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New Home for ORU's Multimedia Production Studio

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After eight years of strategically fitting into their small studio space, Don Eland and the ORU Multimedia Production Studio, better known as the MPS, have found a new home on campus. The studio, which is home to three ORU faculty and staff members, a handful of student workers, and approximately 10 computers at the time, was located in a tiny office area in the Learning Resource Center's first floor. Those who frequented the MPS were familiar with the routine of getting to the office door, which was on the back wall of an often filled presentation classroom. Sneak around students and backpacks, careful not to trip, and hope that the MPS door is unlocked. That routine and the cramped quarters, mixed with the fact that the multimedia courses were taught in already crowded computer labs was what spurred the crew on to find a new home.

After five years and consideration of 16 possible locations, the search is over for Eland and his team. Still located on the first floor of the LRC, the studio is now in an area formerly used for archive storage. The new studio has about six times the floor space of their previous home, with room for a classroom, offices and media projects room.

"For the first time, we have a classroom designed specifically for instruction of new technologies. We've always had to share a lab with students studying many different topics, but now we have a space specifically designed for the development of new technologies," said Eland, who is thrilled with the new computer lab.

Eland wanted a studio that fostered creativity and didn't look like a traditional computer lab, and that's what was created. The studio classroom is filled with halogen spotlights strung across the ceiling for artistic lighting effects, and computer desks are arranged to form spacious workstations for each student. Of course, the cutting edge Dual G5 Macintosh computer workstations that line the desks are the main focus of all who enter.

"This week they are the best machines out there," Eland said with a smile. "We'll have to see what comes along next week."

These computers were made possible through tuition funds generated by the Multimedia Summer Technologies Institute, or MTSi for short.

Don Eland in the new MPS Lab The MTSi teaches participants from high schools, universities, churches and businesses from across the U.S. and from all different educational backgrounds. Students learn how to creatively design, build and publish an interactive CD-Rom disc, using Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia's Flash and Director which are standard programs in today's media design industry. Participants are encouraged to commit early and pay a $200 non-refundable deposit to insure their spot in the MTSI.

"I don't see this as a technical curriculum but rather a creative program for entrepreneurs who want to market, teach, minister or share ideas," said Eland.

The new space for the MPS will definitely come in handy for the third summer of the MTSi, which is expanding quickly. The first class was comprised of six students, the second year 13, and the enrollment for this summer has already filled one section of 17 with another filling up fast.

"No assumptions are made about prior computer knowledge. If you can run a word processor on a computer, than you're ready for the MTSi," said Eland, though he warns, "Be ready to work hard and do your daily homework."

The new classroom studio is also used for new 3-D modeling and animation courses, which is unlike any course currently offered at ORU. A Tulsa-based media company, Creative Animations Inc., committed to help fund these new courses in order to help train qualified individuals. In turn, the CEO of the company plans to interview the students who have completed the program for possible positions at the company upon graduation.

"We've just added gaming and 3-D to our instructional mission statement because very few Christians seem to realize the potential for the third dimension in terms of learning and experiencing the real world. You can step right into a virtual world that is even more realistic than a movie theater," said Eland. "That's why video games seem addictive and that industry will make more money than all the major films produced this year".

This is why the Media Production Studio started a course using programs such as DVD Studio Pro and Lightwave 3-D. The Spring 2005 semester is the first semester that the course has been offered.

"What we're doing is difficult because the industry is so volatile. We have to relearn upgrades for a dozen major software programs, change texts and completely rewrite syllabi every year," said Eland.

The technological advances never cease, but Eland is passionate about what he does, and keeps himself well informed on all the latest industry trends. Eland knows the power and importance of what he calls "hybrid media," and will continue to teach it because he knows that it can be used for God's ministry.

"It really takes the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to know what to do and when to do it. It's God's tools," Eland said, and he's taking every stride possible to teach it with the best tools and environment available.