BDO Australia – Compact Corporate Studio Build

Transforming a Small Office into a Professional Studio

When BDO Australia sought to establish a dedicated in-house studio for corporate photography and video production, they turned to Dragon Studio Solutions for a tailored solution. Our challenge was to convert a compact office space into a fully functional studio that met their high standards for quality and efficiency.

The Build

We designed a streamlined setup that maximised the available space while ensuring professional-grade results:

Lighting:

40B Track Lights: Installed across the ceiling to provide even illumination for the 3-roll background system.

66R LED Panels: Mounted overhead to deliver soft, consistent key lighting for subjects.

Ceiling-Mounted Fixtures: All lighting components were ceiling-mounted to maintain a clean and clutter-free environment.

Backdrop System:

3-Roll Background Setup: Enabled quick changes between different backdrops to suit various shooting needs.

Control System:

Single Switch Operation: Simplified the lighting setup process, allowing the studio to be ready for use with minimal preparation.

The Result

The completed studio is a sleek, functional space that empowers BDO Australia to produce high-quality content efficiently. By transforming a small office into a professional studio, we've helped streamline their production process and enhance their content creation capabilities.

The new studio setup looks exceptionally well-designed and ready for high-end broadcast, photography, and video production. A few standout strengths:

1. Professional Track-Mounted Lighting System

The ceiling-mounted rail system is a major asset. It keeps the space uncluttered and allows the lights to be repositioned quickly without stands on the floor. The 300-degree rotation and smooth tracking give you real flexibility for:

• Interviews

• Half-body “talking head” shots

• Tabletop product or document demonstrations

• Creative rim-light or dramatic setups

This is rare outside fully built broadcast spaces.

2. LightPro Ultra-Soft Panels

The fixtures we installed look like large, soft, high-output panels—ideal for corporate and accounting-firm settings where you want clean, flattering, low-contrast lighting.

The ultra-soft characteristic will eliminate hard shadows on faces and reduce the need for heavy diffusion. Perfect for both photography and video.

3. Dual Colour Temperature (Daylight/Tungsten)

Bi-colour capability means you can blend seamlessly with:

• Ambient office lighting

• Client-brought laptops or screens

• Exterior daylight spill

• Any creative warm/cool looks

It massively reduces the time needed to correct colour in post.

4. High TLCI (98+) and No Flicker

This is broadcast quality. TLCI above 95 means colours reproduce faithfully for cameras, and flicker-free lighting ensures:

• High-speed recording looks clean

• Zoom/Teams/live broadcast feeds remain stable

• No visible banding across sensors

This is essential for a modern corporate media department.

5. Even Background Illumination

The background roller system appears evenly lit, which is ideal for:

• Clean professional headshots

• Green screen work (if you add the green backdrop in the roller system)

• Consistent branding visuals

Just make sure to add two small background lights on the floor or ceiling corners if you need extra separation light for people.

Overall Impression

This is a very high-spec studio for a CBD office.
It’s clean, versatile, and future-proofed — capable of everything from internal comms videos to client-facing broadcast-quality content, podcasts, and stills. The track system and quality of fixtures put this well above the standard “corporate video room.”

BDO Studio Lighting Presets (Easy to Follow)

For 1-person, 2-person, and general-purpose shoots

1. Single-Presenter Setup (Interview / Talking Head)

Goal: Clean, flattering, broadcast-quality face lighting with subtle separation from background.

Positions

1. Key LightPosition: Front-left, 30–45° angle downward.
   Height: Slightly above head, angled toward face.
   Intensity: 60–75%.
   

2. Fill LightPosition: Front-right, softer angle.
   Intensity: 30–40% (half of key).
   Purpose: Reduces shadows without flattening face.
   

3. Back Light (Hair/Rim)Position: Behind subject, slightly off to one side.
   Aim: Should kiss the top of the shoulders/head.
   Intensity: 10–25% depending on hair colour and contrast needed.
   

4. Background Wash LightsTwo side lights angled toward the backdrop.
   Intensity: Enough to create even tone, no hotspots.
   

Colour Temp

• Key & Fill: 5600K (daylight) for crisp corporate look.

• Background: Can shift to 4500K to create subtle colour separation.

2. Two-Person Interview Setup (Host + Guest)

Goal: Balanced lighting that flatters both people while keeping them visually separate.

Positions

1. Dual Key LightsOne key for each person, both at 30° angles from their respective sides.
   Intensity: 55–65% each.
   

2. Shared Fill LightOne large fill panel in the centre.
   Intensity: 25–35%.
   

3. Individual Back Lights (Important)Two separate back lights aimed at each presenter.
   Avoid light spilling on the opposite person.
   Intensity: 15–25%.
   

4. Background LightsSame as single-person setup — two lights washing backdrop evenly.
   

Colour Temp

• All key/fill/back: 5600K

• Background: 5000K or slightly warmer for depth.

3. Product / Object Shooting Setup

Great for: small items, awards, financial product demos, documents

Positions

1. Overhead Ultra-Soft (Your panels are perfect)Aim directly downward for shadowless top-light.
   

2. Side Soft LightsTwo panels at 45° angles toward the product.
   Intensity: 50–60%.
   

3. Back Kick LightLow-positioned light behind product for edge separation.
   

4. Optional Bounce BoardA white board on front side brings up shadows without adding harshness.
   

Colour Temp

• 5600K for neutral corporate colour accuracy.

4. Podcast / Seated Conversation Setup

Goal: Cinematic but still professional.

Positions

1. Large Key Light Front-LeftFarther back, softer falloff.
   Intensity: 55–65%.
   

2. Medium Fill Front-RightIntensity: 25–30%.
   

3. Coloured or Warm Back Lights (Optional)Use tungsten mode (3200K) for warm rim light.
   

4. Accent Wall LightingIf the side walls are in frame, add a soft wash to create texture.
   

5. General-Use “Everything” Preset (Team Can Use Daily)

This is your automatic, go-to, zero-thinking setup.

Lights

• Front centre soft panel → 65%

• Side fill panel → 35%

• Back light → 20%

• Background wash lights → 40%

Colour Temp

• 5600K for all front lights

• 5000K background

Purpose

• Works for headshots, Zoom recordings, corporate video, LinkedIn profiles, and walk-up quick shoots.

Bonus: Quick Lighting Tips for Staff

• Never light the face directly from below (unflattering).

• Always keep the key light higher than eye level.

• More back light = cleaner separation from backdrop.

• For glasses: raise the key light higher to avoid reflections.

• When someone wears white, lower fill light to avoid overexposure.