I’m a big fan of color. And good smells.
On the color front, I’ve gotten absolutely hooked on Phillips Hue lighting. Our whole studio is rigged with it. Basically, these are full-color RGB LED lightbulbs that can be controlled by your phone, Amazon Echo, or a typical light switch. Being able to switch up the mood across the whole studio with a tap is super valuable. In the mornings, it’s all about natural, bright whites to work with your body’s circadian rhythm. This keeps you energized and ready to roll. Later on in the day, I might opt for warmer tones. Often, around sunset, we get a beautiful, rich pink and purple hue coming in over the Pacific Ocean, and I like to complement that with similar tones in the studio.
Let’s talk about smells. We have several oil different diffusers around the studio here. They all have built-in RGB LED’s also, to match the Phillips Hue bulbs. These things are going 24/7. Quite the workhorses, they are! We stock up on racks and racks of different essential oils and frangrances that dial up the nostalgia. Or the energy. As I’m writing this, it’s winter. I love a good pine-y, Christmas tree scent in December, and those are on full blast. There’s a balance that needs to be struck, though. When voiceover talent or singers are recording here, scents that are too strong can trigger mild allergic reactions or cause their throats to be slightly irritated. Subtlety is key!