solid handles for convenience for easy removal when required.
  • Finally seal the open areas with acoustic isolation strips arounds the boards to block out any potential “open areas” that can omit sound.
  • Cover with a breathable fabric in a color of choice for aesthetic appeal

Now you done with the sound proofing.

Eliminating echoes

  • This is not that costly and can be done without professional carpentry skills in a DIY manner. The use of blankets is a great start to containing the sound in a small area, where you will enclose the recording area with boards covered in blankets. This will assist in rounding the sound, eliminating echoes or reverb.
  • A second and more professional option, is to mount acoustic foam panels on boards and again make sure you “enclose” the recording area. This is also cost effective and will definitely make difference to the sound quality.
  • A third and final suggestion is to enclose the recording area with high density boards from the sides and mount boards pound from the ceiling to enclose and encapsulate the sound and stop any form of echo. This option is often used in restaurants and entertainment areas with poor acoustic sound.

The Studio Space

When making this decision for creating your video recording space, it is important to take the existing layout as well as the build of the floors and ceilings to hand. Concrete is best, as opposed to dry partitioning or wooden flooring.

 

I trust this has been helpful in every way to moving forward with your conversion.