Houzz — the home remodelling and design platform — needed to film a week of client testimonials in Chicago. They booked Lobi Studio for the shoot.
Testimonial shoots are deceptively hard to host. You are not just renting a room with lights in it; you are managing a rotating cast of real customers who are not actors, who arrive nervous, and who have to feel comfortable enough to say something genuine on camera.
What the shoot needed
Three things, and the third is the one most studios underestimate:
- A camera-ready set that held up across five days without being rebuilt each morning
- Support spaces — a makeup room, somewhere to wait, somewhere to take a call
- Hosting. Their clients were guests, not crew. Someone had to greet them, settle them, and keep the day moving
Why a turnkey studio mattered
A shoot like this lives or dies on schedule. Every hour spent rigging lights is an hour a client is sitting in a corridor.
The studio was already equipped and ready, so the Houzz team walked into a working set rather than an empty room. Our crew handled setup and teardown alongside theirs, which kept the interview schedule intact across the week.
The makeup room did more work than anyone expected. People who have never been filmed before arrive tense. Somewhere to sit, get ready, and have a coffee before the camera turns on is the difference between a stiff answer and a real one.
How it went
The schedule held for the full week, which for a multi-day shoot with external guests is the result you want. Houzz got their interviews on time, and their clients left having had a good experience of the brand — which for a testimonial shoot is half the point.
Their team described it as working from home with better equipment. We will take that.
Who this setup suits
The same combination works for anyone filming real people rather than actors:
- Brands filming customer stories — the hosting matters as much as the gear
- Founders recording a podcast series in batches rather than one at a time
- Course creators and educators filming multiple modules across a few days
- Teams shooting product or recruitment video who need a set that stays put
Book the studio
Full equipment, a crew who knows the room, and support spaces that make guests comfortable.
See the studio, rates and booking, or talk to us about a multi-day shoot.
