BTS of Shooting in a Hotel Suite – Step by step setup

A few weeks ago we covered how to turn a small space into a video production set. Now we going to explain some of the steps we took during a shoot to turn the hotel suite we shot in into our production set.

1) Before we start moving things around, we take a picture of the room so we can get back to it later and remember where everything goes.

2)One on Location, we took a look around the suite to find the best position to start setting up. Keep in mind that we are shooting corporate interviews.

3)We thought of a few different setups such as the bar but the mirror in the background creates a reflection that our cameras might be seeing on. The TV in the back also creates a refection and is not very appealing as a background. The high chairs could work in some cases but is a bit more formal.

4) We decided to shoot in the living room, with cameras facing away from the TV and more towards the curtains as well as the corner (to create some depth).

5) Now, you can see that we have these massive windows on the side. We had a great view, but unfortunately, we would need way too many light fixtures in order to match the amount of light outside and therefore be able to see the interviewee as well as the view outside

6) As you can see we can’t see anything through the windows and of course, it doesn’t look good. This lighting setup is comfortable for the interviewee (not too bright or depending on the type of lights you are using, not too hot). Thankfully we can simply close the windows and move on to the next step.

7) We place our camera down to see what things have to move and what can stay.

8) The chair in the left corner of the photo is moved a bit to open space to some kind of arrangement. The other chair in the back is moved next to the camera; This is where the interviewer will sit. The couch is pushed back to the open space for the cameras. The coffee table in the middle is also removed to make space for our lights and traffic.

9) As the set starts to come to life, we add diffusion on our LED’s. Most of the people being interviewed are professionals and our client wanted to make sure they all look very smooth (skin) on camera. We also had a makeup artist on set to keep everyone looking good throughout the interview.

10) For the hair light, we had to get creative. We used zip ties and placed the light behind and above our subject; we tied to a poll that’s holding the curtain.

11) Just before the first interviewee showed up to the interview, we used our interviewer as a model to review framing, focus, and lighting.

12) Were ready to go, and here we can see the team during the interview. The two camera operators are next to the interviewer and more to the left of the photo we can see the makeup artist who is not only looking at the monitor on the camera but also looking at the interviewee to make sure he looks good or in case he needs a quick touch up.

At the end, we used the photo we took at the beginning to put everything back. Make sure that everything is left the way we found it. We never know whether the client is staying at the suite or the someone else within the company. In this shoot, the CEO of the company was staying in the suite. The client doesn’t always say who is staying in the room so always be respectful.