The Communications Department received a high-definition makeover in its studios through an ongoing grant from the John C. Hench Foundation, which allows students to practice with technology they will see in professional settings.
Initiated in May 2014, the project sprang from a long-standing friendship between Studio Director Bob Jacobs and the late Walt Disney Imagineering executive John C. Hench. Director of Instructional Technology Dave Lennie said after Hench’s death in 2005, the foundation continued donations to the television arts program in an effort to honor his memory.
The 2014 project consisted of a complete overhaul of the television arts studio, including a new digital switcher, high-definition flat-panel monitors, several HD studio cameras and other digital productions equipment.
Jacobs, who will retire in May 2015 after 23 years on the Hilltop, said this upgrade will put students at an advantage in the industry.
“The equipment will be used by television arts majors to learn how to produce modern television programs,” Jacobs said.
The high-definition studio will provide new opportunities for students to develop skills and excel in the professional setting.
Lennie said most entry-level positions for communications majors use HD equipment, and it was time to match what’s in the industry for all students to be well-prepared.
“Technology is a part of every job,” Lennie said. “Videos are like potatoes: it goes with every meal.”
