Florida Atlantic University’s School of Communication & Multimedia Studies in Boca Raton, FL, is home to a new virtual production studio designed to develop the next generation of media and entertainment professionals. BrandStar, an integrated production and strategic marketing company headquartered in nearby Deerfield Beach, FL, donated and deployed an LED Volume Wall along with ICVFX (in-camera virtual production) systems driven by Unreal Engine 3D graphics and gaming software into a retrofitted television studio in the university’s Dorothy L. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters.
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Carol Bishop Mills, Ph.D., director of FAU’s School of Communication & Multimedia Studies, explained that the department has three main degree tracks: Communications Studies, Film and Media, and Multimedia Journalism. The school also offers courses in animation and gaming, sports broadcasting, and public relations. Initially, the facility will house FAU’s students in animation, film, gaming, and media. However, as the school’s programs evolve, Mills said other departments—such as sports broadcasting and even theater—will be able to take advantage of the technology.