SCENE Spring 2015

SCENE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Spring 2015 STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK For Friends and Alumni RCC Unveils State-of-theArt Digital Media Facility A new TV studio production facility gives students enriched opportunities to build their digital media skills and bolster career prospects, and places RCC among the leading institutions for digital technology in the region. “This brand-new equipment is going to revolutionize Communication/Media Arts at RCC,” said sophomore Alec Biello. “The new technology allows us to create sets just by using the software in the TriCaster. The new set-up really benefits those of us pursuing media careers.” The rollout of the state-of-the-art studio this Spring, coupled with the introduction of a 15-station Mac computer lab last Spring, takes RCC’s TV production capabilities to a “This will give students wings to explore their creative sides once they get the basic tools in hand.” next-generation level that allows students to master the digital medium. “This will give students wings to explore their creative sides once they get the basic tools in hand. Students now have an array of digital media tools to execute their projects in the studio, in the lab, for distribution on RCC-TV or on the web,” said Beth Robinson, Assistant Professor and Chair of Communication Media Arts (CMA). She and Janice Goldstein, Director of the Multimedia Production Center and RCC- Alec Biello (r) directs RCC-TV's first news broadcast with the new studio/control room equipment in the CMA department, as Rob Vajda works as technical director. TV, worked collaboratively to develop the new facility. The improvements include three HD Digital video cameras; “green screen” curtains that enable digitally superimposed set backgrounds; a NewTek TriCaster control room with virtual digital sets, capable of Internet streaming of live or pre-recorded materials; energy-efficient LED lighting; new graphics editing and teleprompter software and other enhancements. The 15-station Mac Lab, which includes a smart board and replaces a circa-1980s 4-station unit, serves as a classroom for teaching video editing and audio editing and production. Its array of cutting-edge computer software includes the Adobe Creative Suite with Premiere Pro video editing and other features, and Final Cut Pro X video editing. The compatibility of software used in video instruction ensures a smooth transition when students advance from CMA to RCCTV. CMA currently enrolls 135 students, and RCC-TV has about 15 students per semester, who produce original student programming for broadcast on TV monitors around campus. The $105,000 media facilities improvement project was underwritten primarily by a Perkins grant, augmented by funding from the College. Inside New chief for Honors Program 2 Chancellor’s Awards 4–5 Faculty of Note 6–7 Alumni Spotlight 8 Sports Hall of Fame 9 RCC’s Report Card 10 Diversity at RCC 11 SCENE | 1