Systems Studio
2018–2026
Carnegie Mellon University
Required Course for 2nd year Undergrads and 1st year MFAs in Video and Media Design curriculum, open to non-majors
2025 Syllabus Link Here
Systems Studio is a core technical design course for incoming graduate and undergraduate students in Video and Media Design at the School of Drama, covering the systems and practices that support media design for live performance. The course pairs foundational readings on media, technology, and society with hands-on technical instruction in video compression, projector optics, projection mapping, custom and professional media servers, networking and control protocols, live camera systems, and projector rigging. Students build custom media servers, experiment with projection surfaces and materials, and work with cueing software, moving between conceptual frameworks and practical implementation throughout the semester. The course is designed to give students a clear picture of the technical needs of media for live performance and installation.
Example Lectures: What is Video?, Projection Math, Network Show Control
The Video and Media Design program maintains an internal wiki for sharing standard operating procedures, production information, and more. Systems Studio course assignments often require a wiki page as a project deliverable, helping students learn early on the value of this community-driven resource and the importance of contributing to it.
Wiki page examples of student work:
Production Case Studies: Mary-Kate Olsen is in Love & The Dumb Waiter
Equipment Guides: Brightsign, Videomancer