5 Key Considerations when Building a Corporate Production Studio
Building a corporate production studio can be a simple or complex undertaking depending on your objectives for the facility. But regardless of the scope of your vision, the path ahead will be clearer and more predictable if you approach the project systematically – by being aware of key considerations that surround the creation of a production studio. You don’t need to have all the answers. A simple grasp of the project parameters and objectives is all you need to begin the conversation with your technology partner and ensure a shared understanding of how to proceed.
To help you move forward with clarity and confidence, this article lays out five principal considerations that will affect the nature and scope of the project ahead:
1. What am I trying to accomplish?
There are many ways to answer this question, but it’s best to think in the simplest, most straightforward terms.
Maybe your organization wants to take greater control of its messaging by communicating directly with customers, team members, partners, and other stakeholders. For some entities, this may simply require a small studio and production facility as an adjunct to the c-suite, where company leadership can speak directly to various audiences without having to use outside production resources. For other organizations, it may entail the creation of a much more elaborate facility capable of producing broadcast-worthy product introductions or enterprise-wide town halls.
The foundational nature of this first question means you’ll want to consult closely with your internal teams – and not just the one that may have first raised the idea of building a corporate production studio. The impetus might come from the C-suite, but once the idea has been introduced, the rationale for creating a studio might extend across the organization, to sales, marketing, HR, engineering, and more.
2. Who will utilize the production studio?
Some enterprises build production studios for a single purpose – say, for c-suite communications, or to advance marketing objectives. You’ll want to think a bit more broadly and take into account not just the anticipated users but those who will produce the content. It’s important to know who will be in front of the cameras – one or two individuals at a time, or larger leadership groups – and who will be behind the scenes. Moreover, will those teams be employees of your organization, or will they be outsourced professionals? Perhaps product development teams will use the space while your media department will run it.
The size of the operation will be important for planning purposes.
3. What type of productions will you create?
Do you anticipate creating live broadcasts, recording live to tape, or going straight to post-production? Often spaces are used for all three scenarios with equipment selected to handle every use case. It’s valuable to think through the type of productions this facility will produce because the answers will impact space and equipment considerations.
4. What studio components will you need?
Think about the facility as a whole – not just the equipment you’ll require, but the various sub-spaces and how each will need to be outfitted. Ask yourself what you’re going to need relative to the following categories:
- Scenic. This includes furnishing and décor. If you anticipate producing in a green-screen environment, your needs will be simpler in this regard. On the other hand, you may wish to create a high-quality set similar to the ones used in network news operations or talk shows. That may entail the purchase of living room-style furnishings or the creation of a news desk behind which several people might sit. Note: In the interest of flexibility, you’ll most likely need to have space to store the various components of a set when using the space for other purposes.
- Equipment. There’s no end to the amount of equipment you might need for your space. Based on your intended use of the studio, your technology partner will help you determine what you’ll need, but you can expect to have gear in a few principal categories. Video gear will include cameras, teleprompters, lighting, confidence displays, and the like. Audio considerations will encompass loudspeakers, microphones, mixers, and feedback for talent. See this article for a more comprehensive list of studio components.
- Control room. Will your corporate production studio have a control room – a dedicated space for operators so that production staff and talent aren’t forced to share a single space?
- Additional spaces. In addition to storage space, you may also wish to have a green room where those who appear in the broadcast can relax prior to or after the production or be prepped for their appearance on camera.
- Acoustics. This is an essential consideration, as acoustics have a direct impact on the viability of a production space. Will you need isolation from HVAC? Will you need acoustic panels on the walls and ceilings?
5. How will content be distributed?
Ask yourself if you will be live-streaming content. Do you anticipate video on demand (VOD), or do you imagine needing both capabilities? There’s also the issue of asset management and editing facilities, and how much space they may require. Remember that you’re not just creating a studio, you’re creating an infrastructure with various components that will have to work in sync. Understanding your distribution needs will directly inform other aspects of production studio creation.
Balancing capability against budget and future needs
While the purpose of this article is to help you be clear-eyed about what you want from your production studio environment, it’s just as important to understand what it will cost to achieve your objectives. So how do you ensure your goals are in sync with your means? Here’s where early involvement with a capable technology partner can be invaluable to your ultimate success.
An expert with a clear record of achievement in creating corporate production studios will help you map out the systems, solutions, and budget for your unique use case. They’ll also help maximize ROI on your investment by helping you create an environment that’s flexible and scalable to evolve with your needs and the changing technology landscape.
Keep in mind, you don’t need to have everything figured out before embarking on a project of this nature. What’s required at the outset is simply a general understanding of what you wish to accomplish and how you imagine realizing your vision. Your technology partner will be able to step in to help bring your project to life. The combination of your initial legwork and their expertise will enable you to move faster and with greater assurance of a favorable outcome for your corporate production studio.
FAQs
What is the most efficient and cost-effective way to create a corporate production studio?
The first thing you’ll want to do is consult with possible users for your corporate production studio to determine how they expect to use the facility and what kind of ROI they expect from building a production studio. Next, based on your conversations and polling, create your initial responses to the primary considerations that surround the building of a production studio. Among them are: What are you trying to accomplish? Who will utilize the space? What types of productions will be created? What components will be necessary to outfit the studio? And how will you distribute the content you create? After you have organized your thoughts, share that information with the technology partner who will bring your vision to life.
Why do you need an experienced technology partner to create a corporate production studio?
A technology partner with expertise in creating corporate production studios will be instrumental in translating your vision for this facility into a working reality that accomplishes its intended objectives fully and economically. There is often a gap between a client’s desires and their means. Your technology partner will, first, help you identify and prioritize your objectives, then develop a solution that accomplishes as many of your goals as possible. Your technology partner will also be instrumental in developing a user-friendly solution that will have high utilization. This is essential to achieving your hoped-for ROI. Finally, your technology partner will have the necessary resources to help upgrade, optimize and support your system to maximize utility over time.
What are the benefits of creating a corporate production studio?
A chief benefit of creating a corporate production studio is the power and freedom you will gain to create and disseminate high-quality custom content that will advance your organizational objectives. If you are already producing a significant amount of content via outsourced resources, you may also expect to save money by bringing production in-house. Ask yourself what you are seeking to accomplish by creating a corporate production studio, who will utilize the space, what types of productions will be created, what will be needed to outfit the space, and how content will be distributed. Share your answers to these questions with an experienced technology partner and they will be able to provide a more detailed roster of benefits one can expect from a corporate production studio.
