The Studio Catch 22
A studio build project, when starting out or expanding to accommodate additional work and revenue, can be exciting, rewarding and (sometimes) even fun.
On the other hand, they are complex, expensive, involve many contractors and are difficult to budget with accuracy. When the time finally comes to build, the process is hugely disruptive to the business of a busy facility.
The age old catch-22 seems to be that if you’re busy enough to need more studio capacity, then you’re too busy to cost out and project manage a build. You’re almost certainly too full of projects and clients to work around the kind of long-term noise and mess which typify studio construction.
Then there’s timing. Even if the decision to invest is a no-brainer, there are only two perfect times to commission a new room: Yesterday and Tomorrow. When the additional work was far enough away to allow time to ramp up capacity, or when it’s done and paid for and there’s a narrow window of time before it all happens again.
Breaking this commercial deadlock is at the heart of an innovative new system: Smart Studio™. By dramatically simplifying the costing, design and construction of a mix room, Smart Studio removes the biggest decision-making and execution obstacles from the path to additional capacity.
What is Smart Studio™?
The brainchild of expert acoustician Jim Dunne, Smart Studio is a modular, precision-manufactured studio construction system which is assembled and finished on-site.
Being based on standardised, modular ‘building blocks’ means that studios of various sizes can be costed with ease. Once signed off and scheduled, the studio build takes place 90% off-site. Smart Studio estimate a 30% saving when compared with a traditional studio build.
This simplified process of studio costing and building boils down to three steps:
Step 1 : Budgeting
Smart Studio’s website features a cost estimator, where eight preset example room types can be costed in seconds. The result is a well-defined approximate cost, subject of course to site inspection and the necessary checks before a project can go ahead.
Step 2 : Studio Build
Once the project has been green-lit and agreed upon, the required modules are manufactured off-site – with all the noise and mess that involves – then shipped to premises in time for installation by the Smart Studio team.
Step 3 : Finishes and Room Calibration
With the shell constructed, the studio can be finished and fine-tuned acoustically and aesthetically.
This innovative approach to studio design-and-build can unlock untapped revenue where the road to expansion is blocked by the traditional practicalities. There’s more, though. Smart Studio can be deconstructed and moved to a new location.
All of which serves to make the studio build process feel much more like the (simpler and more familiar) equipment purchase process. This similarity even extends to the fact that a studio of this type can be lease-purchased over time in the same way as kit, meaning the investment in additional billable capacity doesn’t tie up much-needed capital.
For those faced with the Studio Catch 22, Smart Studio presents a fresh approach, without compromise.
Find Out More
Smart Studio have created a number of documents and a video walk-through to illustrate how the system works:
Documents – (click on each to open in new tab):
Video Walk-Through – (Click to open in YouTube in new tab)
If you are a reseller interested in representing Smart Studio in your country please contact us here
