The New State of the Art
School of Communication and Media building to usher in new era
In early 2017, Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media will open the most technologically advanced broadcast and media production facility at any university in the country.
Currently under construction, the 105,000-square-foot facility will link Morehead Hall with Life Hall creating a single, multifunctional communication and multimedia facility equipped with leading-edge technology, including a 4K studio and interoperable control rooms, each of which will be able to control any production facility in the building.
“We are upgrading our two high-definition studios and adding five additional production spaces,” says College of the Arts Dean Daniel Gurskis. “We’ll have the 4K studio, a dedicated film studio and a broadcast-ready newsroom along with an auditorium with full production capability – we expect to host a wide variety of events there.”
Thanks to a new strategic alliance between the University and Sony Electronics, Sony will provide the latest technology used in Hollywood to Montclair State. “The facility will create an unprecedented opportunity for our communication and media students to leverage and benefit from access to the incredible resources, tools and state-of-the-art production equipment offered by Sony,” says School of Communication and Media Director Merrill Brown. “As a result, our students will enjoy a competitive advantage in launching their careers in the industry.”
“Montclair State has a proud tradition of preparing media industry professionals. The new state-of-the-art facility for the School of Communication and Media will ensure that tradition endures and flourishes, equipping today’s students to become tomorrow’s media leaders.”
The new building will also gather all the programs of the School of Communication and Media under one roof for the first time, allowing for increased opportunities for collaboration.
“We’ve not had collaborative space in general for students to work together on this scale,” notes Brown. “Now we’re going to have labs, open spaces, pods and team rooms so that students can easily do their work. Now we’ll not only have those spaces but they’ll be adjacent to production facilities – it will be a brand-new cultural experience.”
The new facility promises to be an important public space for the University and will promote a real sense of community. “The newsroom will ramp up media life on this campus to an extent that it’s never been before,” predicts Brown. “The fact that we’re going to be producing a lot of journalistic material about life here and around the area is going to be a really important component of what the building is going to allow us to do and will make a difference not just for the School and the College but for the larger University.”
For a sneak peek at the new building, see the illustration here.