51ĀŅĀ×

The LED Wall Shooting Studioā€”featuring a 21-foot-wide by 12-foot-tall wall made up of 364 high-resolution LED panelsā€”is the latest acquisition under Scrippsā€™ Digital Cinema Initiative. ā€œThis initiative is about positioning the college at the forefront of the next generation of media production,ā€ said Brian Plow, associate professor in Media Arts and Studies. As part of the initiative, student cameras, lighting and lab spaces were upgraded to meet the demands of modern storytelling.

Installed by Tampa-based , a turnkey virtual production studio designer, five trained professionals spent six days configuring two LED walls and training 51ĀŅĀ× faculty, staff and students. Powered by three CPUs and an NVIDIA A6000 graphics card, the LED wall uses game-developer technology to create realistic 3D environments blended with live action.

ā€œWeā€™re embracing high-tech tools to enhance opportunities for our students after graduation,ā€ Plow said. ā€œThis is about expanding what kinds of stories they can tell and what kinds of careers they can imagine.ā€ The studio is already incorporated into a special topics course MDIA 4904 on virtual production, giving students hands-on experience working with real clients.

Scripps College of Communication Dean Scott Titsworth said the project marks a significant leap for the college and its partners. ā€œOur new LED Wall Shooting Studio gives 51ĀŅĀ× students an unprecedented chance to tell stories using cutting-edge technology,ā€ Titsworth said. ā€œItā€™s not just a classroom tool ā€” itā€™s a regional resource that will let students, industry partners and Southeast Ohio organizations collaborate on projects that use the latest audio and video production technologies.ā€

The LED Wall Shooting Studio allows for virtual sets, digital backdrops and immersive environments that would be impossible to build physically. Plow said his team is already ā€œroad testingā€ the technology beyond class assignmentsā€”producing hype videos for 51ĀŅĀ× Athletics and supporting segments for WOUB Public Mediaā€™s , the long-running weekly high school football program. Student sketch comedy group Fridayā€™s Live also plans to begin producing its show in the space this fall, bringing live comedy and original sketches to the LED wall environment.

ā€œWeā€™re capturing the low-hanging fruit with campus partners right nowā€”projects we can produce quickly that have an immediate return,ā€ Plow said. ā€œThat buys us time to explore more technical use cases, whether theyā€™re scientific, technological or creative.ā€

Josh Antonuccio, director of the School of Media Arts and Studies, called the project a transformative step. ā€œWe are excited to launch our new LED Wall shooting studio ā€” a transformative experiential learning space where students will get to work with bleeding-edge technology,ā€ Antonuccio said. ā€œBrian Plow has done extraordinary work in pioneering this initiative. As a result, students will be given an exclusive opportunity to learn how to incorporate and develop virtual environments into their production workflow. The intersection of digital cinema and storytelling is expanding rapidly and our new curricular opportunities to use this technology will prepare students for careers across the creative industries.ā€

A smaller LED wall was also installed in the 51ĀŅĀ× Esports arena, enabling a virtual production partnership between Media Arts and Studies and Esports Director, Jeff Kuhn. ā€œThe Esports team brings a dimension of technical knowledge and creative output that is elevating the initiative,ā€ Plow said. ā€œJeff Kuhn has been a vital partner throughout the process of acquisition, testing and student engagement. I am so excited to see how this will set the new bar for Esports broadcasts in the MAC.ā€

This technology is already transforming the way the team approaches live broadcasts. ā€œOur new LED wall lets us blend the physical and virtual, placing announcers directly inside the games weā€™re broadcasting,ā€ Kuhn said. ā€œDoing this live is no easy feat, but our students are excited by the challenge because they know it represents the future of live broadcasting.ā€

Plow said the LED Wall Shooting Studio reflects a deeper goal of keeping Ohio-trained talent in Ohio. ā€œItā€™s frustrating to see amazing students leave after graduation,ā€ he said. ā€œWe need to position our programming so students can work in these jobs here. If weā€™re going to build an economy around film and media, the return on investment needs to stay in Ohio.ā€

The studio is one piece of the larger Digital Cinema Initiative, an effort that also includes working with the new to expand statewide film incentives and build a stronger pipeline between 51ĀŅĀ× and the stateā€™s creative industries. This initiative underscores a broader strategy to invest in students, build industry partnerships and grow Ohioā€™s creative economy.