When I tell people that they can create a video studio in their house for under $200, their eyes light up and I can practically see the possibilities start to run through their head. Then their eyes narrow. They get an intense look on their face and then say, “But where am I going to put it?”
The key to making your videos look more professional is good lighting. But those lights take up some space! Don’t worry, even if your house or apartment is tiny, you can still create a space to record videos. The video lighting equipment that I recommend starting with is very portable, so you don’t need to have it permanently set up in your house. I happen to have an extra room in my house where I can keep my equipment set up. But you’d never think that is a space that would work as a home recording studio.
Here is a picture of my room without the recording equipment. It’s got furniture, boxes, gym equipment and it’s the space where I do my ironing. (Well, when I manage to iron. I detest ironing.) The worst part about this room is the gabled ceiling. That ceiling seriously limits the height of the things you can fit in the room. Who would think that this space could turn into a recording studio? It just seems too cramped.
The truth is, I set up my equipment in about half of this space. The total area that I need to be comfortable with my largest light set (5 light stands) and a backdrop is about 9’x9’. The ceiling just needs to be tall enough that it doesn’t show in the camera shot. About a foot taller than your own height should be plenty.
If I’m using the space itself as a backdrop, I need even less space than that, maybe 5’ by the time the three light stands and camera are in place. Here’s what it looks like when I’m recording:
If you have a junk room or a spare bedroom, that’s perfect. Just clear some space. Nobody can see what’s off camera anyway. Here’s a shot from a video that was shot in this room. You had no clue there was a bright yellow giraffe stationary bike watching me film, did you?
Don’t use space as an excuse for NOT investing in good lighting for your videos. Proper lighting turns you from someone recording at their kitchen table to a trusted professional doing quality work.
Do you have a space in your home that can become a recording studio? Share your ideas in the comments below and I’ll respond with my thoughts and advice on making the space work for you.