APPLY TO MESSIAH

Ready, Set, Action: Getting to Know Messiah’s Film and Media Production Studio

Ready, Set, Action: Getting to Know Messiah’s Film and Media Production Studio

Molly Martin ‘19

Students in front of television screens and a control panel in the studio.

One of the best-kept secrets of Messiah College, a private Christian college in Pennsylvania, is the state-of-the-art Hostetter Production Studio, nestled in the basement of Hostetter Chapel. Students in film and media arts, broadcasting and media production, journalism, digital media, communication and public relations utilize the space. Film and media arts is one of the 15 new programs added at Messiah since 2011. The program is fully accredited by NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art and Design) and is one of the only CCCU (Council for Christian College and Universities) programs of its type.

The Studio 

The 1,740 square-foot production studio is truly state-of-the-art.Students use cameras in front of the production studio green screen It features a regulation-size desk for news broadcasting, studio cameras, an overhead grid and board with adjustable lighting fixtures, and a corner-placed, endless floor green screen. There are many pieces of portable equipment as well, such as smaller green screens, cameras, lights and set pieces. The studio is well prepared to suit students’ needs as they learn to master both film and high definition video production through Messiah College’s programs, and it is comparable to the type of studio you would see on the evening news.

Behind every good news and broadcast production come talented individuals who help make it happen. A control room adjacent to the production studio, fit with rows of computers and large display screens, helps bring the production to life. Here, students edit live broadcasts from computer stations with monitors that control audio, switcher, graphics, teleprompter and color corrections.

Student steps on rocks to create sound efectsSound effects are incredibly important to any production, and extensive work goes into motion pictures to make this a reality. The sound of rocks under your feet while you walk? A galloping horse? Rustling leaves as the wind blows? Students use Messiah’s Foley studio to create these types of sound effects. In this part of the Hostetter Production Studio, students work with the sound booth, microphones and a computer station with audio mixing equipment to create the unique sounds heard in every movie. (Spoiler alert: the sound of leaves is probably not leaves at all! Random materials create those sounds—and it makes the sound more distinct.)

A green room and dressing room with brightly lit mirrors offer students an area to prepare as they wait to enter the production studio.

The studio space also includes storage for the Department of Communication’s video production equipment. Students may borrow the equipment as many times as they need during a semester. The department recently invested in significant new equipment purchases, including new field kits for sound and lighting, and a variety of cameras. The department currently has five Blackmagic cameras and a RED Epic (the same camera used to film the Hobbit!). Students learn to work a DSLR camera first, and then move on to digital and cinematic cameras as they gain expertise.

The Classes

broadcasting student being filmed

The Department of Communication strives to engage students and keep production classes to no more than 16 students. “We want our students to have hands-on time with the equipment and one-on-one help from their instructors,” said Nance McCown, co-chair of Messiah’s communication department.

In the pursuit of a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in film and media production or broadcasting, students will take classes like screenwriting; film history; television production; lighting, sound and animation; and more. There is also an internship requirement for students, which gives valuable practice and networking connections for the future. To read more, check out the course requirements here.

Opportunities

One of the most hands-on opportunities for journalism majors as well as broadcasting and media producions majors and the weekly student-produced news broadcast, MC77. The live show, run by students and student directors, is on its third season. It includes news, sports segments, student and employee interviews, live performance variety shows, and commercials for other departments around campus. Approximately 24 students pursuing all kinds of majors are involved each Monday night, including four anchors and at least fourteen crewmembers.

Students behind camera filming MC77 production

Messiah maintains close connections with commercial and production specialists, as well as independent filmmakers. Professors with jobs in the film industry off campus often invite journalism and broadcasting majors to accompany them to experience what they are learning firsthand. Messiah even has connections with an LA Film Studies Center and sends some students to California for internships or summer classes.

OutcomesGirl using camera

What Messiah’s communication department graduates do after they receive their diploma says a lot about their experience as a student. Messiah alum Brian Duffield ’08 wrote the screenplay for the 2014 hit, “Divergent.” Brent Hall ’95 played a crucial role in the development of Disney’s “Frozen.”

If you think you may be interested in pursuing a career in the film, media or broadcasting industry, click here to learn more about Messiah College’s Department of Communication.