Media School adds 2 new studios to Franklin Hall
The Media School is opening two new media studios for students, bringing the total number to six.
Studios 10 and 11 are the most recent additions to the growing list of Media School studio spaces within Franklin Hall and in the Radio-Television Building. These spaces give students more opportunities to engage in making their own media.
Studio 10, located in Franklin Hall room 209, will primarily be used for broadcast news purposes. It’s equipped with two broadcast cameras, a teleprompter and soundboard equipment, along with numerous props such as a broadcast desk, chairs and different standup areas. The room was previously used as a storage space.
Studio 11, located inside the Indiana Daily Student office, is a podcast space with built-in video equipment and podcasting microphones. The goal of this studio is to integrate videography with podcasting and radio capabilities.
Associate professor Galen Clavio, director of undergraduate studies, said the school plans to have students using the new studios by November.
“We’re really excited, because Studios 10 and 11 will give students the opportunity to continue to sharpen their media skills by receiving hands-on experience with professional-level equipment,” said Jay Kincaid, director of facilities and technology.
The addition of these studios will make content creation even more accessible for Media School classes and student media groups. The Media School has four other designated studio spaces that allow students to carry out activities such as single-camera film production, TV broadcasts, motion capture film and podcasting:
- Studio 5, a 2,800-square-foot film studio in the Radio-TV Building
- Studio 7, an eight-camera broadcast studio in Franklin Hall, officially known as the Ken and Audrey Beckley Studio
- Studio 8, a two-room audio podcast and radio production suite in Franklin Hall
- Studio 9, a motion-capture studio in Franklin Hall
“Anyone can tell when a story is told right in the media, and our studios are set up for great stories,” Kincaid said.
The Media School’s most frequently used studio is the Beckley Studio, Clavio said. With its robotic cameras, control room and multiple sets, the Beckley Studio emulates what students would expect to be immersed in after college as a media professional. Senior Grace Ybarra said seeing the Beckley Studio was one of the reasons she wanted to come to IU for sports broadcasting.
“Using the different spaces makes class so much fun,” she said. “It doesn’t even feel like I’m going to class.”
Media School studios are primarily used for different classes that require hands-on learning with equipment. Classes such as sports broadcasting and single-camera filmmaking rely on specialized equipment to immerse students in a professional environment.
“It was really cool to use the studio to help me figure out what type of broadcasting I wanted to do,” Ybarra said. “I could figure out if I wanted to be a host, anchor or something else during class.”
Student media organizations such as Indiana University Student Television and The Hoosier Network also utilize the studio spaces. Over time, students have been able to evolve their own media creations with the help of the spaces provided by the Media School.
Kincaid said he sees the growing demand for space like this in a university environment, and he is excited to see the student engagement and learning from what they will create.
“My vision for the studio spaces is to have them be constantly booked so students can be consistently generating meaningful content,” Clavio said.