by Molly Roe
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications has two upcoming events that will offer hands-on learning opportunities for students and complement the media production option for broadcasting majors.
Broadcasting majors can choose from two options: broadcast news or media production. The media production option was launched this year and gives students a chance to explore and master the growing variety of digital video and audio tools and content production techniques that drive an increasingly visual society.
One opportunity to enhance the media production option is the inaugural eSports tournament, hosted by the CoJMC. The event will be held Friday, March 13 in the basement of Andersen Hall and will go from 3 - 10 p.m.
The event will consist of a gaming night with a Smash Brothers tournament and will include discussions about eSports in Nebraska. All students are invited to come play, compete and connect with the eSports community in the area.
The opportunity will also allow students to learn more about broadcasting and live streaming video games.
“The general goal for the media production area is to work more with live streaming using some new equipment in the college, as well as get more of an understanding of eSports/gaming in the sports media and ADPR areas,” Professor Adam Wagler, who is coordinating the event, said.
While some details are still in the works, the plan is to have areas for casual game play, including virtual reality games, and invite local gamers and industry professionals to speak about and demo games, Wagler said.
In addition, the CoJMC is offering an eSports pop-up course, led by professors Kaci Richter and Alan Eno. The course, BRDC 491/891.951: Streaming and Broadcast Production for eSports, will teach students how to use the Sling Studio, a mobile production tool that allows events to be switched and live-streamed at remote locations and with limited resources.
Students in this one-credit-hour course will also learn how to plan for and stream edited content and how to manage sound mixing and audio commentary. It will culminate with a live-stream production of the eSports tournament. Learn more about the class at https://journalism.unl.edu/pop-up.
Various other courses will be involved in the event. For example, professor Jennifer Shephard’s sports writing course will be reporting on the event; professor Mike Hanus’s video games and society course will be participating and helping the event run smoothly; finally, students in the design and layout class led by professors Wagler and Patti Harney will work on branding, logo design and promotional materials.
“My hope is that the CoJMC will help connect the local community around a fun night of gaming, which is something we aim to support as the gaming industry and eSports continue to grow,” Wagler said.
Students can learn more about the eSports tournament and event at https://journalism.unl.edu/gaming.
Another upcoming opportunity is the summer 2020 Study Abroad trip to Turkey. Turkey: Documenting & Discovering the Archaeological Process is a three-credit-hour course that will be led by adjunct faculty member Kristian Anderson.
This faculty-led education abroad program will offer students a unique hands-on introduction to video and media production, drone aerial imaging and immersive media production, including 360° video and virtual and augmented reality at an archaeological site in Turkey.
The opportunity is open to all journalism, broadcasting and communication studies majors and will allow students to learn about the basics of field archaeology at an ancient Roman dig site. Students will work on-site as archeologists for a week before immersing themselves into media production, where they’ll learn about story development and camera techniques.
The second half of the trip will allow them to learn about the emerging field of immersive media production. In addition, students will get the opportunity to delve into Turkish culture and history in their free time.
“This is an amazing experience, not only to experience a real life archeology dig, but to document and choose the stories you as a journalist want to tell,” Anderson said. “We are lucky to have Ben Kreimer, one of the leading drone journalists in the country, with us on site leading the immersive media production portion of the class.”
The team will depart from the U.S. on July 12 and arrive back on Aug. 14. Students can learn more about the program at go.unl.edu/cojmc_turkey.
