ithout most people realising, many educational establishments across the globe
have quietly turned into top-level, broadcast-quality streaming studios. Though the public may not have noticed just yet, the students on the receiving end and broadcast tech vendors kitting out said schools certainly have. It’s a lucrative market right now, with growth attributed largely to the hybridisation of our lives both during and after the pandemic. However, don’t let the events of 2020 fool you into thinking that the education sector wasn’t already on this trajectory. College sports have been broadcast to the same scale (and profit margins) as regular professional sports across the United States for some time now. As a result, the market is increasingly becoming saturated with cutting-edge equipment that adapts to academic environments. From audio routing to capturing challenging lighting situations, these recent case studies highlight the leaps and bounds made in academic broadcast delivery – right across the technological board. STUDIO SUNDERLAND The University of Sunderland in the north-east of England is known for degrees specialising in broadcast
and post-production. With a reputation for quality classes in media, its film production syllabus alone lays claim to being the best in the UK, according to The Guardian ’s University Guide 2023. It also offers courses in performance, striving to offer its students a professional environment in which they can develop their skills. At the end of last year, the institution was bejewelled with state- of the-art facilities, specifically for the media production departments. CJP completed a major programme of installations, including an LED volume virtual production environment, green screen stage, HD studio and outside- broadcast facilities. “Our job is first to enthuse our students with a love for production
and performance, and second to ensure their career prospects are as strong as possible when graduating,” described senior lecturer in video and new media at the University of Sunderland, Nicholas Glean. “Our students can go to producers who may still be nervous around virtual- and augmented-reality studios and other new techniques and say: ‘I’ve done this – look at my show reel.’” The past few years saw CJP implementing four vital projects for the university. The first of these was the refurbishment of an existing green screen studio – packing up the dusty legacy equipment and replacing it with crisp virtual-studio systems. “We have worked with the University of Sunderland to achieve what they need to be leaders in their field,” describes Christopher Phillips, managing director of CJP. “But even more importantly, we have helped them link everything up with real- world workflows.” “Giving the students real, extended and hands-on experience is hugely important,” adds Glean. The campus production studio was shifted to HD, largely using Ross Video equipment including XPression graphics and a Carbonite switcher. CJP also implemented a comprehensive four-channel outside broadcast package, allowing students to build complete news workflows with live inserts from any location. “The whole production centre mirrors the way the best modern professional centres work. Having facilities that don’t compromise
ON PAR The University of Sunderland boasts industry- standard media facilities
TOP OF THE CLASS The film production course at the University of Sunderland was recently ranked best in the country by The Guardian
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