Building the Studio or How to Get a Head Ache
By Eugine Brudno

It is necessary to say directly that life in television doesn't assist to good health and in our times especially. What equipment to buy, what to choose, what format to stop with and, the most important, where to take money for all of that... Is it possible to stay health and cheerful which such problems? I doubt it!

But especially your health can be ruined when you would what to create a new television studio or reconstruct the old one. In general television as a kind of reasonable activity is very many-sided and requires very different knowledge, or at least information. As to television studios, this element of technological process of television production especially requires knowledge of many, at the first glance, far from television things. But that is only at the first glance.

What is the goal of that article? The goal is not to teach anyone to project tele radio studios at once at simplified program. The goal is to name some problems, which everyone who seriously wants to create able to work studio is faced with. These problems are many-sided and are situated in most different fields: building, energetic, network, conditioning and ventilation, acoustic and organizational. The last is the first! The own who started to build the studio is not enough to imagine these problems, it is necessary to know ways of their coordination and it is not easy when there are different contractors.

Some terminological specifications. Word "studio" descends from Italian studio and has two meanings: "to study, to teach" and "place when study". In television it applied since there were not division on creators and technicians and was only one "Television Studio". Contemporary condition of part of television programs absolutely excludes original meaning of "Studio" word. What we see on the air cannot get under the meaning of "teach" word, but there is nothing we can do about it that is why we are going to use that word further.

So what is television studio? This is the premise where television occurs. By the way, pragmatic cinema-men call these premises filming studios. And what is television filming? This is the origin of television image and sound. And as each origin this one also has to be without defects, has to be perfect. Sometimes we are faced with origins that later happens to be not right and that leads to great shocks in our lives. All our life prompts us that the origin has to be impeccable. What happens in studio, i.e. television image and it sound accompaniment have to have "studio" quality (there is such notion), i.e. have to have quality reserve enough to maintain without parameters worsening all stages of program preparing: recording, editing, insonification, stages, and delivery to the consumer.

That is why the increased requirements are made to filming in studio and all its components and obviously transfers to the studio itself, i.e. on the premise where filming occurs. Studio is the instrument of program material creation. And most origin materials, in fact.

One more world about terminology. There is such notion as "shot". Short is an object of animate nature and abiocoen united by some general sense. Each shot may be shown by few plans, i.e. in different scale and different foreshortening (under different angles). Plan can be general, medium and close-up and foreshortening can be direct, from above, from bellow, from reverse point, diagonal, etc. Two main people in studio director and operator form or "line up" the shots, define the foreshortening and plan. They do it starting from unknown to anyone thought but very often what they do is good. That's about it with the terminology. All the rest will be viewed later.

What studios exist? Usually they are classified according to the square taken. This is the main figure. But it is better to start with program task and exactly under production of which programs are you planning to use the studio. According to such approach studios divide small forms studios, studios of social and political programs, and big forms studios. This division is very subjective. It is obvious that in the big studio any program can be filmed. But such division is necessary, i.e. creation of different assignment studios have rather big distinction. That is why main condition during forming of technical task on the studio is full clearness of targets for which achievement it is builder.

Small forms studio is usually not big studio of 40...60 m² where filming of plots with small (1...2) amount of characters that are situated in stationary position or with very little moving in the shot are conducted. Typical subjects are weather forecasts, announcer, and presenter. Such studios can be off smaller sizes up to 30 m², but operation on such squares is too complicated.

Studio of social and political programs. Subjects are "round-table" discussions, conversations, debates, etc with general participants number of 15...20 people. For such programs studio of 100...150 m² is required. And at last, big forms studio is the studio where concerts, shows, plays, TV performances, etc can be filmed. Square of such studio is 400...1000 m². Big studio is the machine with the help of which any program can be made!

I want to remind once again that this division is very subjective. No one forbids to film TV performances in the studio with 150 m². There are many examples for that, by the way, unsuccessful. Everything depends on qualification and, excuses the pathos, creative potential of director and operator.

What is common in approaches to projecting and creation of any studio? What is its necessary attributes independent on square and assignment? Common are special light system, system of providing comfort conditions in the studio. You will be faced with these factors independent on what studio do you want to create. But there distinguish feature or peculiarities, to be more exact, inherent only to big studios. These peculiarities follow form studio assignment and its realization is connected with the field of life that is called building main construction.

What are we talking about here? What happen in big studio? What is, for example, play program? This is first of all big number of people in the studio, tens and sometimes hundreds of people. This is very difficult decorations and different additional equipment. That is why when forming origin requirements to projecting of big studio it is necessary to consider the following.

Big television studio has to, first of all, be situated on the ground floor and, secondly, include except for own filming studio also following additional premises:

• foyer-store for people disposal before the filming and during breaks. Store square is nearly a half of studio square. Very tightly to that attach two circumstances that enough checkroom by volume is required and the shortest way from the building doors where the studio will be situated to its entry doors. As you don't need that crowds of invited wandered around the whole building;
• camera park. That is the premise where cameras, tripods, remote monitors and other technological equipment is store during the decoration assembly what is usually dusty, dirty, usually connected with spryer painting process etc. All that doesn't improve apparatus quality and covers don't prevent against that dust. It is better to put the techniques in camera park. Its square is 20...30 m²;
• decoration pocket. This premise has to be situated relatively close to the studio and is assigned for temporary decoration storage. It has to have big gates, not less than 4x3 m, for carrying in/out of decoration and high ceiling (4...6 m), i.e. section of decoration walls for big studios have such height. In fact, it is better to situate decoration pocket attaching to the studio and with two gates, first in studio and second to street. In that case the process of delivery and taking away of decorations becomes much easier. And if make in front of the exit gates loading footlights with telpher than all decoration riggers will be just happy: the truck drives to the footlights, with the help of telpher carry the decoration on the cart and take to the studio. Very convenient. Square of decoration pocket is 50...70 m².

When formulating origin requirements to big studio, please, do not forget about the ways of people evacuation in extraordinary situations. This is the indispensable condition of firemen. That is why it is reasonable to build studios on the first floor, it is easier to evacuate. There are examples of already built and projected big studios on top floors. In one case they had to build outside elevator with big carrying capacity, in another case it only remains to pray to God for His special blessing. And, except for evacuation complication consider difficulties with decoration delivery to the top floors. In other words, that is the case when you don't need to rush to the top.

Studio has to have not less than three exits, and they should be situated so that it was possible to use them with the maximum decoration saturation of the studio. In other words, So that they couldn't be blocked up with decorations, no meter how art director would like to that. I want to remind one more time that the project has to be adjusted with fire fighting service and requirement to different evacuation ways is they requirement.

Thinking about the future studio and art targets that should be realized in it don't forget about enough amount of rest rooms, there will lots of people during filming.

Big studio needs at least two make rooms ("M" and "F") for 4...6 work places each, costume room, warehouse of outgoing props. Of course, if you have such television complex, that everything is available somehow. But if you are building a new one, that all that should be done.

It happens, that big studio becomes surrounded with big number of back rooms and its "attachment" to the building requires special attention. If that section we don't touch technical premises. Will talk about them separately.

Of course, make-up room, costume room, warehouse of decorations and props are needed not for any studio. But big studio leads change of big number of attendant cases and procedures. Here is the simple example. You are planning filming of some company of singing and dancing. That means that musicians before filming need to check and tune their instruments and to put cases from them somewhere, dancers and singers need to "warm up". Where are they going to do that? In foyer or repetition hall as in the studio light setting is going, feverish finishing, settings, etc.

Big foyer with furniture, mirrors, space for instrument cases, etc is required. And if that will be children collective than also police escort is required o deal with all that!

Now lets talk about contemporary film studios. We mentioned the studio square many times, however the absolute figure doesn't say a thing. Ratio of the premise is very important and especially its height. Studio has to be rectangular with side ratio 2:3 or about that. Deflections are undesirable from the point of filming area organization. Square studio creates limits to the stage depth. Cameras are forcedly situated close to the filming objects. That is why to take general plan short-focus optics, which is not always comfortable and always expensive, is required. Gaunt studio is also bad as stage is limited in length and foreshortening of the cameras that are standing on different sides don't distinguish a lot. But if to place playing ground closer to the middle the opportunity to place cameras on the "reverse point", i.e. from behind. But that won't compensate the inconvenience of long and narrow studio and required volumetric decorations.

Studio height. This is the extremely important parameter. It is important as with the big height of studio you can take general plan without worrying that luminariers and other technical details will get into the picture. You can give the short "in the air"; this is very popular among good operators. Let's with the help of simple geometrical buildings and some practical admissions define the height of the studio of 600 m² with sides ratio of 2:3, i.e. with narrow part of the studio equal to 20 m. Admissions are the following:

1. the width of the object that you want to show in its glory is 10 m. That can choir, for example. In that case distance from the side walls of studio will be 5 m what is enough with consideration of studio "clothing" and light score of walls;
2. you have the objective with 60 angle. This is also quite realistic;
3. the filming object is situated on the distance of 2 m from the backdrop. It is enough to set the back lighting and "remove" the object form the backdrop;
4. you want to build the shot so that in front of objective there was 4 m of free space. Object is considered to be flat. Let's estimate this admissions on the draft. It represents to sections of studio: horizontal and vertical.

Fig. 1. Horizontal section. Point 0 - point of camera placement. ED segment - object lenght, Δ=2 m - object-to-background distance

Fig. 2. Vertical section. AB - in front of object distance which is equal to 4 m.

Let's view the horizontal section.

We are intersted in BC distance. With the help of simple geometrical estimates from the similarity of OED and OBC triangles we can find that BC = 12 m.

Let's view vertical section.

On that picture AB is the distance in front of the object that equals 4 m, h is height of the object. Let's presume that h = 2,5 m, i.e. height of the person is 1.8 m and the choir is standing on the stand of 0.7 m height. Accordingly the camera is situated on the level of choristers' faces. Let's presume that angle of objective viewing re equal vertically and horizontally. This is quite appropriate admission. Then DE = BC from the previous draft and height is H = 0,5·DE + h = 6 + 2,5 = 8,5 m.

We've gotten the upper point of the backdrop that enters the shot. That means that backdrops fastening if we don't want to see it in the shot has to be situated upper!

From what is the real studio height combined? Let's start from the lower plane of its overlapping. The overlapping leans against girders or against girth rail beams. In any case it is 0.3...0.4 m. Below girth rails technological ceiling is situated, it is the totality of metal constructions on which brackets of luminariers, blocks of rope wires, etc. From the lower plane of girth rails it is situated in 0.7...1.0 m. This gap is needed to situate airway boxes of ventilation system. And at last, brackets of luminariers. In lifted condition they have length of 0.5...1 m. We don't consider facilities themselves. It happens that on all building and technical parts in lower studio height reserve has to be 0,35 m + 0,85 m + 0,75 m = 1,95 m. Add found earlier 8,5 m, and we'll get that studio of 600 m² needs the height of about 11 m. That is rather relative to what already built studios have.

What is important among our reasoning? The circumstance that during definition of any studio height there exist constant compound that is technical ceiling and constructive elements of luminariers suspension. It is hard to situate them in a space less than a meter. For big studios it is not very important, as there it is always possible to "run over" by the camera a little, take another optics, change the plan a little bit, however in small studios that becomes a sticking point. Especially now when studios usually adapt to premises with heights according to living standards 2.5...3.2 m. Think yourself: with build ceiling height of 3 m optical axle of luminarier will be situated on the height of 2...2.2 m. To set the light on the object so that facilities didn't get into the shot is very complicated task and it is impossible to make all of the light by floor facilities.

Conclusion is when thinking where to situate the studio choosing the heighest premises.

Any studio has to have good floors. When I got to the VGIK (Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S.Gerasimov) filming studio I was shocked that the board floor had the condition of village shed floor at careless owner. To my question cinema-men answered: we film from rail trolley. They can allow that as they have objectives with focused distance and film with one camera.

Over at us everything is different. There are many cameras and objectives-zoom lens. We drive cameras around the studio a lot and sometimes moving camera work on air or on recording only moving. By the way, many operators think that "running over/driving off" made by zoom lens and done by camera moving differs in image relation.

Main requirements to the floor are:

• absence of noticeable deformation with loading of up to 60 kg/cm² and residual deformation not over 2 mm when big loading;
• not accessivness of local floor imperfections of 2 mm when survey of floor slickness with lath of 3 m length;
• absence of creak while people and equipment moving around the floor.

There are some more requirements that are also important, but these are the main ones.

Nature of these requirements is absolutely cleat, there mustn't appear holes from the standing objects on the floor surface, the floor mustn't be like cobblestone road, and there mustn't appear surplus sounds in the studio during any moving on the floor.

How are studio floors made? Differently. Good floor costs a lot but serves for a long time. For example, on Shabalovka in 600 m² studio floor base are larchbeams settled on the side and covered with elastic covering from the top. The latter is the necessary floor element, which provides soundless of movings and takes part in acoustic studio working as noise absorbing material.

This elastic covering is usually applied (poured) on concrete buckle. All imperfections and defects of that buckle are repeated with elastic layer. That is why requirements to the buckle in its slickness totally repeats floor requirements. It is important in the practice of works, i.e. buckle is done by one building organization, floor pouring by other specialized contractors and customer founds himself among them.

As elastic covering at present different materials of foreign origin are used. Usually this is the two-layer covering: a layer of roll plastic like spongy rubber, but only like, on which elastomer is poured in direct sense. It creates the upper covering. When choosing covering it is useful to look through its samples, i.e. there are structures that give different firmness of the upper layer. After polymerization the cover turn out to be glossy, but this gloss washes out very fast and floor becomes dim.

Very important system, which provides studio working capacity, is ventilation system. It includes two systems: air conditioning and ventilation. By the way, these systems also work as smoke removable systems during (God forbid!) fire. This is one more common ground with state fire inspection during projecting. If studio is new created then it is reasonable to order projecting and creating of these systems to organization, which have corresponding experience.

Basic data for projecting are: studio content, heat-evolution power of settled studio equipment (luminary, sound, video) and biggest amount of people in the studio; diapason of working temperatures and humidity and admission acoustic noises from system operation. Besides, it is necessary to discuss distribution of blowing holes and air-ejectors and maximum heights of airways. The latter is necessary starting from mentioned thoughts about studio height.

Blowing holes and air-ejectors are better to be situated on the ceiling. The think is following. It is possible to situate them on walls, but in that case these holes has to be situates upper top edge of studio "clothing" (backdrop). Otherwise, at first, backdrop will re-cover these holes and, secondly, backdrop will constantly sway under the pressure of airflow. First is undesirable as useful studio height decreases and second doesn't need comments.

During projecting conditioning studio system it is necessary to foresee opportunities for shutting down of that system independent from the entire building conditioning system. Why? For example, during filming you need fake smoke. With good conditioning system the entire smoke will literally flow into pipe. That means that it is necessary to shut down conditioning system for a while without making people in other rooms of the building to suffer.

The most complicated requirement to the conditioning system is requirement of small acoustic noises. Standards of noises of these systems are for 5 dB smaller than admissible levels of total pressure from all sound noises. For example, at the frequency of 1000 Hz summary pressure has to be lower than 15 dB. This is very little and it is highly difficult to do that. But it is necessary to do that.

In few parts of this article we mentioned such things as studio "clothing", backdrop, decoration, lathe. Now let's define what are we talking about. Decorations and lathes appear later when studio is already put in commission but to suspend a backdrop in is necessary to strain a studio "clothing", it is necessary to build according mechanisms and devices in the studio. We are going to talk about them now.

So, studio mechanization. By the way, this question is very tightly connected with special luminary system, as mechanization facilities might organically enter that system or not. But everything as to be one after another. Studio "clothing" is a constant cloth curtains almost along the entire studio perimeter. This is not quite backdrop, i.e. the latter can be the element of concrete decoration of concrete scenes or program. Studio "clothing" is always present in it and is a telltale background, on which it is possible to film without any additional backdrops. Usually studio "clothing" consists of 2...3 curtains of white, black and blue colors for electron reproduction (chromax). What is required from studio "clothing"? The as from usual clothing, that it hidden, was easy to put on and off. For that purpose by the working perimeter of the studio with distance from walls of 60...80 cm on the maximum possible height so called "road" is set. This is the rail way with two-three (depending on the amount of constant clothes) tracks and with rounded corners. Each track has two grooves by which carriages with hooks are rolled on bearings. To the hooks studio "clothing" is suspended. This highly reminds of domestic cornice for curtain suspension. Such construction allows to suspend new backdrops very fast and already suspended can be easily moved there, where they are needed for the filming. Lower part of backdrops is either free and backdrop creates vertical pleat or tightened by the cast-iron weights and wood beams and then backdrop stretches.

To studio mechanization relay so-called brackets, which are horizontal tubes with length of few meters, situated in different studio axes in its different places. These brackets are suspended on the ropes and can be lifted and lowered with the help of winches. Brackets serve for suspension of different decoration elements and luminariers. Winches are situated in easy accessible places of the studio close to floor and ropes from them through the block system go to brackets. Blocks should be fastened either to overhead covers or to crosstops, or to technological ceiling that has to allow such weight loading. To blocks and ropes easy access should be provided for precautions and repairs. This is important, i.e. any systems correspond to cargo carrying mechanisms, which specialized service.

Access to ceiling systems in big studios with big heights is done in different ways. With height of 4...6 m studio is equipped with removable telescopic tower-rook or easy-cramp removable false works. In studios with bigger height one-two circles of balconies around the studio on the walls and covering the studio in width removable bridges are done. But that is only in very big studios. Creating the studio it is necessary just always remembering how to provide equipment service on the height. It is not accidentally that to the works on height in the rules of safety measures big attention is paid.

Next problem, right decision of which is very important to make is the problem of studio acoustics. It consists of two parts: providing of right level of parasitic noises in the studio and acoustic setting of the studio.

Approaches to the solution of the first one are directly in the building part of the project. And these approaches are different for the case of new building and adaptation of some premises to the studio.

In case of building "from the zero" and with full sureness that the origin scale will be recorded in the studio, i.e. sound requirements are the highest it is reasonable to build the studio by the "box in a box" principle. The idea is clear and the result usually turns out to be good, however that is an extremely expensive variant. However in Television Broadcasting Center even studios with 1000 m² squares are build exactly like that.

In any case when new building it is necessary to foresee the following:

• to situate the studio in premises with sources of acoustic noises (cooling machines and ventilators, powerful power transformer; workshops with lathes, rehearsal rooms, etc.) as far from studio as possible;
• to set all listed machines and mechanisms on vibrated bases for decrease of construction noises level;
• all entries of metallic conduit entering the studio (armature for cables, fire-fitting or transit systems) are part with acoustic flyover of silphon type (crimped insets);
• if the building has metallic frame construction, then frame elements, situated inside of studio has to have reliable acoustic insulation;
• requirements to conditioning system from noises point of view are name above;
• during devices of special lightning choosing it is necessary to apply not only the ones that are working noiseless;
• all doors and gates of studio have to have vestibules with acoustic insulation. Door and gate blades have to be multi-layer, made from soundproof materials. Doors have to be double and have tambours with depth equal to the width of doorway plus 0.5 m. And, of course, bars for doors and gates have to provide reliable adjacency to vestibules;
• besides all stairs in studio has to have steps covered with antiskid sound-proof material. And it is not necessary to remind that all metal constructions and all studio equipment mustn't have parasite resonances like bounce in all frequency diapasons and sound levels;
• floor requirements where named above.

The reason for acoustic studio setting is following. Studio, as any volume, where sound floctuations are distributed has own frequency characteristic and as that volume is not finished so it has its reverberation time. For receiving of quality voice and musical instruments sound in studio its frequency characteristic has to be equal in all the diapason with admissible smooth slump on 20 % for frequencies below 250 Hz. And reverberation time varies depending of studio assignment in 0.3...0.9 sec limits.

Studio of "Khabar" TV channel (Kazakhstan)

How is that achieved? By acoustic studio setting, i.e. by selection of materials with different sound absorption ratios, selection of their distribution on walls and ceiling and selection of squares of these materials. Unfortunately, that work is usually done after building studio readiness. It is unfortunate because as a result of acoustic measuring it might turn out that some building changes are required. It is necessary to be prepared to that. Interesting decision for studio frequency characteristic regulation and revibrating time in it is applied in 600 m² studio on Shabolovka. In that studio all walls are covered with sheet material with medium absorption factor and on the balcony levels made a belt of 180 ° opening shields under which material with very big absorption factor of sound fluctuations is situated. The idea is clear: studio can be operatively re-built. To change amplitude frequency characteristic as well as echo. But I don't remember that during last 30 years in was needed at least once.

Now about studios that are created in already existing, usually very accidental premises. It is easy to see that in that case it is difficult to talk about fundamental building. It has to adapt. So, for example, if there are windows and it is impossible to heap them due to architectural reasons then it is necessary to put tree-layer vacuum glass packs. They quite good isolate from street noises. Walls will have to be subjected to serious adaptation by building up by lathing from wood beams soundproof materials. It is funny but very effective to use cardboard cells from eggs. They have very high soundproof and provide sound radiosity from walls what promote leveling of frequency characteristic. And they look rather decently.

Floor in adapting under studio premise can be covered with antistatic roll plastic or carpeting. However with the latter there will be dust problems: it is necessary to vacuum it every day. If there is an opportunity it is necessary to condense doors and make tambours. In other words, it is important to know what is necessary and ways to achieve the target can be different.

As there are big amount of different equipment in studio big amount of different power as well as feeble current communications is required. General rules are:

• power and feeble current (sound, video, etc) communications has to be spread and cross at right angles. With that you insurance yourself against foiling;
• all communication has to be lead in spiral wrap hoses or in metallic tubes. It is natural, that tube packing has to have drawn-out boxes for cable dragging. Tube butt-ends mustn't have burrs to not to damage cable isolation. Bend of tube packing has to correspond to admissible radios of bend of applied cable;
• each cable, entering the studio has to end with cutoff point. It is accepted and fully proven by practice that all technological cables and their cutoff points are grouped in so-called "wall boxes". Usually that is standard metal box cut into the wall, on the front panel of which are set cutoff points of camera cables, video cables, sound, phone and flow lines. There can be few such cases depending on studio size. That is connected with desire to shorten cables that stretch from wall boxes to equipment and are in everyone's way as much as possible at first, and simplify packing of these cables with different studio decoration saturation is second. Usually that corresponds to microphone lines, which are lead out on few wall boxes set on different studio walls. But it is also reasonable to part other technological communications as well except for camera cables: the latter is rather expensive however it is quite possible.

In our time almost any program filmed in studio requires big amount of additional equipment and flow line. That is why when making starting requirements think over all possible program "things" very thoroughly, count line amount and ... double them. That will be just enough. As to lead any additional line in studio is very problematic: everything is already laid, dragged into tubes, packed in plaits, parted into cutoff points... It is better to "keep vigil" and pack with reserve.

As anyway earlier or later you will have to get into cable packing (what a life!) and it is not aesthetically beautiful to keep all these tubes and boxes on eyes, foresee so-called studio panel/ What is that? This is the lower part of the wall to 1...1,2 m height decorated as a lug along the entire wall of 12...15 cm width. In front, i.e. from studio side this lug can be covered with removable decorative panels. Exactly in this lug all tubes with cables pass and drawling boxes are set. Exactly in that lug wall boxes are situated and their front panels are situated on the level of decorative panels. Hatches for connection of floor luminariers are situated in the same way. All that is very practical and looks good.

Fig. 3. Scheme of how luminance requirements impacts other parameters of the studio

None television studio deals without lighting equipment, however viewing of special light systems does enter frames of that article. This is quite separate theme. But again I want to pay your attention: in case of studio creating there is no absolutely separate themes. Everything is connected and connected rather tightly. Look, for example, what special lightning leads with it. Let's show that in a kind of some technological chain from which it is seen to what value of just one parameter leads to: of total studio lightning.

We examined some questions that the one who wants to create or rebuild TV studio is faced with rather fluently. Depending on program tasks and, especially, from money availability total weight of each one of these questions is different. It is important just to understand that none of these questions can be skipped. Studio creation is complex problem.

TV studio is a kind of television symbol, and if the reader will forgive me, its altar. Any one who at least once entered the studio remembers that for a long time.

Just now you were in a usual premise but the door opens and you are in the space full of light, filled with action: space where something is born. And even when it is dark and quiet in the studio anyway in that coolness something is stored what makes you implicated to creative mystery. Studio is a holiday and let's make that holiday qualitative!

Especially detailed readers we send to two documents, where all information about studios and broadcasting is situated:

• "Departmental standards of technological projecting of television, broadcasting and TV movie production ANTP-01-81". State TV radio USSR, 1982;
• "Recommendations of projecting of new, reconstruction and widening of existing broadcast television complexes of television and broadcasting RR-01-93". RTBC "Ostankino". 1993.

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