Aussies are upgrading video conferences with professional lighting, audio, and backdrops
From professional lighting rigs to dedicated microphones, Australians are going to extreme lengths to help them look and sound their best on video conferences.
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Home workers are taking their video conferences to the next level by adding professional lighting rigs, dedicated microphones and backdrops to help them look and sound their best.
It is part of a growing national trend to upgrade home offices from just a desk and chair set up that is merely functional.
Hibernation spoke to experts to get their advice on how to mimic a miniature studio that looks good on-screen too.
Social media expert Meg Coffey realised her home office was no substitute for a professional studio.
She was poorly lit — her face in shadows — and hard to hear.
The trainer immediately started hunting for ways to upgrade her new workspace and tracked down a professional light.
“I found one in a gaming store — everything else was sold out and this was something I needed sooner rather than later,” she said.
“It adds to that level of professionalism people see from me and that’s important.
“If I’m doing a consultation call, I want to come across as professional — not someone who’s just sitting on the floor of my living room.”
Ms Coffey said she spent more than she initially intended on the Elgato Key Light but the advanced device can be customised to suit the time of day and has “made such a difference” to her appearance on everything from training videos to Zoom calls.
And she’s not alone.
Telstra media general manager Steve Carey said he bought a Manfrotto light for his home office after colleagues joked that his look, as a dark silhouette, made him seem like he was trying to avoid identification.
“A couple of us in the team have bought lights now,” Mr Carey said with a laugh. “We’re vanity-ready!”
In additional to professional lights, sales of advanced webcams, dedicated microphones, intricate backdrops and green screens, and accessories to suit video calls are booming.
Try and Byte business development manager Derek Choi said the company had seen huge demand for laptop stands and docks during the pandemic, including the aluminium Rain Design mStand that holds a MacBook high above the desk and puts its webcam at eye level.
“Working from home means hours hunched over our laptops,” Mr Choi said.
“Laptop stands improve economics by raising the screen to a natural viewing height.”
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Microphones from brands including Rode, Audio-Technica and Blue have also been in high demand, with reports of some models selling out on Amazon — alongside what could normally be considered more niche products such as Nanoleaf Canvas modular lights that can be stuck, panel by panel, on to a wall and the Upright Go 2 that reminds you to sit up straight.
And the home office improvements could be useful for some time, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison nominating July as a goal date to get most Australians back into their offices.
As for Ms Coffey, she’s now considering a sound investment.
“A mic is next,” she said.
“Now that I look good, everyone is saying ‘Your audio just isn’t there’.”
Originally published as Aussies are upgrading video conferences with professional lighting, audio, and backdrops