Berks Media Commons offers local multimedia technology services to students, faculty, and staff. The Media Commons services provided on Berks’ campus fall under a Penn State-wide initiative to enhance learning through digital media.
Located in the Thun Library, the Berks Media Commons suite includes three audio/video editing rooms, a One Button Studio for video recording, and audio recording booth. Online reservations are available for all Media Commons rooms. Keys for Media Commons rooms can be picked up at the Thun Library Service Desk.
Students, faculty, and staff can also borrow multimedia equipment available for pick-up at the Thun Library Service Desk.
Facilities
iMac Editing Stations
iMac Editing Stations in the Thun Library contain iMac computers equipped with software to help create and edit digital media projects. These rooms provide a quiet space for:
· producing and editing quality sound in GarageBand
· editing videos with iMovie
· working on digital storytelling projects with Adobe Creative software such as Adobe Rush, Adobe Premiere, and Adobe Express
All iMacs include GarageBand and iMovie already downloaded and ready to use. Penn State students, faculty, and staff must sign up for a free Adobe Creative Cloud account through Penn State to sign into Adobe applications on Media Commons iMac computers.
Media Commons offers tutorials for iMovie, GarageBand, and Adobe Creative Cloud programs to guide you through using the software for your next project.
Reserve an iMac Editing Station
One Button Studio
The One Button Studio uses an accessible recording setup to help produce video for a variety of purposes. Users with any level of video production experience can create high-quality video recordings with the studio’s simple design. The One Button Studio works great for:
· practicing oral presentations
· filming short videos
· creating videos with special green screen effects
A kiosk in the studio starts and stops the camera with the touch of a button. You can also upload the recorded video file to Kaltura or a USB drive. The One Button Studio also includes an iMac for quick recording and editing all in one space.
Media Commons best practices for One Button Studio presentation recordings can get started before your next video project.
Whisper Room (Podcast Booth)
Located in the Thun Library’s Media Commons suite, the Whisper Room (Podcast Booth) offers a sound-protected space to record audio. A USB microphone records directly to an iMac inside the booth. The Whisper Room’s setup supports audio recording for:
· podcasts
· voiceovers for video content
· book narration
· other spoken word projects
Podcast tutorials from Media Commons are available to guide you through recording audio in the Whisper Room.
Reserve the Whisper Room (Podcast Booth)
Equipment
Berks Media Commons offers a collection of audio-visual equipment available to borrow through the Thun Library. Media Commons equipment can be used for coursework, presentations, or your own creative projects.
Available Media Commons equipment includes:
· 360° cameras
· Video cameras
· Still cameras
· Lavalier & USB microphones
· Virtual reality headsets
· Tripods & mounts