Studio Build FAQ — Questions Answered From Experience

Dragon Studio Solutions has completed more than 80 professional photography and video studio builds across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane — for ecommerce brands, broadcasters, schools, government departments, and content creators. These are the questions we answer every week, from businesses at every stage of the studio planning process.

Frequently asked questions

How do I build a school photography or video studio?

School studios must be student-safe, simple to operate without a technician present, and durable across multiple classes daily. All cables off the floor, ceiling-mounted pantograph lighting, single-switch or app-based DMX control, and a dual configuration — white cyclorama and green screen separated by a blackout curtain — covers photography, video, and chroma key work in one room without compromise.

Avoid fabric green screens in schools — they wrinkle immediately and are difficult to light evenly. A painted chroma key wall is significantly more durable and produces a cleaner key every time. Dragon Studio Solutions has built school studios at William Clarke College, Newington College, Knox Grammar, Somerset College, Moriah College, John Monash Science School, Caroline Chisholm College, Ashfield Boys High School, Barramurra Public School, Bulimba State School, St Rita College, and St Luke Catholic College among others.

Do I need soundproofing in my studio?

Acoustic treatment and soundproofing are different things and most studios need the former, not the latter. Acoustic treatment reduces echo and reverberation inside the room — essential for any studio producing video or audio content, and fully achievable in any space at reasonable cost. Soundproofing stops sound passing through walls and requires structural modifications: double-stud walls, mass-loaded vinyl, acoustic insulation, solid-core doors with acoustic seals, and secondary glazing on windows.

True soundproofing is expensive, requires structural work, and in most Australian leased spaces is not fully achievable. The practical approach is acoustic treatment first — it delivers the biggest improvement per dollar — combined with scheduling audio-critical recording around external noise where it is a genuine issue. Dragon Studio Solutions includes acoustic treatment as standard in all video studio builds and assesses soundproofing requirements separately based on the building type and external noise environment.

Does Dragon provide training after a studio is built?

Yes — through Dragon Education and Training (dragon.edu.au), operating from the same Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane locations as Dragon Image and Dragon Studio Solutions. Dragon Education provides specific studio operation training designed around the equipment and systems installed in your build — covering lighting operation, background and cyclorama use, camera and audio setup, and workflow for your specific use cases.

For schools, Dragon Education also provides NESA-accredited professional learning courses for teachers and student incursion and excursion workshops covering filmmaking, photography, editing, and studio production. The goal in all cases is to produce a studio that is used confidently and regularly — not a facility that sits underused because the team feels uncertain about the equipment.

What training does Dragon Education offer for schools?

Dragon Education provides NESA-accredited professional learning workshops for teachers, and hands-on creative media workshops for students from primary through senior secondary. Workshops are available as excursions to the Dragon Artarmon studio or as incursions delivered at your school.

Current offerings include Photography Fundamentals, Video and Film in Practice (a full-day hands-on filmmaking workshop for teachers with classroom-ready resources), a 1-Day Short Film Workshop for students (produce a finished 6-scene short film in one day), and Shooting Your Own Video Content for corporate teams and staff. All workshops include resources, programs, and handouts for immediate classroom use. NESA accreditation satisfies teacher maintenance of accreditation requirements.