Point Park University’s Center for Media Innovation is a remarkable facility, offering aspiring communications majors, broadcasters and print journalists the opportunity to get their hands “digitally dirty” to explore media production with actual professional equipment.
The CMI efficiently packs a huge amount of functionality into a tight space, with professional-quality studio spaces. The Center contributes to defining this urban campus. However, this visibility comes with a price — the television studio looks out onto a busy traffic intersection. This presents a significant acoustical challenge. Extensive sound studies were conducted before moving into the space. Floor-to-ceiling windows fronting the intersection are actually three panes of glass mounted at a 3-degree angle to bounce noise and light upward (and not back at those working in the studio). The resulting quiet is noticeably impressive.
Large-screen displays are everywhere, including a 70-inch television in the main event space. Other highlights include the TV studio with its industry-specific lighting, a Green Screen Studio supporting live video production/streaming, and high-definition cameras. The multimedia-enhanced newsroom also features teleprompters and audio mixing console for webcasts and a Photography Studio.
There is a dressing room for guests and “Whisper Room” for voiceovers. The Radio Interview Room offers real-time audio and video web streaming capabilities, and the ultra-flexible Seminar Classroom features a 3,000-pound movable wall that pivots to double the classroom size.
