For many live streamers or vloggers, finding the right background for your videos can be tricky. Like most of us, you’re probably not a professional audio visual producer, with a degree in interior design. That’s the beauty of platforms like YouTube. Now, you don’t have to be a pro to start and grow a successful, monetized, vlogging or live streaming production. Our company has been live streaming for about two years now, and we have been able to grow our show into something pretty cool and, well, legit. Today I want to share with you how easy it can be to make yourself “look” legit on your video productions.
Build Your Dream Set 
I myself am new to this industry, so I’m certainly not an expert. This proves however that you don’t really need to be an expert to come off as one. I was given the task to design a new set for our live streams. The virtual sets we had been using were great. However, we wanted to change things up. We wanted to create a physical, real set. A space that many of our viewers could likely create for themselves and their own live show.
How to Design a Video Background on a Budget
Some of you may be wondering, do I really need an actual set? Why can’t I just continue streaming from my bedroom or car? Well, you can, but there’s a good chance you won’t see much growth from that. Creating an official set makes you and your production look official. It shows that you are dedicated and serious about what you’re doing. That, in turn, gives you credibility. The term “Fake it til’ you make it”, wasn’t coined for nothing. It also allows you as the talent to have a designated space that you know will be available in a pinch. You can have it ready to go whenever you’re ready to film. The best part about it all, and what we discovered, is that it doesn’t have to break the bank either.
Our physical set cost around $700. That’s not including cameras and gear of course. Let me lay out for you where that money went:
1) Vinyl sticker from local sign shop- $270
2) Desk- $250 + $200 Shipping
3) Shelves from Amazon- $35
4) Decorative pieces from Amazon- $30 total
That puts us at about $785, not too bad for how well it turned out! So your budget doesn’t fit this? No problem. Remove the pricey desk, switch it for a desk you find at Goodwill, or just use a stool, and you’re good to go. That puts you back in the $300 range, and I’d say that’s pretty darn good.
Does Your Audience Connect with Your Set?
The most important part, in my opinion, is the vinyl. It creates a fun and funky backdrop that makes it look like we’re in a cool office loft space somewhere in NYC, as opposed to our board room here in Downingtown, PA. So if I had to choose one thing to spend more money on, it would be that. Another very important thing to completing your set is the accent pieces you choose.
They may seem irrelevant but they’re what pull the whole space together, and tell your audience what you’re all about. We gathered ideas from Pinterest that fit our color scheme as well as what we thought our audience can relate to. Maintaining our corporate appeal, we chose modern decorative pieces such as moss balls, faux plants, a rustic picture frame, and an antique clock. We also included some hardcore tech books, to appeal to the interests of our audience.
Conclusion:
If your audience is into Star Wars, you may want to have a Chewbacca bobblehead on your shelf, and maybe some comic books. If your audience is into makeup and fashion, set up your brushes in a fun way with some peonies in a mason jar. It’s all about making your set a place that your audience will really dig. These are the small things that add value to your videos and will gain the interest of your intended audience. Paired with excellent lighting and amazing PTZOptics cameras, your videos are on the straight and narrow for success. If you would like to learn more about how we did this, and how you can do it too, sign up for our free Udemy course on building an in-house set.
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