Free checklists we use on real builds

These are our real working papers. All of them, in full. No email form. No download wall. If they help you build a better room without us, good.

Is your room ready?

Do this before you call any seller, us included. Half of these answers change the gear list. Finding them late is what blows the budget.

The room itself

  • Measure the length, width and ceiling height. People forget the ceiling. It decides the lights.
  • Note every window. Can you black it out fully?
  • Note the floor. Tile and concrete need more sound work than carpet.
  • Stand in the room and clap once. If it rings, the room echoes.
  • Check what is behind each wall. A lift or a canteen will end up in your sound.
  • Check the door. Is it solid or hollow? Does it seal?

Power and services

  • Count the power points. Note which wall they are on.
  • Check if the room has backup power when the mains cut.
  • Check the air conditioning. Can you switch it off while filming? Will the room get too hot?
  • Stand in the empty room. Listen for fan and vent noise.
  • Check the internet if you want to go live, not just record.
  • Ask your facilities team which walls you may drill.

How you will use it

  • How many people will be on camera at once?
  • How often will you film? Monthly, weekly or more?
  • Who presses record? What happens when they are on leave?
  • Where does the footage go after filming? Who edits it?
  • Must the room also work for calls, town halls or interviews?
  • Will anything ever need to go out live?

What to ask any seller

Ask us too. If a seller cannot answer these simply, walk away.

About the gear

  • Can I see the full gear list, with model numbers?If a quote says "pro camera system" and not a real model name, you cannot compare it. You also cannot replace a part when it breaks.
  • Why this mic and not a cheaper one?There should be a reason based on your room. Rooms with echo need one kind of mic. Quiet, treated rooms can use another.
  • What if a camera dies while filming?Either you have a spare, or filming stops. Both are fine choices. Not thinking about it is not.

About the money

  • What is not in this price?Usually GST, freight, wiring and civil work. They should be written down, not found later.
  • Is setup priced on its own line?It should be. Then you can see what you pay for labour, instead of it hiding inside the gear price.
  • What does this quote assume about my room?Any quote made before a visit is based on guesses. Ask what they guessed, in writing.

About what happens after

  • Who trains our team, and for how long?A room nobody can use is an expensive cupboard. Sellers skip this line more than any other.
  • Do we get a written checklist?You should get one page a new person can follow, without calling anyone.
  • Who covers the warranty on each item?The maker covers the gear, not the installer. Know which is which before something breaks.

The filming day checklist

We print this and tape it inside the door. The person filming is often not the person we trained.

Before anyone arrives

  • Format cards in the camera, not on a laptop
  • Batteries in. Mains power on. UPS shows full.
  • Lights on and warm. Same colour setting on every light.
  • Cool the room early. Switch the AC off before you film.
  • All phones on silent, not vibrate

Before you press record

  • Check every mic in headphones, one at a time, while the person talks normally
  • Backup recorder on and rolling
  • Start every camera. Clap once so the files line up.
  • Check the shot with everyone sitting down, not empty chairs
  • Film a thirty second test. Then play it back.

Before you leave

  • Copy the footage to two places before you wipe a card
  • Name the files: date, show, episode, camera
  • Open both copies and check them. Do not just copy and go.
  • Batteries on charge. Cards back in the labelled case.
  • Write down anything broken or missing. Do not try to remember it.

Take these with you. Print this page or save it as a PDF. The menu and forms drop off. You get clean checklists to hand to your facilities team.

Planning a room?

Send us your room size and how you want to use it. We will tell you what it takes. Even if you build it without us.

Prefer to pick a time? Book a call directly.