Large windows provide a greater openness to Studio A as well as different background options for the set.

Studio A in Wallis Annenberg Hall Will Open Its Doors to Every Annenberg Student, Faculty and Staff

Wallis Annenberg Hall’s massive media center is a blend of broadcast, digital and print media platforms. Within the busy space are three new studios titled studio A, B and C. Yet, of the three workrooms, Studio A stands apart. All students, faculty and staff will be able to use Studio A because it is not designated for a specific Annenberg organization, whereas Studio C will be used by ATVN and ARN will use Studio B.
 
“It’s just more accessible,” Serena Cha said, professor of professional practice and executive director of Wallis Annenberg Hall Media Center. “What’s different about Studio A is that there won’t be as much need for technical support and there can be more frequent production.”
 
Cha explains that Studio C requires more technical experts to help students operate equipment. So what makes Studio A an ideal place for production is that the technology is less complicated and simple to use. The studio is located to the left of the main entrance of Wallis Annenberg Hall and next to the media room. There is a sense of openness as large windows expose three of its four walls.

Studio A will give Annenberg students and staff easy access to record productions with less difficulty.

“The room is better than a broadcast room in terms of experience,” Cerise Carleo said, a fifth year architect student and assistant to the director of multimedia production, Chuck Boyles. “People are always walking by and can see through the glass. So it’s something very interactive.” The studio showcases a range of technology, and among one of the most interesting features is the 360-degree rotating stage. “You can have a Good Morning America style outside background with people walking by,” Cha said. “It can also be rotated so that the media center can be displayed behind the set.”

Carleo particularly likes the versatility the new stage provides.

“It gives the room flexibility and students can basically have any background they want by slightly turning the stage,” Carleo said.

Inside, students and faculty will also find a dropdown green screen,allowing for graphics and animation to be added into programs. The anchor desk is located in the center of the room and is adorned with three bands of LED lights that can change in color to alter the feel of a show. Lastly, four large monitors and a teleprompter sit in front of the desk. Chuck Boyles, director of multimedia production, was behind designing the studio and said he wanted to combine the Good Morning America style background with the functionality of a podcast. The space, however, will go beyond the production of podcasts. Individuals who use the space will have the ability to live stream, upload productions to YouTube or other shows. Additionally, productions can be inserted into forums, radio or television, Boyles said. Later, the room will also will have Skype capabilities. Currently, Studios B and C have been given priority over the use of Studio A due to the productions of ARN and ATVN.

Furthermore, before Studio A can be used, a series of workshops and training need to be given. One will focus on teaching users to produce simple shows on their own by a desk controller. The other training will be for cameramen and directors who can assist with greater productions by managing the technology of shows as interviews take place in the studio. Once people are trained and authorized to use Studio A, they can book it for use Cha said.

“We’ve already heard that some people want to use it for webinars and others want to use it for live interviews,” Cha said. “We have many professors who have wonderful guests and want to get their speakers in there too, so we hope to do all of that.”