Proposal

Narrative

This Technology Fee proposal comes from the School of Communication & Multimedia Studies in the College of Arts & Letters. The School educates students for the technology and entertainment sector, and as such, fits within the SUS’s (STEM/STEAM) overall goals for developing proficiencies within high-tech, high-wage areas with a strategic emphasis. The School serves approximately 1400 UG and GR majors across two BA programs, Communication Studies and Multimedia Studies. Multimedia Studies includes a track in Film, Video & New Media and a track in Journalism. The two graduate programs include an MA in Communication Studies and an MFA in Media, Technology & Entertainment, which has an intercollegiate effort with the Dept. of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the College of Engineering & Computer Science. This proposal is to use newly allocated funds to add superior 6K Blackmagic digital cinema cameras, cine-lenses, camera accessories, camera switcher, and professional studio lighting that will be used for digital media projects produced by students at the Fort Lauderdale campus where the majority of SCMS' production courses take place for the BA in Multimedia Studies Film, Video & New Media and the MFA in Media, Technology & Entertainment. Students looking to work with this technology, the industry standard, will access this equipment. Footage will be transferred to deluxe digital workstations in FTL where students can edit, composite, render, color, and export projects. Lighting rigs, which will also be acquired, will be housed in a small 20W x 32L x 10H production studio, HE-1008L. A powerful new computer (Alienware) will also be acquired with this tech fee to allow students to work effectively during post-production on film, video, web design, TV, radio, gaming, animation, VR/AR/XR, and VFX, again fulfilling the SUS placement goals and providing frameworks for “enhancing technology infrastructure to promote research and education.”

Facilities

The School has 20 operational Canon DSLR HD camera kits that are available to hundreds of students per semester at the Fort Lauderdale campus. The DSLR cameras are used for creative projects in production courses. However, the DSLR kits are worn, damaged, and do not meet 2K through 8K specs for resolution, the current industry and professional standard for digital cinema, immersive media, gaming, and animation. DSLR’s are essentially manufactured for photography first and foremost and therefore, options to record digital film with the are extremely limited, presenting problems that include: cropped or cut off images; short video durations; image resolution maxes out at 1080p (HD); cameras heat up and then power off after 10 minutes; audio recordings can’t be monitored via headphones; lenses are built for photography and in turn create unwanted digital artifacts within an image. Additionally, the state of our DSLR camera kits places them on the cusp of antiquity, each being close to 10 years old. Therefore, this proposal justifies the acquisition of a high-end, professional 6K Blackmagic digital cinema camera kits, cine-lenses, stabilizers, batteries, studio lighting, camera switcher, and high end computer for editing, as well as other accessories that will round out a small cache of two other 6K Blackmagic Pocket camera kits and two Sony 6400 4K cam kits, all acquired with past funds.

Hardware Requirements

4 x Sony 64GB-128GB Memory Card, 12 x Impact Safety Cable, 12 x Global Tuss JR Clamp, 2 x ProX Production Crank Lighting Truss System, 2 x GVM RGB LED Soft Ring Light, 4 x Blackmagic Design Live Stream Switcher, 4 x SmallRig Shoulder Mount, 4 x Manfrotto 114MV Dolly, 4 x Manfrotto 504X Fluid Head with Alum Tripod, 4 x SmallRig AtomX Cage, 4 x Core 3A Digital Quad Charger, 4 x GVM 800D RGB LED Studio Lights, 4 x 6K Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, 4 x Sigma 18-35mm Art Lens, 4 x Sigma USB Dock for Canon EF Lens, 4 x Chiaro Pro 72mm UV Filter, 4 x Zeiss Lens Cleaning Kit, 4 x Lowepro M-Trekker Backpack, 4 x Blackmagic Mini-XLR to XLR Audio Cables, 4 x Auray Windbuster for Shotgun Mic, 4 x Rode NTG1 Shotgum Mic Kit, 4 x Watson Pro D-Tap 1x4 Splitter Cable, 4 x SWX Coiled D-Tap to 2-Pin Cable, 4 x Arco Video Dr. Bag 40, 4 x Atomos D-Tap to DC Cable, 4 x SmallRog Magic Arm, 4 x Atomos Shinobi 5.2” 4K Monitor, 4 x Samsung 1TB T5 Portable SSD, 4 x Rokinon Lens Bundle, 4 x Hoya 72mm Digital Filter Kit, 4 x IndiPRO Tools V-Plate Mount, 4 x Tilta Baseplate, 4 x Tilta Camera Cage, 4 x Lume Cube Panel Pro, 4 x Elvid Camera Shoe Mount, 1 x Dell Alienware computer with numerical keyboard and mouse, 1 x 36" 4K Dell monitor.

Software Requirements

We currently use standard preinstalled software that accompanies new computers. The current desktop image, built by OIT, also provides software access to word processing, design and production software for Windows and Apple computers distributed between SCMS instructional labs in Fort Lauderdale. Depending on the platform, most software packages include Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere, After Effects, Audition, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.); Apple’s Final Cut Pro, Compressor and Motion; DaVinci Resolve; Autodesk’s Maya and MotionBuilder; Unity; and so on. Our software subscriptions are often addressed through other complimentary Tech Fee proposals, other funding sources available through SCMS or the College, or open-sourced, such as Unity’s 3D game engine, Audacity, or Pure Data. When new software is acquired, we ask OIT to assist with installation and deployment. Aside, Blackmagic cameras will require ongoing firmware updates throughout their lifetime. It will be the same with panel application controlled lighting kits where some firmware updates will be needed. Lastly, DaVinci Resolve software packages will be needed and is standard for Blackmagic cameras.

Personnel Costs

There is none at this time. Often, faculty from SCMS, graduate teaching assistants, and production staff manage production labs and equipment resources. OIT will assist with the installation of computers and software.

Other Costs

There is none at this time.

Timeline

Equipment/Hardware Acquisition – March/April 2023, Equipment/Hardware Installation – March/April 2023, Equipment/Hardware Deployment – March/April 2023, Equipment/Hardware Software/Firmware Updates – April/May 2023 (Ongoing), Equipment/Hardware Testing – April/May 2023.

Sustainability

Continued maintenance of digital resources and computer hardware comes from trained faculty, graduate teaching assistants, and production support staff. Hardware and all equipment warranties will be extended when applicable. Through regular student use and anticipated general maintenance the computer hardware should last three to five years, allowing SCMS to pursue additional Tech Fees for other critical digital production equipment and lab updates. Additionally, community and university partnerships will continue with South Florida vendors and tech industry companies offering computer support and representation such as Dell, Alienware, and Canvas Films. Further, unlike an all-in-one (AIO) computer such as an iMac, new tower computers allow hardware to be easily upgraded, cutting back on potential future costs. Regular firmware updates to equipment will be needed.

Resource Matching

There is none at this time. However, the School of Communication & Multimedia Studies is committed to actively pursuing additional funding available through internal FAU grants, as well as external grants including the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts), NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others.

Implementing Organization

The School of Communication & Multimedia Studies under the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters with assistance from OIT.