Media Studio

The highlight of the studio is the lightboard, which will enable faculty to write a lesson on a transparent board while facing the camera (i.e. students) instead of having their backs to the camera.

The lightboard was built by ODE video specialist Jason Skelton with assistance from instructional designers Brandon Blinkenberg and Carson Waites, and supervised by ODE’s director, Nick Gaspar.  The lightboard will help faculty demonstrate complex lessons and increase their presence in the online environment without the need for complicated computer-generated graphics.  The 4’ x 8’ board features tempered glass in an LED-lighted plastic frame created by UM-Flint’s Engineering Department on its 3-D printer.  Created from open-source blueprints, the project was based on plans shared by Duke University and used by Ann Arbor’s College of Engineering.

While some older versions shoot video through an actual physical mirror, this version uses an electronic flipper to process a reversed image so text and illustrations do not appear backward to the viewer. This reduces complication and improves the light input direct to the camera. The lighting within and around the unit is especially key.  The 3D-printed frame holds two sets of LED strips—one to illuminate the face of the faculty and a second to illuminate the interior of the glass.

Many faculty over the years have enjoyed the creativity provided through use of ODE’s green screens, which enable a stock background or video to be inserted.  The new video studio accommodates a permanent green screen, a bigger and easier-to-read teleprompter, and advanced, 4K high-resolution cameras, soundproofing panels and precision microphones.