Filming at Home vs in a Studio: The Real Maths

We love seeing creators build their own home setup. But let’s be honest: for most business use cases, the studio wins out by the fourth shoot. This isn't an ideological debate; it's simple maths.

The true cost of a home setup

You often hear '€1,500 of gear and you're sorted'. The reality is rather more nuanced:

• 2 mirrorless cameras: €3,000
• 2 microphones + audio interface: €800
• Lighting: €600
• Acoustic treatment: €1,200
• Software + storage: €400 / year
• Setup and pack-down time: 2 hrs per shoot

Total upfront cost: around €6,000, without even factoring in an editing PC, extra SD cards, external hard drives, and the hours spent learning how to master it all. The technical learning curve alone accounts for 30 to 50 hours.

The hidden cost: your time

Equipment is only one side of the coin. For every shoot at home, factor in:

• 30 mins for setup
• 30 mins for sound and picture checks
• 30 mins to pack down and tidy away
• 1 hr sorting and transferring raw footage

That is a minimum of 2.5 hours per shoot, assuming zero technical hiccups. Over 20 shoots a year, that adds up to 50 hours spent purely on logistics. If your time is worth €100/hr, that represents a hidden cost of €5,000.

The cost of a studio

A regional studio session costs between €250 and €400. You turn up, you record, and you leave with your footage. No setup, no technical gremlins, no mental load. Technical quality is guaranteed, leaving you free to focus entirely on your content.

Perks usually included: an on-site sound engineer, multiple cameras (often 3 or 4), professional lighting, multi-format raw exports, and sometimes a basic rough cut.

The tipping point

From 12 shoots a year, a studio becomes genuinely cost-effective. Below that, shooting at home can make sense (provided you enjoy handling the technical side). Above that, the studio almost always wins out — especially once you account for the value of your time.

Exceptions exist: if your format requires a very specific visual identity (a bespoke set or physical products to showcase), a tailored home setup may still be relevant. But for 90% of business video podcasts and talking-head formats, the studio comes out ahead.

The hybrid option

Many of our clients opt for a mix: monthly studio sessions for their cornerstone content (video podcasts or long-form talking heads), paired with a lightweight home setup for short-form clips or timely, reactive videos. It is often the best of both worlds.