There it is. That’s “the studio”. People sometimes assume I must work at an actual production facility with a soundstage, recording booth, offices… maybe even a receptionist? One somewhat recent client was shocked when she called what she assumed was an office, and Mister Kipley himself answered the phone. “Wow,” she said with a giggle, “I feel like I’m talking to a celebrity.” We had a nice chuckle over that one.
Nope, no real studio, just me in my basement, a couple computers, a few instruments and microphones. I do have a section of the basement set up for green/blue screen shooting and a rack of puppets just off camera, but it’s been almost a year since I actually used a camera to make one of my videos. It’s all animation for now. Off camera is not a reception area nor greenroom, it’s the hvac unit and our water heater. Next to that is a big pile of props and costumes from my old shows. Then of course you have the laundry area. That’s pretty glamorous.
But, yeah. That’s it. That’s where I work. Simple, modest, only what’s necessary. That’s the way I plan to keep it for as long as I can. I’m very happy with this setup. I usually wake up around 5:30am, brush my teeth, make some coffee, and I’m at work by 6am. No commute, relatively few hassles. I don’t even have to change out of my pajamas if I don’t want to.
There are downsides, of course. Sometimes it’s hard to get away from work. It gets lonely. I sometimes feel isolated. But, ya know… I try to get out. I play on a hockey team. I go the gym 4x a week. I get out and do stuff with my family, occasionally meet friends for lunch and whatnot. This works for me, and I’m excited to see how far I can go from here. Onward!