STUDIO SHOOTS

AND WORKING ON LOCATION
Here at QF, the vast majority of our shoots are on location – out in the open air, in offices, homes, restaurants, bars, fields, on boats, at live events and in far-flung villages in every corner of the globe. However the requirements for a few of our recent projects have meant it’s been necessary to film in a studio. It’s a very different setting to the one that we’re used to but it’s been very interesting!

In studio with Sandstorm for Hertz

The main advantage of studio shoots is that every aspect of filming is 100% controllable. In a natural environment, there’s a lot of time spent waiting for pesky clouds to pass over so that the light on your shots doesn’t change. Similarly, aeroplanes flying overhead can cause havoc during interviews, not to mention enthusiastic members of the public waving at camera when you’re out in the open, or (a personal favourite) cars beeping at you as they pass. None of the above are a problem in the studio environment – with no windows and being completely soundproofed, you can create the exact environment that you want and not have to worry that it will changed by any external factors.

However in a natural setting, you have all of the props that you need: the sofa for the interviewee is already in the lounge, the lights hanging from the office ceiling make an interesting backdrop, the bar has… a bar. There is therefore a huge amount of pre-production planning that goes into a studio shoot – if you don’t bring it onto set, then you don’t have it. And many studios tend to be out in the wilderness where land (and therefore space) is cheaper, therefore needing something at the last minute can mean a member of the production team having to go and find a wooden spoon, a jester’s hat, or very specifically branded golf club when you’re 30 miles from the nearest town. Pre-production is everything.

On location at Studio Barbie

Studios, as outlined above, tend to be large so they are great for getting the big toys out – jibs, cranes, dolly and tracks, and massive HMI lighting rigs can all be used without needing roads to be closed down, location permits or health and safety officers. The space is completely yours.
Another huge plus is that many have live editing suites which essentially means that whilst you are shooting, there is an editor being fed your rushes – they will be getting rid of the shots that didn’t work and put the shots into the correct order if you’re shooting out of sequence.
During the shoot, the director can keep popping into the edit to see whether what is being shot is working, and can make tweaks according to whether it is or isn’t. This facility also means that once you come to start the edit, there is already a very advanced assembly waiting for you – and that feels like a real luxury when compared to filming in the wild.
Depending upon the project, a studio can really be a one-stop-shop answer to everything you need. Just don’t forget your props.

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STUDIO SHOOTS

AND WORKING ON LOCATION
Here at QF, the vast majority of our shoots are on location – out in the open air, in offices, homes, restaurants, bars, fields, on boats, at live events and in far-flung villages in every corner of the globe. However the requirements for a few of our recent projects have meant it’s been necessary to film in a studio. It’s a very different setting to the one that we’re used to but it’s been very interesting!

In studio with Sandstorm for Hertz

The main advantage of studio shoots is that every aspect of filming is 100% controllable. In a natural environment, there’s a lot of time spent waiting for pesky clouds to pass over so that the light on your shots doesn’t change. Similarly, aeroplanes flying overhead can cause havoc during interviews, not to mention enthusiastic members of the public waving at camera when you’re out in the open, or (a personal favourite) cars beeping at you as they pass. None of the above are a problem in the studio environment – with no windows and being completely soundproofed, you can create the exact environment that you want and not have to worry that it will changed by any external factors.

On location at Studio Barbie

However in a natural setting, you have all of the props that you need: the sofa for the interviewee is already in the lounge, the lights hanging from the office ceiling make an interesting backdrop, the bar has… a bar. There is therefore a huge amount of pre-production planning that goes into a studio shoot – if you don’t bring it onto set, then you don’t have it. And many studios tend to be out in the wilderness where land (and therefore space) is cheaper, therefore needing something at the last minute can mean a member of the production team having to go and find a wooden spoon, a jester’s hat, or very specifically branded golf club when you’re 30 miles from the nearest town. Pre-production is everything.
Studios, as outlined above, tend to be large so they are great for getting the big toys out – jibs, cranes, dolly and tracks, and massive HMI lighting rigs can all be used without needing roads to be closed down, location permits or health and safety officers. The space is completely yours.
Another huge plus is that many have live editing suites which essentially means that whilst you are shooting, there is an editor being fed your rushes – they will be getting rid of the shots that didn’t work and put the shots into the correct order if you’re shooting out of sequence.
During the shoot, the director can keep popping into the edit to see whether what is being shot is working, and can make tweaks according to whether it is or isn’t. This facility also means that once you come to start the edit, there is already a very advanced assembly waiting for you – and that feels like a real luxury when compared to filming in the wild.
Depending upon the project, a studio can really be a one-stop-shop answer to everything you need. Just don’t forget your props.

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