Facilities & Equipment

While most film and video productions in the Department of Film and Electronic Arts are shot on location around Southern California, we also have a small production stage that is being refurbished this summer. In addition to new lighting and acoustic treatment, the studio will include green screen. This fall we will also have a dedicated television studio and control room ready for our new multiple camera television production class, FEA 338.

Some FEA film projects have also been shot on the large main stage (2070 sq. ft.) of the William Link Theatre (formerly known as the University Theatre) next to our building and in various other locations on campus, such as the Beach Auditorium in the Student Union and beautiful Japanese Gardens near the dorms. The leadership and staff of the Theatre Arts Department have also been gracious in granting permission for a number of our student projects to be shot in their facilities next door.

Student productions at CSULB are shot in HD, HDV, SD, 16mm film and Super 16, though some advanced production students also elect to shoot in 35mm. We have a variety of Panasonic and Sony digital cameras, plus 35mm and 16mm Arriflex, 16mm Aaton, and 16mm Éclair film cameras designated for use by students who have been accepted into our Production Option and by video production classes that are open to everyone, such as FEA 403. Lighting kits include a variety of tungsten lamps up to 2K and several HMI's. We also have a new 15-foot camera gib with motorized head, camera dolly and track, and lightweight steadicam available for student productions.

In addition to our own inventory, a number of our students have also received cameras through the generosity of the Panavision Student Filmmaker Program.

Another vital component of CSULB's production program includes digital audio, which provides production crews with a variety of either Fostex or Tascam packages, complete with boom poles and Sennheiser condenser microphones.

Post production facilities in our department include sixteen Final Cut Pro edit bays, twelve Avid Media Composers and 3 Pro-Tools suites. One editing room is also equipped with AfterEffects and another with Maya software. Under construction this summer is a new Foley/ADR studio.

Production Management classes are offered in our computer lab, which features 12 PC stations outfitted with a variety of useful production contracts, forms and programs, including Movie Magic scheduling, budgeting and Final Draft screenwriting software, as well as the entire 6 DVD Hollywood Camera Work tutorial.

Student films in FEA often include original scores composed and recorded by students in the CSULB Department of Music, which operates a digital recording studio equipped with the latest industry standard equipment and software for film and television productions. We also recently enterred into a special arrangement with pumpaudio.com, an independent music library where students may download professionally recorded songs and film music for their productions.

Set construction facilities and an extensive costume warehouse are operated by the Department of Theatre Arts. Students are invited to make individual arrangements for those services with Theatre Arts staff on a project by project basis.

The Department of Film and Electronic Arts also has a conference room that can accommodate over 20 people for production meetings, auditions and table readings.

There are a number of organizations that also provide production opportunities for students. [read more...]