Every spring, Murray State’s Quad is packed to the brim as students, community members, and family flock to watch the University’s well-loved tradition All Campus Sing (ACS).
ACS offers live student performances for hundreds of attendees, with many more watching online. For those unable to attend in person, there’s a live broadcast to capture all the special moments. While many watch the broadcast, they may not know that it’s brought to them by MSU’s own media production students.
Jeremy McKeel, director of digital media services, teaches JMC 451, a class designed to give students experience with audio and video production. For him, ACS is the perfect opportunity to let his students learn on their feet.
“The All Campus Sing live stream is a great opportunity for TV Production students to get hands-on experience in a multi-camera remote production environment,” McKeel said. “Live remotes can be quite challenging but it’s an excellent ‘real world’ exercise.”
As a media production minor, I got the chance to spend an hour manning one of the cameras, working on tracking live subjects. I had classmates inside Lovett getting directing expertise and beside me getting experience working a camera on a crane. Constant chatter and instruction over our headsets guided us through the fast-paced event.
Korey Knight, a junior TV production major, spent time working every position available over ACS’s runtime. He found the experience helpful in preparing him for future work opportunities.
“Live-streaming for ACS was great,” Knight said. “I got to direct and learn some soft skills that I wouldn’t be able to learn in the classroom. Hopefully, I can direct an ESPN broadcast next.”
The ACS live broadcast offers a fun learning opportunity for students. A supportive and high-energy environment, filming the livestream was my favorite part of the day.
Zoe Lewis, a junior journalism major and proud member of the AOII sorority at MSU, enjoyed sharing a Murray State tradition with others.
“I’m so excited to be able to cheer on my sorority and still help with the production of All Campus Sing,” Lewis said. “Helping video ACS is a real-world opportunity for those in media production, and I’m so thankful to be able to participate. “
If you’re interested in learning more about MSU’s TV production program, stop by the eighth floor of Fine Arts to learn how to get involved.
