This page addresses common questions for video production teams: 

SOUND 

The studio is not designed for sound recording, although there have been a handful of sync-sound productions that have successfully occured here. It has a hard floor surface (wood and marmoleum), as well as a hard ceiling surface (industrial trestle-style metal), so depending on boom microphone distance, there may be some echo. On-camera microphones are not recommended, unless you are just doing "behind-the-scenes" videos. Lavalier mics do not pose a problem. We have some sound-absorbing foam panels that you are welcome to use, or you may want to bring a couple of sound blankets, just in case. 

The building is mostly creative professional offices and quiet production studios. We do not have control over other businesses in the building making noise, but it is generally a very quiet building. Being close to a commuter train line, we experience a handful of trains at peak morning and evening rush hours (7-9 am, 5-6 pm), so try not to be doing critical sound recordings during those times, as you may have some brief train noises being picked up. The studio is on the opposite end of the two streets, so street noise is rare. If you are recording sound throughout the day, and or on a critical schedule, we recommend going for the "quiet set" option. 

The Quiet Set Charge of +50% during the weekday covers the time and inconveneince of moving our daily production to the other end of our studio environment, far away from the connecting door and wall to the studio. We also speak and walk quietly throughout the day, and forward phones to the other side. We will do a posting to the neighbors that there will be a sound recording occuring that day, and ask for their co-operation, as well as are available to deal with any sound issues throughout the day. If you do not pay the extra fee, we cannot take any extra sound-prevention measures. On weekends there is no extra charge for a quiet set, but weekends cost 50% more to begin with. 

You have your own HVAC control, so if that low level of noise or moving air currents pose a problem, you can shut it off easily. 

LIGHTING 

In Studio A, your lighting will be running off of two dedicated lighting circuits. Each one has a two circuit Pony Box, with seperate breakers for each 20 amp circuit. That means you can potentially run four traditional 2ks, eight 1traditional 1ks, or the same power-draw equivalent, without sacrificing power for the makeup area or any other parts of the studio. If you need more power, let us know, and we 'll arrange it. 

The 5k overhead lighting is Sylvania Design 50, which has a CRI of about 92-94, but is not film-grade accurate color or ballast. It is designed to visually represent daylight, for checking colors of items on set and backgrounds. It can be switched to low output halogen spot lighting instead, allowing it to not interfere with your on-set lighting. You can easily switch your traditional Halogen lights off at the pony boxes if taking a break. 

We have a number of tungsten halogen lighting systems available, including wide floods, focusable floods, large and small fresnel spots, umbrella reflectors, a gooseck micro halogen system, and Octoboxes with removable reflector panels, front scrims, and grids. Adetailed list is provided on this site, but may not be completely up-to-date, so always check with us first for your lighting or grip equipment rental needs. 

KRAFT SERVICES / CATERING 

The recommended production capacity of the studio is 15. If you have a need to comfortably accommodate for more people during a shoot, at the same time, let us know and we can create some solutions. We can arrange for auxiliary space within Studio A for an extra $75, or coordinate with Stduios B or E, to provide extra space for your production, waiting areas, or eating areas. You can arrange to use our kitchen and/or additional offic e space for a nominal charge, as well. Studio B has a microwave, bar fridge, and coffeemaker included. If you need to refridgerate or freeze a couple small things in Studio A, we can probably accommodate that in teh full-size kitchen fridge for free, as long as your access to it is minimal. 

ACCESS 

If you have a lot of gear or props to come in, we can open the back gate for you, and you can drive your truck right next to the one flight of outside stairs to the photo studio entrance. If you need to bring in huge props and furniture, please check sizing with us first, to make sure it can fit into the studio. There is no loading dock, elevator, or drive-in access.