Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College’s brand-new Media Creation Studio is up and running, providing the campus community – and potentially, organizations beyond – with new opportunities for learning and communicating using professional-level, cutting-edge equipment, including remote-controlled cameras and a 4K digital laser projector.
Saint Michael’s College is celebrating the grand opening of the Media Creation Studio by inviting several distinguished alumni back to campus to talk about the importance of having this type of resource on campus and how it will equip students with the future skills that will be in high demand.
The three alumni – longtime NESN Red Sox broadcaster Tom Caron ‘86, New York Times Deputy Director of Opinion Video Jonah Kessel ‘06, and former event producer for MTV Networks Clare Wool ‘88 – have all had successful careers in visual media since graduation, and they will participate in a panel discussion and open house for the Media Creation Studio on Feb. 2.
“It’s so exciting that the Media Creation Studio is finally here and being used daily by our students, faculty, and staff,” said Media Creation Studio Director Patrick Bohan. “Anyone can come into the studio and start creating videos, interviews, talk shows, voice-overs, podcasts, green-screen elements, and much more. The creativity and skill-building that I’ve witnessed in the studio is extremely impressive, and yet it is still just the beginning.”
The Media Creation Studio will provide students and faculty the opportunity to interface with media production professionals and learn how to use equipment, including 4K video cameras and professional microphones, lights, and editing software. It will also provide a space for students to workshop ideas, get help on projects, and take their production skills to the next level, with the eventual aim of producing media for AR and VR technologies.
The studio is open to students from all majors, who can explore the rapidly growing world of media production through the studio — expanding their skills and future marketability. The studio and equipment were made possible, in part, by a $150,000 grant from The George I. Alden Trust — a longtime supporter of smaller Northeast colleges including Saint Michael’s.
About the panelists:
Tom Caron, ‘86
Caron has worked for NESN for 27 years. He is perhaps most recognized as one of NESN’s Red Sox broadcasters – a position he has held for the past 21 seasons – serving as the network’s first baseball sideline reporter before becoming the host of the pre- and post-game shows in the 2004 championship season. Caron also served as studio host for Boston Bruins hockey from 1997-2004 and has been the play-by-play announcer for two of New England college hockey’s biggest tournaments: the Beanpot and the Hockey East championship. Prior to NESN, Caron was the play-by-play voice of the Portland Pirates of the AHL. Among his many awards and recognitions, Caron is an eight-time New England Emmy Award winner. His son, Jack Caron, graduated from Saint Michael’s in 2019.
Jonah Kessel, ‘06
Jonah Kessel is the Deputy Director of Opinion Video at The New York Times. His video journalism is a hybrid of explanatory and investigative short form documentary and other innovative forms of visual journalism. Previously, he worked as The Times’s director of cinematography and as an international video correspondent. He has reported on the ground from over 25 countries for The Times. In 2013, Kessel was on the team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting “for its penetrating look into business practices by Apple.” Among his many recognitions, Kessel is also a two-time World Press Photo winner and has been awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Justice and Human Rights Reporting and the Innovative Storytelling Award from the National Press Foundation.
Clare Wool, ‘88
Clare is an event producer and serves as the chairperson of the City of Burlington School Board. Following her time at Saint Michael’s, Wool worked as a Line Producer in the entertainment industry. She worked on the creative team at MTV Networks that launched House of Style with the supermodel Cindy Crawford. Wool also traveled the world producing MTV Unplugged concerts and annual productions of the MTV Video Music Awards and Movie Awards. She funnels the experience and expertise she gained from the entertainment industry into her current passion for education. Wool served as the Parent Teacher Organization leader at Edmunds Elementary and Middle schools for more than a decade, which eventually motivated her to seek election to the school board.
Event information:
Panel Discussion: Feb. 2, 2023, 4 p.m., Farrell Room, Saint Edmund’s Hall 3rd floor.
Open House: 5:15 p.m., Media Creation Studio, St. Edmunds Hall 215.
About Saint Michael’s College
Saint Michael's College, founded on principles of social justice and leading lives of purpose and consequence, is a selective, Catholic college just outside Burlington, Vermont, one of the country's best college towns. Located between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, our closely connected community guarantees housing all four years and delivers internationally respected liberal arts together with an innovative Purposeful Learning Program, preparing students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to be responsible for themselves, each other, and their world.
1.31.2023. COLCHESTER, VT – Saint Michael’s College www.smcvt.edu
