What is the ITL/TVPL?

The ITL/TVPL consists of two parts: the ITL (Instructional Technology Laboratory) and the TVPL (Toyota Video Production Laboratory).

ITL

The ITL is where students and staff check out equipment for projects or events and schedule use of the TVPL studio and production control room.

The ITL team also supplies equipment, training, and technical support beyond its own walls into other areas across the IMSA campus as well, including all classrooms and the following locations* which have installed AV systems:

Academic Pit

Group meetings and presentations are held in the Academic Pit, which has 3-tiered, flexible seating, consisting of movable rectangular tables and chairs. The normal seating arrangement is for 57 people, but it can be arranged for groups up to 90. The Academic Pit contains a small stage and an audio-visual rack with a VHS videotape player, laserdisc player, audio cassette deck, DVD, and CD player, each of which outputs to a ceiling-mounted LCD projector which projects onto a large motorized pull-down projection screen. Multiple microphones, podiums, an overhead and slide projector, setup for closed-captioning with VHS video, a computer hookup, and an Internet connection are also available upon request.

Auditorium

Large group meetings, presentations, and performances are held in the auditorium. Excluding handicapped areas, the seating capacity is 414. The auditorium houses a 1200-square-foot circular thrust stage, a complete sound and lighting system, and a motorized projection screen. Multiple microphones, a podium, an LCD and overhead projector, VCR, DVD, computers, and student technical support in the control room are also available upon request.

Commons

The commons is used for large group meetings and presentations, performances, and group activities. It is equipped with a wall-mounted LCD projector, a large motorized pull-down projection screen, and a sound system. A mobile cart, available for checkout in the ITL, contains a DVD/VCR, wireless microphone, microphone table stands, cables, and additional wired microphones.

Main Gym

The main gym, which has its own sound system, is used for large group presentations, large group testing, group activities, and performances. An audio rack, containing an audio cassette deck and compact disc player, is housed in the adjacent multi-purpose room. Multiple microphones, including wireless hand-held mics, are available upon request.

Pearson Lecture Hall

Group meetings and presentations are held in the Pearson Lecture Hall, which has a seating capacity of 180. The lecture hall has an audio-visual rack containing a complete sound system, a laserdisc player, DVD, and VCR, each of which can be used with a ceiling-mounted LCD projector which projects onto a large motorized pull-down projection screen. Microphones, VHS video closed-captioning, computer hookups, and Internet connections are also available.


* Adult supervision is required for student use of all enclosed rooms, and equipment used in the preceeding locations must be signed for by an IMSA faculty or staff member.
* ITL equipment can be set up at various other locations in the academic building as well.

TVPL

The Toyota Video Production Laboratory (TVPL), originally funded in 1992 by a grant from Toyota, is one of the media production centers at IMSA. It consists of two rooms, the studio and an adjacent control room.

One of the TVPL's strengths is that it has evolved as a true laboratory where staff, students, and educators from around the state bring their ideas for modelling and testing. The TVPL works across all academic areas, experimenting with new ways to utilize visual communication in education. As video technology is used increasingly throughout the Academy, the TVPL continues to become less of a place and more of an effective "instructional laboratory" where creative ideas take shape.

Because we are all bombarded daily by a variety of visual communication on television, in magazines, online, in movies, and in advertising, etc., the TVPL team brings value to the IMSA community by advancing the understanding of visual literacy. With the team's guidance and support, students and staff who have experienced visual communication production in the TVPL develop their critical thinking skills and increase their understanding of what visual images can communicate, how they can be manipulated, and how to make intelligent decisions when presenting their own ideas visually.

The TVPL Main Areas and Services:

Studio

The TVPL studio has a sound stage where presentations and performances can be recorded. The studio has been used to hold teleconferences, videotape assessments and interviews, and for recording a variety of other projects. The room is equipped with stage lighting, studio cameras, and an extra-large chroma-key blue screen. We even have an "on-air" light!

Control Room

The TVPL control room is where we edit videotape, record audio, control teleconferences, and maintain the Academy's distance learning technology. Our media production technologies include both Macintosh and PC non-linear (digital) editing systems, a DV-CAM deck, DVD player and recorder, Stream Genie (for live video streaming), CD/DVD duplication system, VHS editing and duplication systems, cable TV access, a DAT recorder, a 16-channel audio mixer, CD player, and audio cassette player.

 

ITL/TVPL Mobile Services and Support:

The ITL/TVPL team also provides custom-designed consulting services and support based on specific project needs, such as