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MMI, Com Arts Get State-of-the-Art Upgrades

By Rachel Wegner 07

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Click Photo to Enlarge The MMI Lab was recently furnished with brand-new 20-inch monitors, Macbook Pros and cutting-edge photo, audio and video editing software for each student.

Click Photo to Enlarge The audio control room received new sound paneling and a new keyboard.

When Communication Arts department and Multi-Media Institute students arrived on campus this fall, they were met with -- surprise! -- changes. Educational Television (now University Media Productions) had moved out of their offices on LRC 1, freeing up new video and audio suites for MMI and broadcast journalism students.

"This added space allows us to enhance these programs," said Dr. Even Culp, MMI director and Communication Arts professor. "Communication Arts looks forward to having a strong and ongoing relationship with [University Media Productions] in the future."

UMP is coordinated by Anna Fulbright 97, who will continue to teach Avid software to junior MMI students.

The students also have new high-definition (HD) field production video cameras, while MMI students were furnished with brand-new, cutting-edge Macbook Pro computers (courtesy of their lab fees). The MMI lab is now equipped with new 20-inch monitors that can be connected directly to the students' computers. As each MMI student graduates, said Roger Bush, assistant director of the MMI, they will be able to take their Macbook Pro with them, along with video software.

"They have the best, top-of-the-line software," Bush said, noting how excited his students are to have these new tools.

The addition of HD field production cameras eliminates the need for videotapes, as they employ a memory card that can go directly from the camera to the computer. These field cameras are used for newsgathering and film-style shooting and production.

"I've been teaching for years that we'll be tapeless someday," Bush said. "It's a big step in the right direction."

Other changes on LRC 1 include a renovation of the presentation room used by both MMI and Communication Arts. New software and hardware was also added to the TV studio and the broadcast journalism lab, including a new teleprompter, character generator and digital video effects software. There was also a reshuffling of office space, senior editing suites and audio editing facilities.