Our new studio plans
It's not a move - it's a re-jig!
The most important thing I did in 2021 was move my YouTube operation into a separate space. I’d spent two years running the Mark Ellis Reviews channel from the tiniest of back bedrooms and needed to stretch my arms a bit.
Two years isn’t a long time at all in this game. Some creators are still running very successful, large YouTube channels from their tiny bedrooms. There’s nothing wrong with doing that at all. My patience just wore very thin, very quickly.
Plus, I wanted to make a mess and leave it as a mess.
Now, it’s time to kick things up a gear. Again.
We’re not moving studios. That isn’t on the cards for the foreseeable future, although it is absolutely part of the plan as the business grows. For now, we just need to make better use of the current space, which is an absolute mess.
This is all my doing. I’ve spent the last three years filling it with stuff. Review units, filming gear, empty product boxes, and industry memorabilia have made the studio a hoarder’s paradise. For me, it works; I know where everything is and can crack on with the day’s work without ever getting frustrated. But as the business has expanded and my ambitions for it have grown, the space from which the creative endeavours flow has started to look very questionable indeed.
I’ve spoken recently about the three content tracks into which I want this business to expand. These consist of tech (the current breadwinner), music, and automotive. The latter doesn’t need any studio space because it’s all produced ‘in the field’, but the first two demand a much more organised studio for what is now a multi-person business.
I should point out that we’re not working with colossal square footage here - our plans for the studio rejig require some very clever use of the space available. This is tricky when you realise you need six areas in total. These comprise the a-roll filming desk, an overhead filming rig, a camera and review unit preparation area, a music production station, a TV setup (housing a 98-inch TV), and two desks for working. It’s going to be a tight fit.
The idea is that, once these separate areas are set up and configured properly, both Niall and I can work seamlessly from the studio, and we can realise my desire to focus solely on creating content across both tech and music. Everything will be where we both need it, and the room itself won’t get in the way of getting things done.
We’re starting the big re-jig process today, and I will, of course, document it fully on the Creator Diary YouTube channel, so it’s definitely one to keep an eye on if you’re not already subscribed to that channel!