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Film & Media Studies to move to Summerfield Hall
TANNER HASSELL @thassel17
Summerfield Hall will house the Department of Film and Media studies by fall 2017.
Sarah Wright/KANSAN
The Department of Film & Media Studies will soon be moving from its home in Oldfather Studios to the former business school building, Summerfield Hall. Faculty in the department said the new facility will feature state-of-the-art spaces and technology for students, while giving students the added benefit of being near other buildings on campus.
Department Chair Michael Baskett said traditions of the old facility will be missed, but the new facility will make going to film and media classes easier for undergraduates.
"It's been great that Oldfather has had its own identity. We've had a proper film studio that was built and used for all these years," he said, "Faculty and students like the fact that parking is free as well. There's a lot of good things about Oldfather just beyond the tradition. Even so, though, I think a lot of faculty and students are excited to be on campus."
Oldfather Studios was built in 1955 and named after former law professor Charles Oldfather in 1991, according to the University building directory.
Associate Professor of film studies Tamara Falicov said the new location will give film and media studies more visibility.
"I am excited we will have more visibility on campus," she said. "As it stands, the campus map does not even have Oldfather on it. Now, we
will have a more central visible space."
Falicov said the building will be shared with the Career Center and the Undergraduate Advising Center.
I am excited we will have more visibility on campus."
Tamara Falicov Associate Professor of Film Studies
"Sharing a building with the Career Center will benefit our students and will give other students a chance to see film and media studies. So we are thinking this will be very positive for our students," she said.
Baskett said the new location could become a hub for those interested in the arts.
"I think this will provide a chance for the four departments of the school of the arts to collaborate more often," he said. "We're going to be right next door to Murphy Hall
where theatre is, we're right down the road from dance and from visual arts. It's a huge deal for us to be back located on campus."
Baskett said the renovation won't just be a quick fix-up on an old building. He said a brand new soundstage, recording studios, media library and work space will be available for students to use.
"Even though we've had a soundstage up until now, and it was great for the 1950s when it was built, we've had to keep it up and make renovations when needed," he said. "The difference is, starting this fall, we'll be able to walk into a brand new sound stage. We'll be able to divide up space to have several different projects going at once."
Baskett said the addition of a media library will be a welcome addition to the new soundstage and recording studios.
"We've never had a media library before, so this is something new for film and media students," he said. "This will be like nothing we've ever
had before. It'll kind of be a multi-use space for classes or for students."
Baskett said construction will finish this semester, and new technology will be installed in the new facilities. He said summer classes may be taught out of Summerfield following this spring.
"We'll be setting up throughout the summer, and hopefully we'll teach our summer classes out of Summerfield," he said. "For certain, we will start fall 2017 in Summerfield."
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