What Does The Project Entail?
The Newhouse School at Syracuse University celebrates the opening of the Newhouse Studio and Innovation Center, part of an $18 million renovation of Newhouse 2. The new space will provide the school with a cutting-edge media facility that gives students the best possible preparation for careers in the communications industry.
A dedication celebration will be held Sept. 29 with special guest Oprah Winfrey.
One of the most visually striking features of the renovated building is the two-story entry lobby, located at the corner of University and Waverly avenues, which includes a double-height, dramatic glass curtain wall allowing for a sweeping view from the outside. This replaces the “fortress” construction of the original Newhouse 2, which was built in 1974.
Inside the new complex, major highlights include:
Dick Clark Studios
Named for legendary entertainer and SU alumnus Dick Clark ’51, the studios are the “show-stopper” for prospective students: a high-tech entertainment production environment that rivals many Hollywood studios. Features include:
Full soundstage suitable for live or digitally recorded productions
Full digital workflow integrating studio and post production facilities
Virtual studio accommodating green screen production, still photography, digital cinema film-style production and other media applications
High-definition production capability throughout the studios and control rooms, with the ability to shoot film-style 3-D production
Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation
The Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation is the creative hub where Newhouse expertise in content development and production meets the latest media technology and programming trends. The center is named for the founder of Cablevision Industries.
While the studios are focused primarily on production of “traditional” programming formatted for TV viewing, the Gerry Center facilitates the development of content for next-generation “screens” and distribution platforms—YouTube, iPads and Androids, Apple TV—and for entirely new devices—Google Glass, fiber optic networks, mobile applications and even “smart appliances.”
Emphasis will be on collaborations with industry partners to create products and programs that have value in the marketplace.
Digital News Center
The Digital News Center is dedicated primarily to news, talk and magazine-style production, with multimedia capabilities and a file-based digital media environment. It houses a new, contemporary news set, built for a 16:9 world, plus a green screen, with state-of-the-art lighting systems and cameras. An additional set is available for cable-style host/interview or “talk show” formats, and a control room with space for observers rounds out the teaching environment. Paperless workflow in this new space follows that of a professional network operation.
The Digital News Center will also serve the greater university community as a go-to studio for external productions. A fully-produced, 30-minute, broadcast-quality show can be originated live from this facility, including real-time segments originating from other studios or remotes and packages that are played back from the video server.
The Newhouse 2 renovation doubles studio teaching space and will benefit all Newhouse majors. Planned new courses to be taught in the facility include 3-D Production Workshop; Sports Directing Seminar; Producing the Fashion Video; and Human-Computer Interaction, among others. Other new areas include commercial photography for advertising; green screen photography for virtual reality and multimedia; and news conferences and satellite tours for public relations.
The architectural firm Gensler is handling the design. Construction began in April 2013; the new facility will open in Fall 2014.
Funding comes from several sources, including the S.I. Newhouse Foundation and Syracuse University, as well as industry partnerships. Additional fundraising from alumni and friends of the Newhouse School is also needed to support the project.
For more information about supporting the Newhouse Studio and Innovation Center, contact Lynn Vanderhoek at (315) 443-9236 or lavander@syr.edu.