Creating amazing events: Why your office needs a studio?
If you had suggested just 5 years ago that your company needed its own studio, there’s a good chance you would be greeted by some skepticism from your colleagues. Today, however, this is becoming a more common request from companies keen to stand out and keep their digital edge in a fast-moving world.
Our recent shift towards more remote and hybrid working has brought big changes in longstanding habits and traditions. Executives now think twice before getting on a flight to attend a meeting because we’ve demonstrated that we can successfully achieve the same objectives using video calls. We’re now opting for digital events and hybrid or blended events as a default, instead of inviting guests to get on a plane, train, or automobile.
And that’s a good thing; it saves time, money, and the environment.
However, the increased prominence of digital events has meant that companies are looking for ways to create the most professional, stunning experience without the costs of external agencies or rented studios.
Webinars and blended events have become a regular fixture in our agendas, and more companies are recognizing that videos are an increasingly important part of their communication portfolio. These can be used to create compelling digital stories that give your messaging a greater impact, and they can be easily shared through professional social networks like LinkedIn.
Your own studio doesn't need to take up a lot of space. As we’ll explore further, some solutions can fit in the corner of a room.
Be #1 in digital – from digital storytelling and videos to blended events and webinars
By having an in-office studio, companies can demonstrate their ‘digital first’ credentials. Employees can more easily produce the digital content they need, and use the company’s own digital assets and data to give the content added depth and impact.
Video content is becoming a popular way to communicate with consumers - as well as potential clients and partners. This is being fueled by the pervasive use of smartphones and social media. In-house advertising and promotional videos become much more accessible when you have your own, easy-to-use studio.
In addition to creating promotional content and direct communications, your studio can uplift the quality of your webinars and blended events. All too often, a webinar is undermined by grainy video quality, or clumsy presentations. When you use a professional-quality digital studio, you can create incredibly smooth and high-quality content.
If your studio is powered by the Hyro platform, you can also seamlessly deploy any digital asset you want – including digital storytelling, graphs, PowerPoints/slide presentations, or 3D content. Webinars become more engaging with custom backgrounds, and external contributors who are ‘patched-in’ as easily as any other media element.
Having your own studio gives you professional results without needing an external agency. It also energizes your office. Your colleagues get a brand new ‘toy’ that is actually a powerful business tool. You become the masters of your own content. Your office gets its ‘groove’ back.
Plus, it can cost less and take less time to set-up than you might expect.
How easy is it to install a studio at the office?
When we think of a studio, we tend to think of the massive sound stages that you would see at a Hollywood movie set. To be fair, the solutions that Purple offers are based on the same technology as being used for motion pictures – however they are made for business.
Purple has created two flagship studio concepts: The Virtual Studio, and StreamIX. Both use the same cutting-edge digital virtual studio technology, but they have different optimal use-scenarios. They also take varying amounts of time to set-up.
⏤ The StreamIX is the quickest solution to implement, and this can be up and running in about 1 to 2 weeks.
⏤ The Virtual Studio solution is larger and much more complex to set-up, taking 1 to 2 months until it is ready for your first breathtaking event.
When selecting and implementing your new studio, Purple works closely with clients at each of the following steps:
- Defining the client’s needs and use cases
It all starts with a good conversation. We sit down with clients (IRL, or virtually) and figure out what the real need is. Sometimes the right option is one that’s custom-made or has special requirements. At this stage, we work together to clearly define the scope and scale of the requirement.
- Demo with client
Try before you buy – get a real experience with us and see what you’ll be able to do with your own studio solution.
- Site visit at client site
Purple’s experts will make an appointment for a site visit. This is essential for logistics planning, and to understand the specificities of the location before a design and proposal can be made.
- Define scope (size, LED type, functionalities)
After the above steps, Purple’s engineers draw up a plan for what kind of equipment is needed for your studio solution. This is always tailored to the needs of the client, because you don’t need to buy something that you will never use. Your solution needs to completely fulfill your business needs.
- Proposal
With a clear vision of what is required, and with a detailed design, Purple provides a proposal. This details all the key data – including cost.
- Ordering equipment
Once the agreement is made, the real work begins! All the hardware is ordered and assembled, ready for rapid construction on-site.
- Installation
On the agreed day, Purple’s engineers arrive at the office and commence the installation. This can take a number of weeks, depending on the solution.
How easy is it to use a digital virtual studio?
Purple’s digital studio solutions are all easy to operate because they run on the Hyro digital storytelling platform. Hyro is designed to provide powerful capabilities, while using a simple GUI. This makes it very easy for someone to create unique and stunning experiences using a library of digital content. Want to demonstrate your point more effectively with a digital story? This is accomplished with just a few taps on a tablet (or other controlling device).
Only minimal training is needed, so every department can create professional studio-delivered digital experiences with the Hyro platform. In fact, Hyro makes it so easy that you only need one extra person to operate the entire Digital Virtual Studio – with a little preparation.
If you need digital content to get started, such as customized backgrounds or 3D content, this can be provided by Purple – but you’re free to add whatever content you want. With Hyro, you’re in control.
The fact that your digital studio becomes so accessible means that it can have the greatest impact. With such a low threshold, every single department can use it to create and deploy professional-quality digital media, and online and blended events. It’s flexible enough to use for other purposes too, so it can become part of your brand experience or offer a ‘brand activation’ experience. With a high utilization rate, your ROI is greater and is achieved much more rapidly.
What are the options for a studio at the office?
We’ve developed two flagship studio concepts at Purple, demonstrating the potential spectrum of use. In reality, each solution we deliver is always tailored to the specific needs of each client, however these solutions show what can be possible.
Virtual Studio
The Virtual Studio is Purple’s top-level digital virtual studio solution for businesses. It essentially consists of a massive LED screen and LED stage, combined with some digital wizardry from Hyro. The exact configuration and shape can be adapted to your needs.
The LED screen displays the background, and the digital virtual magic inside Hyro extends this seamlessly so there is no visible boundary.
This works in a similar way to Extended Reality (XR), by blending real people with an immersive 3D world of your own creation. Anything is possible with this technology. Additional digital elements can be added ‘virtually,’ so they are visible on the output (but not on the screen). Presenters can see themselves on screens, so they can interact with virtual contributors or gesture meaningfully at graphs or charts.
This is no ‘green screen’ affair – the LED screen behind the presenter appears as a real background, with no fuzzy outline or artifacts. You don’t need to add special after-effects as it operates in real-time, so there are no post-production costs to worry about.
The Virtual Studio offers the highest quality digital experience, and is the perfect solution for professional recording, webinars and hybrid experiences. As the space itself is quite large it can be used as a venue with a live audience. This can add a special energy that carries over to online viewers too. This solution is suitable for the most complex of applications, and the massive screen can be used for brand experiences too.
StreamIX
This solution is an ingenious entry-level studio which can fit in the corner of an office or conference room. The StreamIX uses the same technology as the Virtual Studio, but scaled down to more compact proportions.
Boring online events can become interactive and customized experiences with this professional streaming solution. With this professional yet compact setup, webinars will no longer suffer from bad lighting, questionable backgrounds, and fuzzy video quality. StreamIX can be used for blended events too, although the in-person audience may be smaller than with the Virtual Studio, depending on the capacity of the space it is installed in.
Can you use a studio for digital storytelling?
Many companies are now leveraging the power of digital storytelling to get their message across. Digital stories can be used in practically every area of a business, and with your own studio it becomes easier than ever to create and show them.
Both the Virtual Studio and StreamIX can be used as a recording studio, so employees can create stunning multimedia experiences, or just record a short video with a customized background. By empowering your staff with this incredible venue for digital storytelling, you are doing wonders for your employer brand. It sends the message that you value and trust them enough to let them loose in a recording studio – but moreover it makes it easy for them to share their experiences and contribute to the company’s growing library of media assets.
Time to step up
Your own virtual studio: it might seem like an extravagance, but not that long ago so was indoor plumbing.
Today, we expect these amenities as a basic requirement.
As we continue to use digital media in business at an ever more frequent rate, it is becoming essential for companies to be able to create this content quickly and with minimal incremental cost. Having professional-quality video recording equipment will become as much of an expectation as having electric lights, running water, and computers on every desk.
As more companies start to devote serious attention and resources to their digital offering, having your own studio will be a distinguishing feature. It gives you the ultimate control and capability to tell your story – your way.
Digital Storytelling FAQs
How much does setting up a studio cost?The cost of a digital virtual studio can be calculated based on the precise setup being installed. The StreamIX studio is a lower-cost option compared to the Virtual Studio, because it is more compact and takes much less time to set up. In addition to the setup fee, you need to pay the subscription for the software that runs the studio. You can buy setups that use on-premise software, but these are limited. We recommend using a cloud-based platform like Hyro, as this is constantly updated with new features and optimizations.
What is a digital virtual studio?A digital virtual studio has the ability to integrate special effects and backgrounds into the real-time filming. Using a professional LED screen of a defined size and dimension, the actors or presenters can stand in front of the actual background that the camera and audience sees. The difference is that the edges of the screen are digitally blended with the 360-degree ‘big picture,’ so it appears to extend seamlessly in the output video. You can ‘walk through’ an endless panorama, while actually standing in front of one large screen. The big difference with a digital virtual studio is that no greenscreen is needed – all the effects happen in real-time, and there is no post-production to worry about.
What can a video studio be used for in business?With a digital virtual video studio you can achieve many business goals, including top-quality webinars, rapid-turnaround marketing content, ads, interviews and blended events.
How do you make a good online event?A good online event is one that is engaging – this can be achieved by using the best possible recording equipment and lighting. Your event should also be customized so that it resonates with the selected audience. You own studio will come with these features included, plus you gain the ability to deploy other digital assets from your library using the Hyro platform.
