How to Plan a Three-Camera Studio Setup From Scratch

Most planning trouble begins when the kit is chosen before anyone has decided what the viewer will see. I always ask for the running order first, then mark every shot the programme needs: the wide of the whole set, the two-shot, the close-up on the presenter, the insert of a prop or a screen. Only once that list exists can we say how many cameras are needed and what each one is for.

For a typical talk or magazine programme, three cameras cover most requirements. One holds a locked wide, one frames the main speaker, and one is free to find the second guest or a reaction. Writing these roles down in a single line each keeps the whole team working from the same plan on the day.

If the shot list needs a fourth angle, ask whether it is essential or merely nice to have. Each extra camera adds an operator, cabling, intercom and monitoring, so it should earn its place.

• List every shot in running-order sequence
• Give each camera a single named role
• Note any shot that needs a moving camera
• Separate essential angles from optional ones

A studio on paper and a studio in person rarely match. Before specifying lenses I measure the distance from each planned camera position to the subject, the ceiling height, and the width available behind the set. These figures decide whether a standard zoom is enough or whether you need a longer reach to keep the cameras out of the shot and out of the lighting.

In smaller rooms the usual problem is working distance. Cameras end up so close to the presenter that the operator cannot pan without hitting the set, and cables cross the walkways. Pulling the set forward, or choosing a wider lens on one position, often solves it without moving a wall.

Take photographs of the room with a tape measure visible in the frame. They are surprisingly useful when you are planning in the office and need to check a doorway or a pillar.

• Measure camera-to-subject distances for each position
• Check ceiling height against lights and set pieces
• Mark doors, pillars and power points on a floor plan

Camera positions are a trade-off between the ideal angle and the practical floor. I draw the set from above and place the cameras on it, keeping the lines of sight clear of one another so no operator appears in a colleague's frame. A slight stagger in depth usually helps, with the wide at the back and the close cameras angled in from each side.

Keep the crew's routes in mind. Operators need room to move, the floor manager needs a clear path to the presenter, and cable runs should follow the edges rather than cross the main walkway. A taped line on the floor marking the pedestal travel saves a great deal of shuffling later.

Leave the presenter an eyeline that feels natural. If the main camera sits too far off to one side, the speaker will look away from the audience and the whole programme feels slightly detached.

• Draw a plan view before any equipment arrives
• Stagger cameras so none sits in another's shot
• Tape the pedestal travel and cable routes on the floor

On the day I rig the same way every time: pedestals and heads first, then cameras and lenses, then cabling, and only then power. Working in a fixed order means nothing is forgotten, and anyone on the crew can pick up where someone else stopped. Each camera gets a number that appears on the body, the cable ends and the monitor, so a fault can be traced in seconds rather than minutes.

Balance every head before the cameras are used. A badly balanced camera drifts or snaps back when released, and an operator fighting the head cannot frame a clean shot. It takes a few minutes per camera and removes most of the nervous moves that viewers notice without knowing why.

Tidy the cabling as you go. Loose loops get trodden on, and a cable caught by a pedestal wheel during a live segment is a problem nobody wants.

• Rig pedestals, heads, cameras, cables, then power
• Number each camera, cable and monitor consistently
• Balance and test every head before first use

Three cameras in a room should look like one camera cut three ways. That means matching exposure, white balance and colour response before anyone rehearses. I put a chart or a neutral grey card in front of each camera under the final lighting and adjust until the vision mixer's preview shows the same skin tone and the same black level on all three.

Check focus and zoom on the actual positions the operators will use, not just on a test target. A presenter who leans forward in the second half of the programme will move out of focus if the operator has only rehearsed the opening seated position.

Run a short rehearsal with the real cut, even if it is rough. Switching between cameras reveals mismatches that stay hidden when you look at each picture alone.

• Set exposure and white balance under the final lighting
• Use a grey card or chart on every camera
• Rehearse the cut, not just the individual shots

A well-rigged studio still depends on people. Before recording I brief each operator on their role, their first shot and the shot they should move to next, and I agree how the director will call them. Short, consistent phrases work best, and the same words should mean the same thing every time.

Set up intercom so every operator can hear the director and the floor manager, and test it with the whole crew in place. A dead channel found during rehearsal is an inconvenience; found live, it is a lost take.

Finish with a walk-through of the running order, naming the camera for each moment. Operators who know what is coming frame earlier, move more smoothly and recover faster when something changes.

• Give each operator a first shot and a next shot
• Agree short, fixed calling phrases with the director
• Test intercom with the full crew in position