Experts say that it’s best to post one to three times a day on social media. When it comes to video content specifically, it’s recommended that you put out new video content one to two times a week when getting started, if you want the best chance at standing out in the sea of content creators.
It’s difficult for content creators with a professional studio to keep up with content demands like these. So, is it even possible for a content creator with a home studio to make an impression? The short answer is, yes.
Whether you’re a video content creator starting a youtube channel, a photographer, or hoping to dabble in creating various forms of digital media, you can work successfully out of a home studio.
Creating a professional content creation studio out of your home doesn’t have to be complicated. With a bit of patience, vision, and willingness to learn from others, you’ll be well on your way to creating content that competes with content produced in a professional studio.
Here are 15 tips and best practices to implement if you’re just getting started with content creation in your home.
Choose the Right Room or Rooms
When creating a home-based content creation studio, one of the first things that come to mind is what room you’ll set up shop in.
Do you have a spare room you can turn into a content creation studio? Do you want to use a couple of rooms? Are you planning to film throughout your home? If there isn’t a room, is there a specific area suitable for content creation?
Before choosing a room, rooms, or area to turn into your professional content creation studio, you want to explore all of your options. Then, when you decide on the best option for you, spend ample time decorating. If you’re looking for a secure platform to store and share resources for content creation, you should consider using a dataroom.
Spend Time on Decorating
How are you going to decorate your studio? Think about the color palette, artwork, and other accessories that will make the room pop. See how you can brighten up the space with plants. Decorating your studio with plants can add character to your room, boost your productivity, and incite creativity.
You’ll also want to learn how to create backdrops. Whether you’re using a sheet or colored paper as your backdrop, pay attention to the details. For instance, ironing the sheet before putting it up or making sure your paper is free of tears. As you immerse yourself in the decor, be sure to pay special attention to lighting.
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Lighting is Crucial
If you don’t have any money to spend on lighting right now, that’s okay. Take full advantage of natural light. You’ll want to think about natural lighting when choosing the room for your studio. Choose a space with great windows.
If natural lighting isn’t available, look into buying a ring light or other lighting equipment that can help you get the lighting quality you need to make excellent content.
In addition to lighting, what additional equipment is good to have in your home content creation studio?
What Additional Equipment Should You Have?
Great question. Here’s the answer, but don’t feel like you have to get all of these things at once:
- Camera
- Tripod
- Selfie stick
- Visual aids
- Props
- Microphone
- Teleprompter
- Memory cards
- Backup batteries
- Chargers
You’ll also want to ensure you have good editing software to take your content to the next level.
Get Good Editing Software
Your professional content creation studio at home may not have all the bells and whistles, but even if it did, you’d still need excellent editing software. Shooting your content is just the beginning. You must pay just as much attention to editing.
The editing process is where a lot of the magic happens. You get to tell your story through the way you piece your visuals together. For instance, adding transitions between scenes, attaching animation to photos, or experimenting with other visual effects to help your content stand out.
A quick Google search will help you narrow down your choices for quality editing software. If you have a few bucks to spend on editing software, do so. If not, look for free options that can get the job done.
Next, get to know your camera, software, and additional equipment.
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Get to Know Your Camera and Other Equipment
You won’t be able to create quality content in your home studio if you don’t know how to use your equipment, navigate the functions on your camera, or turn on your software.
Jumping into a session without first learning your way around everything you’ll be using is counterproductive. You’ll never get to creating content because you’ll be spending all of your time frustrated, trying to get your equipment to work.
You must spend as much time as possible getting familiar with your camera, editing software, and additional equipment. Set aside enough time before shooting your first video or taking your first photo to learn as much as possible.
You can take the self-education route by diving into tutorials, blog posts, and other literature. Taking a class or webinar course to learn how to use your equipment is also an option.
Just as important as getting to know your camera and other equipment is getting comfortable being on screen.
Get Comfortable Being On Screen
You may have the opportunity to create content for others in your home studio, but you’ll likely start out shooting yourself. If you’re camera-shy, hate being the center of attention, or just aren’t too confident in your ability to shine on screen, practice will help.
Record, record, record. Study your facial expressions, body language, and the way you speak on camera. Practice with various camera angles, lighting options, and audio settings. Doing all of this before you create your first real piece of content will give you the confidence you need to crush it when it’s time to press record for real.
A solid content strategy is also necessary if you’re going to create quality content at home.
Your Content Strategy Matters
Content creation is much easier when you have a strategy. What kind of content are you creating, for who, and why? Hashing out the details before you press record will make the creation process more enjoyable because you won’t have to deal with the stress of trying to wing it.
To create a good content strategy, do the following:
- Set goals for your content
- Know your audience
- Identify the purpose for the content
- Create a timeline for creating the content
- Pinpoint who will be involved
- Write the script
- Gather any props, visual aids, and materials needed
- Choose what kind of content you want to create (video, photograph, slideshow)
- Identify what you’re creating the content for (IGTV, Youtube, website)
- Detail how you’re going to make the content and monitor its performance
When your content strategy is intact, and you’re ready to start creating, do some test shots first.
Always Start With Test Shots
Don’t expect to nail it on the first try. Instead, do some test shots before your first genuine attempt. See how long it takes you to get through the entire script. Pay attention to how you feel when you’re done. Are you out of breath? Do you feel like you got your message across?
Find ways to simplify the parts you get tongue-tied the most. For example, can you take out a few sentences? Are there too many complex words?
Also, be honest about how filming is going in your studio. Is the lighting up to par? Is your backdrop on point? Do you need to change props? Do you need to shift rooms altogether?
Ultimately, test shots can help you make improvements before you commit to creating an entire piece of content. Furthermore, when creating content, notice when you’re most creative and take advantage of it.
Take Advantage of Days When You’re Highly Creative
If we’re being honest, you won’t feel like creating content every day. In fact, many content creators report experiencing burnout. As a result, they take lengthy breaks from creating, and it disrupts their flow. Unfortunately, these breaks can also disappoint their audience, who expects a consistent content experience.
Instead of burning out trying to create fresh content every day, take advantage of the days when you’re highly creative. Create as much content as you can on these days so that when you do need to take some time off to rest, you’ll still have content to give to your audience.
Doing this will also help you enjoy your break rather than stressing about what you must create to catch up when you come back.
Another best practice for creating content at home is to limit distractions.
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Limit Distractions When Creating
When you have a professional content creation studio at home, distractions are inevitable. For example, you may have children to care for, a spouse, social gatherings, chores, or something else that requires your attention.
However, you must make it a point to eliminate all distractions when it’s time to create content. Turn off all electronic devices aside from the ones you’re using for content creation, ask your spouse to watch the kids, and carve out an hour to focus on content.
You Won’t Get Everything Right the First Time
You aren’t going to get everything right the first time, nor should you try to.
Don’t try to master everything all at once, buy all the best equipment the first week, or set unrealistic expectations for yourself when starting. Instead, create your professional content creation studio out of your home in stages.
For instance, you may have to start creating content on your smartphone, but eventually, you’ll be able to afford a more professional camera. Or, you’ll be able to work your way up to an entire room for your studio from a cozy corner in your house.
The point is, don’t feel like you have to have it all right before you start. Instead, take it day by day, video by video, to find out what you need to create the best content and design a fantastic home studio.
Moreover, it’s a good idea to find a way to invest in yourself when creating a professional content creation studio out of your home.
Invest in Yourself
As you get deeper into your journey with content creation, you’ll hopefully be making a little bit of money or at least have saved some funds to invest back into your content creation efforts.
Investing in yourself is a brilliant idea if you want to take your content and home studio to the next level. So, reinvest any money you make from your content back into your business by:
- Upgrading your equipment
- Making improvements to your home
- Buying new props, artwork, furniture, and other accessories to use in your studio
- Adding someone to your content creation team
- Furthering your education in content creation
- Purchasing better tools and SaaS software
This article is mainly about creating content at home, but you must become a lifelong learner even if you’re creating content in a professional studio.
Continually Grow Your Knowledge and Skillset
Whether you’re just starting or are a seasoned content creator, you must prioritize getting better. You should continually educate yourself on how to create quality content and do so from a home studio.
You can continually grow your knowledge and skillset by:
- Taking a content creation course
- Staying up-to-date on content creation trends
- Reading books, blogs, and other literature about content creation and designing an at-home studio
- Learning from other content creators
- Leaning on your professional network
- Brushing up on your interior design skills through Youtube tutorials and videos
- Trying new things
Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment.
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Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
When creating content at home, it’s easy to get comfortable, meaning comfortable in the room you’ve designated for content creation, comfortable in what you’re shooting, how you’re shooting it, and so forth.
With that being said, comfortability doesn’t incite growth. You absolutely want to grow your content creation skills and find unique ways to use your home in the process.
So, experiment. For instance, try different video lengths and effects. Go shopping for trendy props and design a new backdrop. If you’re a photographer, try shooting some video content, and vice versa. You could also try shooting in a different room or area of your home.
Ultimately, experimenting will help you find what works for you and help you create content that aligns with who you are and what your mission is.
Final Thoughts on a Content Creation Studio
Don’t overcomplicate creating a professional content creation studio out of your home. Instead, use the tips above to create your at-home studio on an appropriate timeline, with the right tools, and an open mindset.