Salon or Rented Studio Space: Where Is The Best Place To Shoot Your Next Course?
Are you thinking of creating a new online training course but not sure about the best place to shoot?
If you said yes, keep reading and see if we can help you with your shooting location decisions.
Deciding where to film your hair styling or hair extension training course is a crucial step in creating a polished and engaging final product. The location sets the tone and can impact everything from the authenticity of the brand to the overall quality of the video. Whether you’re considering shooting in your own salon or renting out a studio space, each option comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. In this post, we’ll break down the pros and cons of both locations to help you choose the perfect setting for your training course."
Lets take a look at a few pros and cons of shooting at both a salon and a rented studio space.
Shooting in a Salon Space
Pros:
Authentic Branding: If you are fortunate enough to either own a salon or have access to shoot in one, this can be a great way to show the brand's unique style, giving your course a more genuine, branded feel that students can connect with.
Real World Feel: Your students will get to see installs and styling at a salon station, giving them a real world setting and visual idea for what its like to work in a salon space, making the content more relatable and inspiring.
Cost Efficiency: If do you already own a space, you can save money on rental and logistical costs, and save time not having to recreate a "salon space" look to shoot in. Everything is there in its place ready to go.
Cons:
Disruptions: The salon’s regular operations may interrupt filming, causing delays or noise issues. Planning around regular salon hours can also be tough on planning.
Mirrors Can Be Tricky: Salons are usually filled with mirrors, which can make filming challenging. The camera crew has to be extra cautious with reflections to avoid showing equipment, crew members, or unwanted angles in the shot. This can limit the range of camera positions and angles, making certain shots harder to achieve and add to set up time planning all angles for all the different stages of the install and styling.
Space & Lighting Challenges: Depending on the salon’s layout, you may have limited room for camera angles, lighting setups, crew and gear staging. Salons aren’t always equipped with the best lighting for filming. So unless you're on a really tight budget, you should plan an extra 3-4hrs of set-up time to get lighting for talent dialed in.
Shooting in a Rented Studio Space
Pros:
Full Creative Control: You can customize the studio to match the brand's look and feel without any limitations from existing decor or layout. You can keep it as simple as you want or you can recreate any space and look you want based on your budget. As far as spaces are concerned, there are usually plenty of options to choose from. Some spaces have nice windows and brick or block walls to add to the aesthetics or you can choose to shoot on a white cyc and create a simple set-up.
Uninterrupted Filming: There are no distractions from regular salon hours, clients, or any other disruptions. Depending on where you book your space and for how long, you may be able to have longer access throughout the day for your shoot.
Flexible Space: Studios often have more room for setting up cameras, lighting, and different scene arrangements. There are usually plenty of dedicated staging, HMU and lounge areas making it easier to do multiple things at once without distracting talent and crew if they're in the middle of a shoot.
Cons:
Additional Costs: Renting a studio space adds to the overall production budget, which can impact the profitability of the project. Finding the right space can also take more time (equalling more money)in pre-production. There are plen
Need for Set Design: Unless you're planning on a very basic set up, i.e. just a chair and a caddy / table top for your styling / install tools, you’ll need to invest extra time and money into recreating a salon-like setting, which may still not feel as natural as the real thing.
Logistical Planning: Transporting any props, equipment, and team members to a separate location can be time-consuming and require more planning. If you are planning on a more realistic set, a detailed layout with design should be drawn / written out and worked through multiple times before setup / shoot day. This alone could take a few hours along side lighting and camera set-up. I typically plan a separate lighting / set-up day for longer and more in-depth shoots.
Choosing between filming in a salon space or a rented studio really depends on your specific goals, budget, and the vibe you want to create. Both options offer unique benefits, but understanding the limitations and advantages will help you make an informed decision. Whether you prioritize authenticity or creative control, the right location can elevate your training course and ensure it resonates with your audience. Now that you have a better idea of some of the pros and cons, you're ready to pick the best setting for your next video shoot.
P.S.
From what I recall, this shoot in the salon was quite tricky with the layout, size, and mirrors in this salon. Normally I would try to shoot looking down all the salon stations, but we kept coming up against different issues for this shoot. Also, they wanted to demonstrate how they use the mirror for checking hair length from one side to the other. So, its not as fair of a visual comparison for the 2 different shooting environments.
