Interview recording in the 45 m² suite
Two voices, two cameras, one boom. Lumeton's interview suite at Lychener Straße 47 is 45 m² and built for talks that should not look like a talk show.
Desks, foundations and in-house communication book this room when a conversation must sit still: eyelines fixed, sound quiet, picture not harsh. The suite sits behind the green room, with a north window and taupe fabric panels. Cem Kaya keeps skin in daylight colour; Maja Lehmann hangs the MKH 416 so clothing does not rustle.
You book an hour, a half day (4 hours) or a full day (8 hours). That window includes set-up, line-up and the recording itself. Styling, make-up and guest casting are not included. Rates include 19% VAT; net figures sit beside them. For a finished cut, add post-production.
Four steps in the suite
- Request with names of voices, pronouns, a rough run of show and a date window. Reply within one working day; the slot exists only after confirmation.
- A 40% deposit with the confirmation. Balance after the session; businesses net 14 days. Free cancellation until 5 calendar days before 10:00 Europe/Berlin.
- On the day: 18 m² green room, unlabelled water, toilet in the building. Session lead Anja Richter or picture Tim Schäfer. Line-up about 25 minutes inside booked time.
- Camera cards as ProRes or H.264 plus WAV. Archive 18 months. Rights in the master after payment in full; see the terms.
Who the room is for
The suite carries journalistic two-handers, expert interviews, board statements and documentary portraits. It does not carry catwalks, cooking islands or an audience. Four people on camera is the hard limit; a wider lens starts to pick up the walls. A third face in frame belongs on the talk set.
Minimum age 18. Voices aged 16 or 17 only with a parent or guardian present. Animals and haze stay outside; they load the panels and the MKH 416.
How a session runs
Guests arrive ten minutes before the booked start. The green room has a sage chair and daylight; loud laptop fans stay off because the suite is not a sound lock. Tim Schäfer sets two FX6 bodies: one axis on the questioner, one on the guest. A third camera is an add-on, €95 incl. VAT per hour (€79.83 net).
Sound runs into control on Dante and onto an analogue backup. Return earpieces exist if ordered the day before. Breaks count as booked time. If you must leave at 16:00, you book until 16:00, not until 15:45 plus wrap.
What to prepare
Clothes without tight checks or shiny satin tape; north light plus Aputure likes beige, rust, sage, charcoal. Waterproof shoes for the cobbles on Lychener Straße. Questions on paper — screens stay off because they sit in the glass. We do not print name badges; if you need them, bring matt cards without varnish.
The guide Preparing an interview lists Berlin specifics: resident parking, the eight-minute walk from U2 Eberswalder Straße, the missing loading bay.
What you leave with
Standard delivery: two picture tracks in ProRes 422 HQ or H.264 4:2:0, 25p, Rec.709. Sound as WAV 48 kHz, 24-bit, one boom track, separate wireless tracks if they were opened. No finished edit in the hourly booking. Proxies only on request, then inside booked post time.
Handover on an unlabelled drive you supply, or a download link valid seven days. The Lumeton archive lasts 18 months, then deletion. An extension is a separate rate, in writing before expiry.
Timelines, revisions, what is out
A recording-only booking has no revision rounds because there is no cut. Colour and mix packages include 2 rounds. Further rounds at €95 incl. VAT per hour. Not included: make-up, styling, transcript, captions, any location other than Lychener Straße 47, lodging, catering beyond water and unsweetened tea.
How VAT sits in the price
Published amounts are gross with 19% German VAT. Net = gross ÷ 1.19, rounded to the cent. Hourly example: €280.00 gross, €235.29 net. Invoices to EU businesses without German VAT only after we check a VAT ID; that does not change the studio day. Deposit 40% of the gross booking.
Acoustics and the courtyard
The suite faces the courtyard, not Lychener Straße. It is still an Altbau: stairwell, courtyard dogs, the M10 in the distance. We do not record while someone saws in the stair; those windows move within one working day. Loud playback belongs on the talk set, which is damped differently.
Inside an interview hour
- Use of the 45 m² suite and the 18 m² green room
- Two Sony FX6 cameras on stands with fixed axes
- MKH 416 boom, optional two wireless paths
- North window plus one shaped Aputure surface
- One team member as session lead or picture
- Drinking water and unsweetened tea
- Handover of rushes the same or next working day
- Archive 18 months
Interview recording rates
| Unit | incl. 19% VAT | excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Hour | €280.00 | €235.29 |
| Half day, 4 hours | €980.00 | €823.53 |
| Full day, 8 hours | €1,680.00 | €1,411.76 |
| Extra camera per hour | €95.00 | €79.83 |
VAT 19%. Deposit 40%. Free cancellation 5 calendar days before 10:00 Europe/Berlin. Business payment net 14 days. Details: terms.
Questions about the interview suite
Can three guests sit in frame?
Not comfortably in the suite. Four people is the on-camera limit. That job belongs on the talk set.
Is there make-up on site?
No. Make-up, styling and wardrobe are not included. The green room is 18 m².
When do the files arrive?
Rushes the same or next working day. A finished cut only through post-production, packages with 2 rounds.
Is there a lift?
The atelier is on the ground floor. The front door has a step, described in the accessibility statement.
Read Preparing an interview, all rates, terms on deposit, request a date.