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Chair of Media and Communication Guillermo Avila-Saavedra
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Salem State’s media and communication department has transformed a former computer lab into a state-of-the-art multimedia recording space known as Studio 148, where students can hone their skills in audio and visual production.
The space offers an audio corner with dynamic microphones, a Tascam Mixcast 4 and foam sound absorbers; a photography station with a green screen, tripods, lighting tools, and a Canon M6 camera; and an editing space. Importantly, Studio 148 brings students together to collaborate and connect while they build their skills and portfolios.
“Our students were missing a space to take what they were learning in the classroom and apply it on professional-grade equipment,” said Media and Communication Chair Amy Smith. “We hope Studio 148 will feel like a second home to our majors, a place where they can explore class materials and learn from one another.”
Multimedia Storytelling
Professor Mary Melilli, who has a background in promotional content, spearheaded the creation of Studio 148 and will use it to teach her multimedia storytelling class.
“The studio’s tools allow students to better capture the human element in their stories – the nuance in voices, the passion in faces and the energy in body language,” said Melilli. “I’m excited to bring this class to a new level and to offer students a space to grow as artists, storytellers and professionals.”
Melilli also teaches a senior portfolio class and sees the studio as a boost to students’ portfolios as they apply for internships and launch their careers.
“Whether our students wish to pursue professions in social media, advertising, public relations, journalism, or others, the ability to bring stories to life will be invaluable,” said Melilli.
Soft Launch
Media and communication celebrated the soft launch of Studio 148 – named for the former computer lab’s room number – in November 2022 with a disco-themed event. According to Smith, the department will initially offer the space exclusively to its majors and hopes to open it up to the rest of campus in the future.
Students made themselves at home in the space within weeks of the soft launch, when Salem State’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the student newspaper, The Log, teamed up to host a professional headshot day.
“This studio was perfect for what we were doing,” said Arianna Biscoe-Sullivan, co-editor at The Log and secretary of the PRSSA, who helped organize the event. “We had a student photographer come in and she was able to set up a station using the professional lighting and one of the tripods. The space offered a good opportunity for students to have headshots taken and for the photographer to add to her portfolio, too.”