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WSIU studio gets new breath of life

BY SCOTT FITZGERALD, The Southern

Thursday, October 9, 2008 9:13 AM CDT

CARBONDALE - Studio A at WSIU in Southern Illinois University Carbondale's College of Mass Communication and Media Arts building is being used for a new program.

After a hiatus of more than five years, WSIU Public Broadcasting's student-produced series "Studio A presents ... In Concert," has been resurrected.

"The primary purpose of this series is to give the SIU student community the hands-on opportunity to work on multi-camera productions," said SIUC assistant professor H.D. Motyl of the university's radio-television department.

Ever since Motyl arrived at SIUC more than a year ago, he noticed long periods of non-use for the WSIU studios.

"We used the studios for classes and for "River Region Evening Edition," but I wondered why we weren't taking advantage of them to produce other shows," Motyl said.

He visited with students and found they were interested in reviving the Studio A In Concert series that had been a showcase for regional bands and musicians years earlier.

Motyl approached WSIU with a request to revive the show and "they wholeheartedly endorsed it. It's a win-win-win for WSIU, for viewers and for the students. It's a lot of work, but it is great experience," Motyl said.

Approximately 60 students have volunteered to produce the program. Each 30-minute show necessitates about 20 people on production and editing. Shoots are done during the noon hour and 6 p.m.

Student work includes studio basics such as camera positioning, lighting and editing. The work is excellent to include on a resume and clips will be available for personal reels when students begin seeking employment, Motyl said.

"The range of music we'll offer runs from Bluegrass to Reggae, Acoustic to Metal. We'll offer bands from all genres. A band performs five or six songs and is interviewed by the show's host," said Kathy Stanish, a supervising producer.

Bands and musicians that want to perform on Studio A should contact Motyl at (773) 383-5080 or e-mail him at: hdmotyl@siu.edu.

scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com / 351-5076