The opening of the ITCC ushers in new possibilities for students to explore media production in spaces such as the Multimedia Editing Lab & Vocal Booth, as well as the Advanced Media Production Studio. Those spaces will allow the production of a wide range of multimedia projects. The Vocal Booth is a small “room” in the Multimedia Editing Lab that is a very quiet place to record voiceovers for video projects, radio shows and/or podcasts, as well as screencasts (narrated computer screen presentations). In fact it could even enable a music duo to record some songs. The Vocal Booth will be open to all students (as well as faculty and staff) and will be a reservable space. The Multimedia Editing Lab has 5 Apple iMac computers with higher end video and audio editing software, and includes photo scanning, video conversion, and DVD/Blu-ray burning capabilities.
The Advanced Media Production Studio will become available around the start of the Spring 2015 semester. The best way to describe this space is to call it a small television studio. However, even though it is relatively small, it will have numerous capabilities and use some very advanced equipment. There will be 3 floor cameras including a 4K capable camera. In addition there will be a “lecture capture” system that can record presentations and “introduction” videos. The studio itself is a 180 degree green screen (a cyclorama) that will enable virtual sets or other green screen effects. Shows can be recorded for further editing or can be broadcast live over the web (or Both!). Once the show has been recorded, you can simply transport the hard drive that it was recorded on and edit it further in the Multimedia Editing Lab next door.
Other spaces related to Academic Media production include the Training Room, which can be scheduled for training on basic video and audio production software as well as Photoshop. The ITCC Media Wall is a large “canvas” that can expose unique visual projects that students have completed. Students can check out basic video equipment from the Convergence Center Information Desk. Basic equipment, such as camcorders, tripods, headphones, headsets, and USB microphones, is available. Items are checked out, as one would check out books at the UMW Library, using a UMW ID card. Patrons must have a signed user agreement on file in order to check out the equipment. More information about the equipment, as well as loan out periods, is available at the ITCC Technology Equipment page.
The purpose of these new media production facilities is to enable the UMW community to produce media projects that, until now, have not been possible. If you would like to explore what’s possible, contact Andy Rush, the Coordinator of Academic Media production (arush@umw.edu or x1526)