Recording Arts School Adds TV Production To Curriculum with JVC ProHD Cameras

JVC Professional Products Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp., today announced the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences (CRAS), a Phoenix-based audio recording, engineering, and production school, has purchased four JVC GY-HM600 ProHD handheld camcorders to support its new expanded curriculum. Starting Oct. 25, CRAS will extend its 30-week Master Recording Program to 36 weeks for new students, and will add live broadcast production audio as an educational focus.

The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences (CRAS) is using JVC GY-HM600 ProHD cameras to support its new focus on live broadcast production audio.

The JVC cameras will be shared between a new control room and 42-foot production expando trailer, which have been outfitted with oversized audio areas for more convenient instruction. We built a broadcast production facility with a basic switching system for the purpose of teaching how audio integrates into television production, explained Robert Brock, director, CRAS Digital Department. It's been exciting, really fun for us to branch off in this direction.

With a curriculum that includes music recording, film sound mixing, live concert support, and more, the CRAS curriculum is designed to help students prepare for a career in audio by exposing them to various facets of audio production. As part of the new broadcast production coursework, CRAS students will produce real video coverage of live events. The JVC cameras will usually be mounted on Manfrotto tripods with external zoom controls for studio exercises, but will also be used for ENG and film-style projects.

Regardless of their major interest of study, every student will have hands-on experience with the JVC ProHD cameras. We're not teaching video production, but the creation of multimedia content is part of what schools need to do, he explained. It exposes our students to a real broadcast environment and the bigger picture of what broadcast television is all about. These skills will apply to a number of employment opportunities.

When CRAS went shopping for its new camcorders, it had three minimum requirements: XLR inputs, SDI output, and time code capability. Brock said the GY-HM600's use of non-proprietary SDHC media cards was a strong bonus. Plus, with native file recording of .MOV footage, the cameras provided a nice, easy workflow for the school's Final Cut Pro NLE workstations.

Although the new JVC cameras have not yet been used by students, CRAS faculty members have been shooting interviews, guest speakers, and other events since they purchased the cameras last spring. In support of creating our curriculum, we're starting to shoot more content, Brock said.

Much of the footage being shot by CRAS is in recording studios, not TV studios, where work areas generally have dim lighting and light kits are not an option. As a result, the GY-HM600's low-light sensitivity has been a big help, Brock said. He also appreciates the built-in 23x zoom lens, which captures high-quality close-up footage of guest speakers from the back of the school's 6,000-square-foot conservatory. That's just been nice, he said. It's a really nice, convenient package.

With a focus on audio, not video, the new CRAS control room and expando truck are designed with very large audio areas and small, simplified video sections, which is the opposite of traditional video production facilities. When shooting in more traditional trucks, with noticeably more compact audio areas, Brock said the GY-HM600 has performed very well. I was really pleasantly surprised at how wide a shot I can get, he said, and in those close, tight spaces that's been very helpful.

ABOUT CRAS

CRAS, The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences, is the premier audio recording, sound engineering and music production school. Located in metropolitan Phoenix, CRAS is licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education, and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). ACCSC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency under the Provision of Chapter 33, Title 38, US Code and subsequent legislation. For more information, please visit CRAS.EDU.

ABOUT JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY

Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, with West Coast operations in Long Beach, California, JVC Professional Products Company is a division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of JVC Kenwood Corporation. JVC is a leading manufacturer and distributor of broadcast and professional video and audio equipment, D-ILA front projection systems, and Super LoLux HD video security products. For further product information, visit JVC's Web site at http://pro.jvc.com.

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