Art Center's cutting-edge facilities and resources at the Hillside Campus and South Campus provide students with a limitless array of creative learning options and opportunities. Black-and-white and color photography labs, film and photography stages, film-editing equipment, computer labs, a recording studio, fabrication shops, printmaking labs, a technical skill center, Archetype Press, “smart” classrooms, exhibition spaces, a comprehensive library and many other vital resources support and enhance the Art Center learning experience.
Ahmanson Auditorium This 450-seat facility is used for screening student films, as well as shorts and features from faculty and guest directors. It's also host to a wide range of stage productions, concerts, speakers and multi-media events.
L.A. Times Media Center This unique and intimate 75-seat venue is used for lectures from leaders in the film and design communities, multi-media presentations, community art group programs and special events such as the Graduate Art Seminar and Toyota Lecture Series.
James Lemont Fogg Memorial Library The Library serves as an informal, collaborative learning environment, where students gather to do research, work on projects and study, supported by librarians offering research assistance.
The Libraryoffers a comprehensive collection of resources on art and design, including over 86,000 books chosen for the practicing designer and artist; online resources in dozens of design disciplines including color forecasting, materials, business, entertainment, photography and fine arts; 8,000 films on DVD and other cinema formats; and high-resolution visual images. Limited and signed editions, portfolios, and pop-up books can be found in the Rare Book Room. Subscriptions are maintained for more than 400 magazines, while Web-based subscriptions provide access to thousands of magazine articles. Macintosh computers offer wireless Internet access and e-mail.
The Library also oversees the preservation of Art Center's history in the College Archives in Room 202A. With more than half a million volumes, the library at nearby Occidental College serves as another resource for Art Center students.
The Writing Center provides individualized assistance for all students, from first term to graduate level. In addition to assisting students with writing assignments, the Writing Center can also help with reading and research.
Equipment Room The Equipment Room provides authorized students, faculty, staff and others a variety of circulating photography, film and audiovisual equipment. The equipment can be used in classrooms, studios, and in some instances, off-campus for instruction, demonstration and art-making purposes. Circulation is by reservation or a first-come, first-served basis depending on the type of equipment.
Film Equipment Film students have the benefit of a full spectrum of professional film and video equipment. Production equipment consists of a range of Arriflex 16 mm, Super 16mm and 35 mm film cameras, Panasonic and Canon digital video cameras utilizing state-of-the-art, high definition formats. The department also maintains lighting, grip and sound equipment.
Prop Room The Prop Room provides the background sets and equipment for daily classes and is also a resource for the Art Center community to check out props for projects.
Professional Recording Studio The audio control room offers students the latest in hard-disk recording technology, with a system that allows the maximum use of all types of audio in the digital domain, including: Audio System Digidesign Pro Tools 7.1, which offers 32 tracks of 24-bit digital audio recording; Pro Tools 7.1 Audio/Midi software; Digital Dynamics and Effects; cassette recorder; professional CD player; DAT stereo recorders; Mackie 24X24X2 Mixing Console; and a Midi Keyboard System, including Roland JV2080 synthesizer, Alesis D4 drum machine, and this system is controlled by a Kurzweil PC88 master keyboard. External analog effects include compressors, limiters, and digital-signal processors. A selection of high-quality microphones is available, as well as AKG headphones.
Digital Video Editing Stations Post-production/editing is completed using Final Cut Pro and Avid editing systems. Audio post-production/sound editing facilities include Pro Tools, Logic 7, and a recording room with a foley pit for dialogue looping and sound effects recording. A recording suite for music composition is also included.
Model Office The Model Office books models that work at Art Center. It also has a small reference file of models, actors, stylists and makeup artists, which is available to upper-level Photography and Imaging and Film students.
Photo and Film Stages Two fully equipped, 4,600-square-foot stages provide shooting space for all types of projects. An onstage kitchen facilitates styling of prepared food. A 24-foot strobe box and full cyc enable students to shoot automobiles and other large products.
Photography Equipment The following are available for checkout by Photography students: extensive tungsten and strobe lighting equipment and grip equipment; 4" x 5" and 8" x10" Sinar P2 view cameras; digital SLRs and digital medium-format backs; 35 mm and medium-format cameras.
Post-Production Equipment The following tools are available to students to complete record, film or video projects: Avid Media Composer with film option, Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro, Sony Betacam SP, DVCam and DVCPro.