Studio Equipment

Workspaces   Tools   Suppliers   


Budget
Supplies are an expensive but necessary investment. Try building up your collection of equipment and tools gradually. Not everyone can afford top brand software and tools that can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. It's said that scarcity breeds creativity, so don't worry if you don't have all the latest name-brand equipment that the top studios are using. Just focus on getting the basic tools you'll use.

Save money any way you can. Take advantage of discounts and used bargains, or make your own equipment. Be cautious of online deals that seem too good to be true. It generally isn't recommended to buy cheap equipment of lesser quality. Research the brand of the item by reading customer reviews.




Useful Tools of the Trade
Sketchbook    Notebook    16-32 GB Flashdrive    Backup Flashdrive    Wacom tablet    Digital Camera    Adobe Creative Cloud    Tracing Paper    Color Printer    Headphones    Personal Reference Library    Portfolio Book    Portfolio Website    Computer/Laptop    Organized Workspace    External Hard Drive    Ethernet Cable   

Suppliers: SanDisk, Corsair, Kingston, PNY, Lexar, Wacom




Graphic Designer Toolkit
Pantone Swatch Booklet    Drawing Pencils    Watercolor Pencils    Fountain Pens    Sharpie Markers    Dry Markers    Pastels    Calligraphy Tools    Letraset    T Square    Ruler    Triangles    Magazines    Desk Light    Adobe Creative Suite    Cintiq Tablet    Scanner    X-ACTO knife    Cutting Table    Airbrush    Respirator    Gouache    Vellum    Transfer Paper    Textured Paper    Inkjet Printer   

Suppliers: Pantone, Henco, Adobe, Blick, Hewlett-Packard, Eberhard Faber, Weber Costello, Sanford L.P., Strathmore, Grumbacher




Video Equipment
HD DSLR Camera    Tripod    SD Video Card    Portable Lighting Equipment    Lenses    Sound Equipment    Celluloid Film (caution: Flammable)    Clapboard    Slider    Dolly Track    Travel Kit    Lenses    Lens Filters    Green Screen    Handheld 3-Axis Camera Gimbal    Shoulder Mount

Suppliers: Nikon, Kodak, Canon, Sony, GoPro, Rode Microphones




Photography Equipment
HD Camera    Tripod    GorillaPod    SD Card    Portable Lighting Equipment    Lenses    Sound Equipment    Darkroom    Photo Emulsion    Black Granite Tile    Underwater Camera    360 Degree Camera    Drone Camera,    Darklight

Suppliers: Nikon, Kodak, Canon, Sony, Adorama, B&H Photo, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Ricoh, Olympus, Joby




Animator Toolset
Sketchbook    Scanner    Lightbox/Light Table    Acetate Cels    Non-photo blue pencils    Drawing Pencils    Pegboard    Gloves (for Inking)    Acrylic Paints    Glass plates    Mirror    Reference Library    Cintiq Tablet    Art Books    Anatomy Books    Maquettes and 3D Models    Brushpen    Exposure Sheets    Pinboard    Sticky Notes    Grease Pencil

Suppliers: Lightfoot Ltd., Cartoon Supplies, Blick, Prismacolor

DIY Light Desk




Stop-Motion Animator Tools
Wire    Epoxy    Plaster    Talcum Powder    Sillicone Rubber, Urethane, or Foam Latex    Polymer Clay    Plasticine    Milliput    Pliers    Soldering Iron    Foam    3D Printer    Tripod    Camera    Calipers    Graph Paper    Motion Control Rig    Stop-Motion Puppet Rig    Winders/Rack & Pinion Rig    Ball and Socket Armature    Hot Glue Gun    Heat Gun    Tie-downs    Animation Stage    Clay Tools    Clamps    Drill

Suppliers: Dragonframe, Smooth-On, Inc., Sculpey, Animation Supplies.net, MakerBot Industries, Animation Toolkit, Armaverse, Berkey System




Sound Studio and Recording Equipment
DAW/Audio Interface    DMX, XLR, and lots of other cables    Microphone    Closed-Back Headphones    Mic Stand    Studio Monitors    Sound Mixing Board    Channel Box    Power Conditioner    MIDI Controller    DAW Remote    Magnetic Film Strips

Suppliers: Bose, Polk Audio, Yamaha, Sennheiser, Toshiba, Dolby, KEF, Klipsch




Print and Type
Screen Printing Press    Letterpress    Cylinder Press    Rotary Press    Linotype Machine    Screw Press    Steel Engraving Tools    Composing Stick    Stamps    Punches    Dies    Matrices    Typecases    Woodworking Tools    Metalcasting Tools    Ink Roller    Sandpaper    Calligraphy Tools    Ink    Toner    Woodblocks    Intaglio Zinc Plates    Quality Printing Paper    Grid Paper    Drying Racks    Metal Corrosive Acid    Photopolymer Plates    Stationary    Foil    Embossing Tools    Heat Press    Block/Clam Press    Dip Tank    Squeegee    Cleaning Supplies    Flash Dryer    Emulsion Remover    Silk Screens

Suppliers: Heidelberger, Vandercook, Mergenthaler Linotype, Briar Press, Koenig & Bauer, Blick, Ryonet, Vastex, Antec Inc., M&R




Electronics Kit
Starter Kit    Wirecutters    Wire Strippers    Soldering Iron    Multimeter    Screwdrivers    Pliers    Disk Drive    USB    Magnifying Glass    Circuitboard    Breadboard    Motherboard    Jumper Wires    Motors    Resistors    Variable Resistors    Capacitors    Electrolytic Capacitors    Transistors    Diodes    Integrated Circuits    Inductors    Transformers    SMD    Storage Cabinet

Suppliers: Newegg, PC Part Picker, Arduino, MaKeyMaKey, AdaFruit Industries Raspberry Pi, Sparkfun, Maker Shed, L3D, Lego MindStorms




Gaming Rigs
Laptop fan    Coolant System    GPU    Gaming Mouse    Gaming Keyboard    Custom Gaming PC    Console    Controller    Web Cam    Microphone    Triple HD Monitors    Surround Sound System   

Suppliers: AMD, Nvidia, Razer, Alienware, Oculus, HTC, Steam, Newegg, PC Part Picker, Sony, Nintendo




DIY, Makeup, Cosplay, and Practical Effects Supplies
Hard Foam/Styofoam    Soft Foam    Paint    Makeup    Sewing Machine    Ventilated fabric    Chicken Wire    Cardboard    Plaster    Safety Goggles    Gloves    Ventillation Mask    Ear Protection    Clear Protective Varnish    Spray Paint

Suppliers: Goodwill, Dollar Store, Amazon, Michaels, A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts




Multimedia Supplies
LEDs    Arduino Circuits    Newspapers    Drawing Supplies    Easel    Tackboard    Cardstock    Foamboard    Legos    Magazines    String    Glowsticks    Mirrors    Transparencies    Projector    Film Splicer    Paint    Camera    Plexiglass    T-Square    Drafting Tools    Lightboard    Ruler    Triangle    Mini-lamps    Mirror    Clamps    Magnets    Mahl Stick    UV Paint

Suppliers: Golden, Amazon, Michaels, A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts




Street Art Supplies
Spray paint   Paint   X-acto Knife   Respirator   Gloves   Thin Cardboard   Markers   Mop Markers   On the Run Markers   Fun Painters   Ink   Ladder   Safety Goggles   Cutting Board   Backpack

Suppliers: Bombing Science, Art Primo, On the Run, Molotow, Oink Art Ltd., Rust-Oleum, Montana Colors, Dollar Store





James Gurney

Working from Home
Nothing beats staying home all day and not having to deal with evil bosses or obnoxious coworkers who won't stay in their designated cubicle. However, if you plan on paying the bills you still have to stay productive. A lot of people who work from home struggle with being motivated to wake up every morning at 8:00 to do the daily rounds of promoting work online, managing finances, contacting clients, and meeting set deadlines for when certain things have to be done.

Work areas should be set up to suit your style, whether it be neat and organized or cluttered with tools and inspirational stuff. Having lots of distractions around may interfere with how much time you spend working on commissions if you end up surfing the web instead. Sticking to a schedule is very important.




Sample Studio Spaces
It's difficult to get a good look inside some studio facilities since many companies have strict policies against allowing visitors into buildings during a production. There are also certain trade secrets, prototypes, and in-house software that they don't want circulating all over the internet. Apologies in advance that the quality of some of the recordings isn't so great.

50 Designers' Desks
http://creativepro.com/50-designers-desks-part-2/

Shapeways 3D Printing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTTnaI4EYnY


Walt Disney Studios doesn't normally allow tours, so this was the best set of pictures available
http://land.allears.net/blogs/lauragilbreath/2014/09/a_look_around_the_roy_e_disney.html


Pixar Studios Tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHPZMIAhpqs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXtsEhUwTmc

Dreamworks: Rise of the Guardians [Behind The Scenes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEwrN9BwKzI


The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness Trailer (2014). A glimpse at Studio Ghibli's studio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxI9WmgqWWU

Studio Pierrot Anime Weekly Production Process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdzjqOuO_Ig


ScreenRant: LAIKA
http://screenrant.com/laika-sto-motion-animation-kubo-two-strings/

Aardman Studio Tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRgTB9VS4HA


Cartoon Network
http://www.therobotsvoice.com/2014/05/cartoon_network_burbank_studio.php

Robot Chicken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=733&v=FYFzlRQpyM0


The Googleplex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9No-FiEInLA

Bethesda Game Studios
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8UmVUXpfEE

Riot Games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdvQ2jrz-Ag


Universal Studios Sound Stages and Backlots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2-z-X4Cry8

Lego Model Shop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYfskR4_HLs

Mojang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBF2ugTzXqQ

Tested: Tour of Tippet Studio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VErGD1A_iwA