Name: James Zhan

Location: Toronto, Canada

Occupation: Videographer, video editor, and audio engineer

Room size: 12 m² (130 ft²)

Cost of setup: ~$12.2K

Social media: Tech Review YT Channel, Motion Graphics YT Channel, X

Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself

I’ve been working in digital media since 2015, before I turned 20.

From 2015 to mid-2023, I worked as a metal audio engineer, mixing and mastering records for metal bands around the world.

I also had my stint in portrait photography.

And since 2023, I’ve been working full-time as a videographer and video editor.

A person sitting on an Anthros Chair, working at a desk setup with an M1 Max MacBook Pro and a BenQ EW2780U monitor, surrounded by tech accessories like Adam A5X speakers and a Belkin 2-in-1 charging dock

Like many, I started a YouTube channel in 2020 as the pandemic began.

I bought Final Cut Pro (FCP) to edit my videos after hearing how fast it runs on Mac.

I ended up loving it so much that, in 2023, I switched careers from audio to video production.

By some extreme luck, I landed a full-time position at the University of Toronto, where I get to create and edit the exact kind of videos I enjoy making for my YouTube channel — talking-head educational videos with motion graphics.

Yup, I’m one of those people who annoyingly tells everyone how much I love my job.

Take us through your setup

My workspace is in a dedicated studio at home.

It was treated with acoustic panels to achieve near sonic perfection (see the graph below) for audio mixing and mastering work, and it was designed with decor specifically for filming videos for my YouTube channel.

A frequency response graph displaying SPL (Sound Pressure Level) on the Y-axis and frequency (in Hz) on the X-axis
Frequency response graph of James’ studio

The single most important goal I had in mind when creating this setup was proper ergonomics and long-term comfort.

As someone who spends over 12 hours a day at my desk, I knew I needed to take care of my body while I was still young and healthy.

Almost every item in my setup is purposefully chosen with ergonomics in mind.

A desk setup with an Anthros Chair, a BenQ EW2780U monitor with a Quintis ScreenLinear Light Bar, an M1 Max MacBook Pro, and a Keychron Q12 Max keyboard

My desk is the Flexispot E7 standing desk.

I bought it because it can go as low as 23.8 inches with the desktop.

This allows me, a 5′7″ person, to have my shoulders fully relaxed and my elbows at a 90º angle while also keeping my feet on the floor, which is important for good ergonomics.

A person sitting on an Anthros Chair at a desk, using a BenQ EW2780U monitor with a Quintis ScreenLinear Light Bar, an M1 Max MacBook Pro, and a Stream Deck Classic

This is my first standing desk, and I wish I had gotten one sooner.

The ability to easily switch between sitting and standing encourages me to move more throughout the day.

The ergonomic chair I use is the Anthros chair.

A close-up of a person sitting on an Anthros Chair at a Flexispot standing desk

I previously used a Steelcase Leap V2 and a Herman Miller Aeron, but both had flaws that made them uncomfortable after long sitting sessions.

I love the Anthros chair because I can customise the back support, and the sit-bone cutouts on the seat let me sit comfortably for long periods.

A top-down view of a Keychron Q12 Max mechanical keyboard with a wrist rest on a DeltaHub felt desk mat

Even though I’m right-handed, I use a keyboard with a southpaw layout, where the numpad is on the left.

This keeps my right hand close to my torso when using the mouse while still giving me convenient access to the numpad keys.

To avoid the risk of developing carpal tunnel, I switched from a traditional mouse to a thumb-operated trackball ten months ago.

I prefer it because I no longer have to move my hand or wrist to control the cursor, nor do I need to leave extra space for the mouse.

A close-up of a ProtoArc EM01 trackball mouse placed on a DeltaHub felt desk mat, with part of a Keychron Q12 Max keyboard and a Stream Deck visible in the background

My main display is mounted on a gas spring monitor arm, making it easy to reposition as I adjust my recline or switch between sitting and standing.

My next upgrade will likely be swapping out my budget BenQ monitor for the Apple Studio Display.

For tasks that require colour accuracy, like photo editing and colour grading, I’ve been using my MacBook Pro’s built-in XDR display. However, it’s rather small and positioned off to the side, so having the Apple Studio Display as my main screen would be a great improvement.