March 27, 2025

At Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, we’re continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation – and recent facility and technology upgrades reflect our commitment to preparing students for the future of the entertainment industry. The new Immersive Audio Mixing Studio, Content Creation Studio, and LED Volume Wall bring emerging media technologies to our community, encouraging students to explore the future of immersive media and storytelling.

The Immersive Audio Mixing Studio

Located in One Drexel Plaza, this state-of-the-art facility offers an acoustically precise environment for students to engage with one of the most advanced technologies in audio production today: immersive sound. With this studio, our students will gain hands-on experience with tools that are revolutionizing the way music, film, and gaming audio are produced.

Dolby Atmos: The Future of Audio is Here

Immersive audio has already made waves in film production, but it’s now becoming essential for music. With streaming platforms like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon HD adopting Dolby Atmos, major record labels now require immersive audio mixes as part of their production pipeline. This studio is designed to accommodate Dolby Atmos’ cutting-edge 7.1.4 speaker format, which delivers a full 360-degree sound experience. Here’s what it entails:

• 7 Horizontal Speakers for full surround sound (including left, right, front, rear, and side channels)
• 1 Low-Frequency Effects (LFE) Speaker to capture deep, rumbling bass
• 4 Ceiling-Mounted Speakers to add the height element, completing the immersive experience

For students in the Music Industry program, this technology will provides a powerful opportunity to experiment with the same tools used by industry professionals to create immersive audio mixes.

Introducing the Content Creation Studio

In another exciting move to equip students with state-of-the-art resources, Westphal is proud to unveil its brand-new Content Creation Studio. Housed in the Department of Cinema & Television, this cutting-edge studio is designed to support a wide range of content production, from podcasting to vlogging and flexible shooting setups.

A Hub for Creative Exploration

The Content Creation Studio offers students at Drexel the ideal environment to experiment with and perfect their media production skills. The space is thoughtfully designed to accommodate a variety of content types, whether you’re looking to create intimate, professional podcasts or dynamic videos for digital platforms.

The Content Creation Studio encourages students from various disciplines to come together, share their skills, and work on cross-media projects. Whether you’re collaborating with classmates from film, journalism, or even marketing, this space facilitates an exchange of ideas and expertise, creating an atmosphere where creative projects can thrive.

Additionally, the studio is not just a resource for students within the Department of Cinema & Television; it’s a hub for the entire Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. This cross-disciplinary accessibility will open new doors for collaboration and innovation, allowing students to experiment with different types of media and push the limits of their creative potential.

The LED Volume Wall

The Department of Digital Media is taking a major leap forward with the addition of its LED Volume Wall, located in the Motion Capture Lab, opening up a new realm of creative possibilities for students, faculty, and industry professionals alike.

The LED Wall represents a significant investment in the future of virtual production, allowing users to seamlessly blend the physical and digital worlds in ways previously reserved for blockbuster films and high-end television production. This high-tech addition gives Drexel students the tools to explore virtual environments, motion capture, and digital storytelling at a level of sophistication that matches the demands of today’s media landscape.

Virtual Production at Its Best

Virtual production has become an essential part of modern filmmaking, especially in the realm of high-budget productions and digital storytelling. With the new technology, students can create dynamic virtual environments in real-time without needing to rely on green screens or post-production visual effects. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for immersive storytelling, where everything from expansive cityscapes to fantastical landscapes can be realized instantly.

In practical terms, students working on film and digital media projects can now shoot scenes in realistic virtual environments while interacting with dynamic digital elements, all captured in a single take. The LED Volume Wall allows for unprecedented flexibility and efficiency, providing students with the tools to create high-quality content without the limitations of traditional production techniques.

Collaboration and Creativity Unleashed

The addition of the Immersive Audio Mixing Studio, Content Creation Studio, and LED Volume Wall enhances Drexel’s collaborative spirit. With these new facilities and resources, students and faculty can collaborate powerfully across industries. From animation and film production to fashion design and architecture, Westphal’s diverse creative disciplines will benefit from immersive media technology.