Start by writing down what the studio is for
The first question is not how many cameras to buy but what will be on screen. Will the presenter sit, stand or share a desk with guests? Write down two or three distinct segments of the show: an opening, a guest interview and a product demo need different shots and different light in the same room.
- YouTube, podcast and live streaming: a small room, few lights, quiet operation. Details: live streaming and podcast studios.
- Corporate video and training: a fixed setup that works without a technical crew.
- Green screen and virtual sets: an evenly lit backdrop and separate presenter light. Details: green screen studio installation.
- TV and news studios: layered lighting, rigging and control-room control. Details: TV and news studio installation.
Space: measurements, ceiling, air conditioning and sound
Put width, length and clear ceiling height, plus doors, windows, columns and fixed equipment, on one sketch. Photos from all four corners fill in what the numbers do not show. Account not only for where the set goes but also for the space the camera needs and the corridor the crew uses: what you see on screen is not the whole studio.
Ceiling height decides where lights can hang. A low ceiling is not a blocker but it needs the right fixtures: we built Gain Medya’s pocket studio under 2.6 m and Istanbul Kültür University’s green screen studio under 2.85 m with slim TrueLight panels.
Air conditioning, ventilation and noise from neighbouring rooms directly affect recording quality. Do not finalise electrical or structural capacity by guesswork; have it verified by a competent site inspection.
Lighting: key, fill, back and background
Studio lighting is planned around four jobs: the key light that shapes the face, the fill that softens shadows, the back light that separates the person from the background, and the background light for the backdrop or set. Each job may not need its own fixture, but the plan should state which light does which job.
Panel or COB spotlight?
Wide LED panels give soft light directly and take up little space; they are a common choice for key and fill in news and podcast studios. COB spotlights (e.g. the Nanlite Forza, FC and FS series) are powerful point sources shaped with softboxes, Fresnel lenses or projection attachments. Most studios use both.
Colour accuracy: CRI and TLCI
CRI and TLCI show how accurately a light renders skin tones and colours on camera. Professional studio fixtures usually score above 95; for the Nanlite FS-300C, for example, the manufacturer states an average CRI of 95 and TLCI of 94. Locking every light in the studio to one colour temperature is also a method we use often in broadcast projects.
Flicker
Flicker the eye cannot see can show up on camera as banding or pulsing. It also depends on the camera’s frame rate and shutter, so test the light with your own camera at your target settings.
Bi-colour or full colour?
Bi-colour lights produce white light only, with adjustable colour temperature; they are usually enough for news, interviews and corporate shoots. Full-colour lights also do effects and coloured accents, which helps on sets, music videos and entertainment shows.
Rigging and control
Where and how lights are hung is one of the most permanent decisions in a studio. Stands and wall mounts can be enough in small rooms; large studios use a ceiling grid, rails or pantographs. Rigging should be planned around the camera angles and leave room for fixtures added later.
There are three common ways to control lights: on the fixture itself, from an app or remote (e.g. Nanlite’s NANLINK app), or from a DMX console. In studios where many lights are run from the control room, DMX 512 and stored lighting states speed up daily work.
Backdrop and set
The backdrop is part of the lighting plan. If you will use a green screen, decide early between a fixed cyclorama and a curtain; that choice drives both construction and backdrop lighting. With a real set, shiny surfaces, screens and lettering in shot can cause reflections and distraction.
Camera, sound and streaming
This guide is lighting-first, but do not leave the other layers out of the plan. Camera count and shots decide light positions; microphone placement and fan noise affect fixture choice; in live streaming the vision mixer and internet connection are part of the workflow. Write down who owns each layer from the start.
Power and safety
Total lighting load, socket and circuit capacity, cable routes and the safety of hung fixtures must be settled before installation. LED fixtures use far less energy than older lights, but if all the studio equipment shares one circuit it still needs a separate assessment. Electrical work and ceiling rigging must be done by competent people.
Example lighting lists by studio type
The table below is a starting point, not a project list. The right number and position of fixtures is set during the survey, based on room measurements and shots.
| Studio type | Lighting layers | Example products |
|---|---|---|
| Single-person YouTube / podcast | Soft key, background or accent light, optional back light | Nanlite FS-300C + softbox, Nanlite Forza 60C |
| News / TV studio | Soft broadcast panels, back and accent spots, set lights | TrueLight Pro Broadcast Soft Panel, TrueLight Pro Studio Spotlight, TrueLight Pro RGB Wall Washer |
| Green screen | Even backdrop light, separate presenter light, back light | TrueLight Ultra-Soft Studio Panel, TrueLight Pro Broadcast Soft Panel |
| Film and large sets | High-output COB spotlights, colour effects | Nanlite Forza 720B, Nanlux Evoke 600C |
7 common mistakes
- Buying equipment before measuring the space.
- Ignoring ceiling height and where fixtures will hang.
- Trying to light the backdrop and the presenter with the same light.
- Not controlling daylight from windows.
- Not testing the light with your own camera at real shooting settings.
- Leaving the power and cabling plan to the end.
- Not running a real show rehearsal at handover.
Checklist for the first meeting
- Show formats, number of people in shot and reference images you like
- A measured sketch, clear ceiling height and photos of the space
- Make and model of any equipment you want to keep
- Separate target dates for installation, testing, training and first broadcast
What to check at handover
Devices switching on is not a handover. You need to see that your real show can run on the installed system. Pick a short acceptance scenario: the presenter opens, a guest speaks, a presentation goes on screen and a recording is made. Then watch and listen to the recording.
- A rehearsal with the real show flow, plus watching and listening to the recording
- The user tries daily start-up, lighting-state selection and recording
- Equipment list, connection notes, saved lighting settings and manuals are handed over
- Open items are listed in writing with an owner and a date
Frequently asked questions
Does a studio need a minimum floor area?
There is no single minimum for every shoot. Number of people, framing, backdrop distance, light placement and walkways are assessed together; deciding on floor area alone is not reliable.
Can I keep my existing lights and cameras?
They can be assessed for compatibility. If you share the model list and the kind of shooting you expect, we will agree what can be kept during the survey.
Does this list apply to music studios?
No. The guide focuses on video, TV and broadcast studios; music recording and production studios need different acoustics and equipment.
