September of 2021 marked an exciting month for the Zimmerman School at the University of South Florida.
The new VU studio was officially revealed for the first time. It was gifted to the university by Diamond View Studios as a tool to help students get a more hands-on experience with a virtual production studio. The $500,000 gift includes a 40-foot LED wall as well as state of the art camera equipment for students to use and experiment with.
The VU class was offered for the first time in the fall of 2021, with only 10 students being admitted into the class for the inaugural semester. Zimmerman School professor Ryan Watson taught this class and showed students how to use this professional level equipment.
“Us having this technology will give students the chance to be ahead of the competition at other schools” explained Watson.
The opportunity for students majoring Mass Communications to learn how to use this equipment will give them the advantage they need to get a job in the competitive industry once they graduate. As this technology is not readily available to the general public, the students who take this class will be able to add something to their resume that very few people will have.
“We just want to continue the technical growth,” Watson said. “Give students a space where they can create free of judgement, to be who they want to be, within certain guidelines of course. But to be certain to be in that space, enjoying the space creatively, and a place where we can nurture their technical prowess and their creative prowess.”
Anchor introduction provided by Gabriel Glassman.
