Live From the Newsroom: Set Building 101
By Beth Lawton
 A few newspapers in the United States are taking video investments to a higher level. The Oklahoman, The Miami Herald and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram are just some of the newspapers increasing their video content by building video studios in their newsrooms, where the newspapers to produce local sports or arts and entertainment shows, shooting interviews and commentary segments and more.
Scott Horton, creative director for NewsOK, the Web site of The Oklahoman and OPUBCO, and Kathy Vetter, managing editor for multimedia at the Star-Telegram, both say having a studio can not only help the newspaper increase its video content, but it can also help increase quality of that content.
The Star-Telegram has several weekly shows throughout the year – a high school sports show during football season, political commentaries by an op-ed columnist, a sports show with that section’s columnists, an entertainment show called “Ready, Set, Go” and others.
 The Oklahoman’s video shows include morning headlines, spot news throughout the day, regular sports shows, commentaries, interviews and more produced in the newspaper’s studio. The Oklahoman, using a switcher and some strategically laid cable, has shot food segments in the company’s lunch room, as well, and shot video in the newsroom, Horton says. However, having a studio can help avoid slamming doors and other undesirable background noise, Vetter says.
One of the most recent entries onto the list of newspapers with studios is The Miami Herald, which is in the planning and contracting phases and hopes to have its studio up and running later this year.
Rick Hirsch, managing editor for multimedia and new projects for MiamiHerald.com, says a newspaper can develop public affairs programming and use its columnists for compelling video content. “In our market, there are one or two offerings that are decent local news shows,” Hirsch says. “We can do that as well or better than anybody.”
In addition, Hirsch says, he envisions a future where video is part of the information landscape, and it will be accessible through any device at any time. “We’re in this time where nobody’s exactly sure what the right answers are, but clearly video is a part of it and we’re moving into a world where all media is kind of in the same digital space.”
 Special Equipment
Constructing and equipping a studio takes time (often several months) and money for special equipment. To find out what to do, Horton and many others at The Oklahoman talked to local television videographers and producers, toured multiple studios and visited the Naples (Fla.) Daily News – one of the first newspapers with a studio. Horton documented the experience on his blog, The Slog.
Teleprompters
The Oklahoman purchased four teleprompters, The Miami Herald has one on their equipment list, and the Star-Telegram has a make-shift teleprompter running off a computer. A teleprompter lets the person on camera “look straight into the camera’s eye and be convincing that they are actually talking to the viewer,” Horton says. Used teleprompters can cost less than $1,000. New ones can cost between $2,500 and $5,000.
Switchers or Tricasters
Vetter and Horton also recommended purchasing a switcher or a TriCaster that includes a switcher. Switchers, also called vision mixers, allow a producer to switch from one camera to another during a live or recorded broadcast. Switchers can make video editing easier and faster. “We set up three cameras, and think how much more time it would take to edit three tapes,” Vetter says. For live broadcasts, the switcher can take a feed from any one (or more) cameras, making a Web cast look like the television news.
“We’re not contained in the studio itself because the switcher allows us to run video cable to anywhere in the building,” Horton says. However, switchers can be very expensive.
Vetter says her newspaper opted for a TriCaster, which includes a switcher and also handles graphics and other presentation elements. The mobile production studio cost less than $10,000.
High-Definition Cameras
Horton says The Oklahoman purchased high-definition cameras to be prepared for the future. “We decided to go high-definition because the TV industry is changing to that, and mainly for the possibility of some of our [video] making it onto broadcast segments or shows in the future.” The Oklahoman has also fed the cameras straight into an editing computer, eliminating the transfer time. Vetter said the Star-Telegram is also using high-def cameras and Hirsch said The Miami Herald will have high-def cameras in their studio, too. (For more information on cameras and peripheral equipment for non-studio use, see “Spending Money: A Guide to Purchasing Cameras and Peripherals.”)
Lights and Sets
The studio space may also have a bearing on what equipment to purchase. For example, both the Star-Telegram and The Oklahoman learned – the hard way – that newspaper video studios do not need excessively powerful lights. Vetter said her newspaper had to purchase smaller lights that did not get so hot, and Horton said his newspaper switched to fluorescent lighting system for their studios.
In addition, the square footage allotted toward a studio may affect the set itself. The Star-Telegram has a green screen in their studio, which can work well in smaller spaces where a full set is not possible. But, the screen itself takes up a bit of space. Also, using green screens requires a certain level of technological expertise to create graphics for the screen and “key out” the graphics at the appropriate times. Vetter says she would like to purchase a monitor and feed graphics to that, instead.
Designating a Space
The Oklahoman, The Miami Herald and the Star-Telegram all took over space from other newsroom departments that was not being fully utilized.
The first two studios the Oklahoman built – one for video, one for audio podcasting – were small. The newspaper built those studios on the seventh floor, where some administrators and the scanning department remained. The space originally housed the composing department.
Once the newspaper started using those studios in early 2007, Horton and others realized they could do more video with more space – and the newspaper built two more, larger studios. Those studios went into use in January of this year. The Oklahoman’s four studios take up about 1,500 square feet.
Horton says all four studios are in use regularly, and the flexibility of having a variety of spaces is beneficial.
"You don’t have to have a lot of space to get started," Horton says. "However, if you're serious about doing it, you can never have too much space. The reality is that when you start to add sets and lights and another set… you’d be surprised. Don’t be afraid of designating a large area."
“You can never have too much space. I’m not saying the [new] studio we built is too small but the reality is that when you start to add sets and lights and another set… you’d be surprised,” Horton says. “Don’t be afraid of designating a large area, but on the flip side of that, you don’t have to have a lot of space to do it.”
The Star-Telegram’s studio space is about 500 square feet in an area that had once been part of the photography department’s darkroom. Vetter said the space is smaller than she would like, but there wasn’t room elsewhere to build a studio.
Vetter says she is glad the video studio has a separate control room that houses a powerful computer, an audio board and other expensive equipment. The separate control room has helped in training people. “You can sit in there and talk about what you’re seeing and you don’t ruin the production,” Vetter says.
“You don't have to have a lot of space to get started. However, if you're serious about doing it, you can never have too much space.”
Scott Horton, creative director, NewsOK
Location may also be an important part of space considerations, Hirsch says. “We want it to be very, very easy to get to and in the collective consciousness of the newsroom.” The Miami Herald’s 875-square-foot video studio will be visible from the newsroom and close to the photography department.
Construction
Building a studio takes a significant amount of time and can be costly. Beyond equipment purchases, studios may require special electrical work, set building and more.
The Oklahoman happened to have carpenters and electricians on the newspaper’s payrolls already and did not have to hire contractors. They took about six months to build. The larger studios took another six months.
Although The Oklahoman’s video studio was to be in space that was already partially empty, the construction process included tearing down walls, removing a ceiling and moving air conditioning ducts.
The Star-Telegram’s building process was less dramatic, but construction still took about three months. The Miami Herald, which has not started actual construction, hopes to be using their studio by the end of the year.
Hirsch recommends very careful and thoughtful planning. “We wanted to do something that would allow us to add on bells and whistles over a period of time, but we wanted to be careful not to make decisions in the beginning that would box us in an prevent us from evolving.”
Staff
The Oklahoman’s studio itself employs several people, largely because of the high-amount of use the studios receive. Horton says there were about 15 people “very instrumental” in building the studio, though the number of people in the studio now full time is lower.
The Oklahoman has hired people from local television stations, a local university and other places to help set up the studio and run it. The newspaper produces multiple daily or weekly news, arts and entertainment and sports shows. (For more on The Oklahoman’s video operations, see “In Focus: The Oklahoman”).
Hirsch says The Miami Herald may need some sort of “master of technology” for their studio.
Vetter agrees. “You have to have somebody who knows the technical aspects of running a studio. Even if you can’t hire that person, go find somebody who can kind of help you,” she says. The Star-Telegram hired a person who knew how to run the lights, the audio board and the other equipment.
When building a studio, it comes down to this: “Lights, audio, don’t make your studio too small, and really consider hiring someone,” Vetter says.
First Published:
May 7, 2008 
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