BTS: My Setup

I have been asked a couple of times about what my setup looks like when I am producing a puppet video, so I thought I would document it in a blog post. I will typically produce videos inside my bedroom, so anything that I use during the process has to be easily taken down or put away so that I am able to move around the room when I’m not filming. My setup is made up of these key elements: Green screen, lights, computer, webcam on a tripod, computer, TV monitor which I use during my performance, and any props that are needed during the recording.

Probably the most versatile piece of equipment in my makeshift studio is the green screen. The brand is Emart, and it is the type where the green screen extends upward out of a base and then locks into position. It kind of reminds me of an upside down movie project screen, the kind that you might see someone set up if they’re showing home movies. Well, back when home movies were shot on film.

Because I am performing with puppets, I have to lift up the base so that the top of the green screen stretches up high enough to account for my height. Previously, I was using a folding bench I had purchased from Menard’s, but as you’ll see in the pictures I’ve begun setting it on top of two trunks I use to store my puppets when I’m not suing them. The bench, which you might see at a junior soccer practice, was working fine, but it took up a lot of space and was quite unwieldly when I was working with it inside my bedroom. The green screen base is already quite long and difficult to move around. If I were to find a more permanent place to set up, or maybe if I had to travel to an external studio to shoot, I would bring the bench. But, the trunks work pretty well when I set them close to each other.

The green screen is sitting in front of the two shelves which I use to store my puppets. Then, next to the shelf is my workstation where I record and edit the videos. I used to arrange the green screen so that it sat parallel to my workstation, but I found that this made it tricky to start and stop the recordings. putting the green screen perpendicular to my computer makes it easier to start recording, and then pivot into performing with a puppet, then pivot back to stop the recording.

When I am performing, I sit on a wheeled stool which I can adjust down to its lowest level so that I am sitting low enough so that I can avoid being on camera by accident. I still need to be careful, because sometimes the very top of my head will get caught in the shot. To keep the stool mobile, I’ve laid down some strips of plastic which make it easier to scoot the stool back and forth. I will observe a third monitor, a TV actually, while I am performing. This helps me to judge how my puppet is looking in the shot and keep my head low.

I have a utility cart which stores a lot of my gear when I’m not working on a video, and I will usually set a tripod and the webcam on top of it. Since the cart has wheels, its easy to move around if I need to adjust the camera’s position.

For lighting, I usually rely on a ring light and a floor lamp. I find that my shots are a lot nicer during the day when there is more natural lighting as opposed to at night, but I will try to compensate by focusing what light I have on the subject of the video.

When I am in the midst of a production, I usually have enough space to move my puppet in all directions. I can adjust the spacing a little bit if I need something in the foreground. I do have a study desk on wheels which I can raise or lower depending on my needs. Overall, the studio is probably only big enough for one person to perform in, although my son has been a part of a couple of my videos.

I’m lucky enough to be using a pretty fast computer for the video recording and editing. My son, Josh, wished for a gaming computer as a part of his Make-a-Wish during his recovery from brain cancer, and we inherited it after he passed away. He didn’t get much of a chance to use it, so I’ve tried hard to find things to do with it. I tried playing actual video games on it, but they didn’t really hold my attention plus I’m not very good. Therefore, it has been really meaningful that I’ve been able to produce puppet videos with it, because I think that Josh would have enjoyed watching them.

Aside from wanting to keep things compact due to the limit on space in my room, I’ve also tried to keep everything portable. Almost everything that I use can be folded up and then moved to a different location. In the past, I have recorded videos both in the living room and in the kitchen, depending on what the needs were for the video.

I would eventually like to collaborate with other puppeteers on a project or two. When that happens, I would probably rent out a larger space, like the conference room at the local library, where there is enough room for two or more puppeteers plus the necessary equipment.

So, that is my setup. It isn’t perfect, and sometimes its a lot to manage, but when it all finally falls into place, and I am able to shoot some video, it works pretty well. If there was anything I would change about it, I would find a space where I could just keep everything set up so that I can just walk into the room and shoot some video when I want to. But, our house isn’t very large so there isn’t very much room to spare. Our basement is too damp and filled with spiders to keep anything down there, and our garage is too cluttered. Perhaps someday I’ll find a solution for a more permanent studio.