Step 2: Setting Up Audio, Video & Lighting for In-Person Studio

Boomer Elmsdale

Contentz in person studios provide audio and video equipment to help make your media look great. This article outlines how to access the equipment and configure it upon arrival.

Watch these 5 videos to know what to do when you get to the studio!

Setting Up Video

GoPro – There is a GoPro camera located in the filing cabinet. To Set it up, follow the steps below.

  1. Attach the GoPro to tri pod.
  2. Adjust tripod to preferred heigth.
  3. Turn on GoPro and Frame shot.
  4. Click record (top button) to start recording.
  5. Click record (top button) to stop recording.
  6. Swipe up on screen to review footage.
  7. Adjust camera angle after review (ie. if you need changes).
  8. Swipe down to return to record.
  9. Option: swipe left /right for still photography use

Lighting

Contentz provides at least four lights to support your production. There are two box lights and two circular soft lights.

  1. Turn on the lights
  2. Position the two box lights to left and right of focal point.
  3. Position the two soft lights (circular with umbrella) in front of or behind the subject.
  4. Frame the shot with GoPro and take example footage.
  5. Review the footage and adjust as necessary. (Moving lights up and down can help with reflection on TV).

TV – Multi Media Setup

Contentz provides a 50-inch TV to help make productions professional. This enables studio guests to add professionalism to their production by displaying a logo throughout the show or even showing media footage.

Steps to Use TV:

  1. Use the remote to turn on the TV.
  2. Connect your computer to the HDMI cord.
  3. Select HDMI from the menu on the TV.
  4. Select mirroring and allow the computer to connect to the TV. Click here to read an article that explains how to do this.
  5. Navigate around your computer to test this feature. This feature allows you to control the TV during your production.

Pro Tip: White backgrounds on images help improve the display during production.

3 – Setting Up Audio

Contentz provides up to four microphones, a mixing board and two stand options at in person studios. Follow the steps below to configure them for the best results.

Configuring Microphones, Stands and the Mixing Board

  • Decide how many microphones you need for your production. There should be one for each guest.
  • Pull out the microphones from the filing cabinet or on table.
  • Connect the XLR cable to each microphone.
  • Connect the XLR cable to the mixing board.
  • Decide which microphone stands are best for your production. You can select the sitting stands, which require placement on the table, or you can select the boom stands, which stand alone next to guests. These are better for guests that are sitting on the couch during the production.
  • Position the microphones where you want them.
  • Move the filing cabinet and mixing board so it is able to reach the guests’ area with cable to microphones comfortably.
  • Turn on the mixing board by pressing the circular button in back.
  • Test the microphone input by recording an example.
    • Select record.
    • Adjust the microphone input so it is around half way on mixing board. Push up to where you hear feedback. Drop to where it is just silent.
    • Select stop and save when prompted.
    • Tap ellipses on upper left of mixing board screen. Tap playback and you can listen to your sample. If it sounds good, you are ready. If not, adjust input level until you like it.

Start Recording

Start recording after you are comfortable with the lighting, and audio levels. The recordings are sent to sound cards in the devices. You will transfer the files from the sound cards to your devices when you are finished recording.