Stonehill tech department receives $190,000 Alden Grant

By Mack Eon

The Stonehill College Technology Department has received a $190,000 grant from the George I. Alden Trust, funding significant upgrades to the Digital Media Production (DMP) lab and studio. 

Professor Katie Elia-Shannon, head of the Digital Media Productions Department, explained that the grant has been in the works for over a year. 

“We’ve had meetings since last year to go through and really plan out what we need in the DMP lab and the studio. We’ve had to break down and figure out what each department needed and how the money for said needs would shake out,” she said.  

Already, the department has made sweeping updates. Computers in Duffy 210 have been upgraded to handle 4K footage, and field equipment for both introductory and advanced film classes has been replaced. Students now have access to new cameras, lenses, sound gear, and lighting kits. The video marketing class also received new gimbals and stabilizers. 

The studio is also undergoing major improvements. New cameras, a teleprompter, and a powerful computer system have been installed. The department also plans to add a new green screen, a viewing window from the control room to the studio, and an upgraded Tricaster system. 

“Being able to have more equipment for students, more modern equipment that you will have on your post-grad jobs, is huge,” Elia-Shannon said. “It will better prepare students for when they graduate, gaining experience with equipment they’d use in future jobs,” she added that the upgrades could elevate the quality of student projects.  

“This will hopefully improve the quality of the final product as well; with the thesis projects our students make improving year upon year,” she said.  

Professor Kevin Friend echoed that sentiment, stressing the importance of preparing students for real-world production environments. 

“Basically everything-new cameras, new lighting, we are going to upgrade the green screen and upgrade to 4K and beyond capabilities for students,” he said.  

He also emphasized the excitement of receiving a state-of-the-art remote-controlled camera. 

“We are also adding a robotic camera, a camera controlled by the control room instead of someone behind it, that can even be operated from a remote location,” he said. 

For Friend, the new editing stations may be the biggest game-changer.  

“There is nothing worse than a break in the creative workflow because of faulty equipment,” he said. “This upgrade is massive because of the reliability.” 

Friend also added that the timing of the grant was key.  

“It was just time. Now we can operate at a higher level and hold our heads up, because we now have a modern working environment for live broadcast production,” he said.  

Lastly, he explained that the upgrades go beyond just equipment.  

“I feel, in the creation of this new studio and classroom environment, that we're trying to prepare students for the real world, technically and mentally. We always try to be real here- the upgrade is important, and we were fortunate to get the grant at the right time,” he said.