A/V and Display | News

Baltimore University Transitions to High-Def Production Gear

• By Kanoe Namahoe
• 08/08/12

Loyola University, a private, Jesuit institution in Baltimore, MD., recently completed a three-year move to HD production for its Communication Department.

LU's new production center currently includes 11 JVC ProHD cameras. One GY-HM150 and four GY-HM100 handheld ProHD camcorders are used for broadcast journalism classes and Film Club projects. The university employs three GY-HM790 cameras in its studio and a trio of GY-HM750 cameras for field production, said Herbert Jay Dunmore, television operations manager at the university, in a prepared statement from JVC. The department plans to add six more JVC cameras to its arsenal in the coming school year.

LU aims to give communication students a real-world learning experience, according to Dunmore who teaches digital media courses, serves as the department's engineer, and oversees the student television production club, GreyComm Studios. Students produce programs including news, sports, and reality shows. The new HD equipment means that students "learn in a production environment they would experience post graduation," he said.

In addition to moving to HD production, the institution has also transitioned from Apple Final Cut Pro to Adobe and Avid NLE systems.

"JVC’s dual recording formats and direct-to-edit ability were significant factors," Dunmore noted. "The 35 Mbps recording ability is an added bonus for many of the community-based projects that require high quality imaging for archival and post. The dual-slot recording option in both the GY-HM750 and GY-HM150 allows for immediate editing and producer review in separate locations."

LU students use nonproprietary SDHC media cards instead of tape with the JVC cameras. With tapeless acquisition, students can use metadata and basic asset management. "The JVC cameras have been the tools that allow us to move into different areas and see why they are important," he added.