After fifteen months of the world being extremely online, screen fatigue is real. Although cities are opening and live events are beginning to re-enter the scene, personal comfort levels, venue restrictions and all around accessibility limitations mean that livestreams and webinars will remain an integral part of event programming for the foreseeable future. So how can event marketers keep at-home audiences excited and engaged? Incorporating quality production value and thoughtful design elements — including virtual stages — are key.

Studio Sage recently hosted a group of spatial designers, graphic designers and producers from our sister division, Agency EA, for a day of creative workshops in our green screen studio. Below are some tips and tricks on virtual stage production that the teams learned along the way. 

SPATIAL

Build some depth: For an elevated look, try having elements from the background interact with the foreground to give the illusion of depth with someone in the green screen studio.

Create cohesiveness: Have a presenter in the green screen studio interact with flat graphics.

Incorporate physical elements: Consider props and what can be put in the scene versus used live (just be sure to avoid reflective surfaces).

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Colors + patterns do’s and don’ts: Avoid using green in any design elements and stay away from green and/or striped clothing to avoid moire effect. If you’re still not sure what will and won’t work, check out our complete guide for what to wear on screen.

Trick the eye: Create an animated green screen background with someone in the green screen studio mimicking the movement to give the illusion of camera tracking.

Avoid load errors: Make sure everything is exported at the same resolution.

PRODUCTION

Plan ahead: Storyboard possible visuals so you have a plan once you get into the studio, and think about the post-production workflow and whether it makes more sense to record certain content up front in the studio, or incorporate it post.

Be realistic with your resources: The creative possibilities are almost endless, but you have to take the timeline and staff hours into consideration when making creative decisions. Ideas that are more robust may require testing time in the studio to get it right before recording.

Communication is key: Make sure everyone in the studio is up to speed on what the project is and what the content looks like so it’s easier to make creative decisions on the fly.

Want to learn more about Studio Sage’s green screen and other capabilities? Get in touch.