Creative Studio offers students a host of technology tools

In the movie “Ocean’s 8,” thieves use a 3D printer to make a copy of a precious necklace so they can swap it for the real one.

Can that feat actually be done with today’s 3D technology?

Vanessa Rodriguez, head of the University of Miami Libraries Creative Studio and librarian associate professor, will seek to answer that question during an upcoming virtual discussion, “3D Scanning and Printing Explained With Ocean 8’s Future Technology.” The virtual session will be held on March 9 at 3 p.m.

“Sometimes it is easier to explain concepts if people can relate to it,” she said, explaining why she chose to highlight the movie in her talk.

Rodriguez heads Creative Studio, a multimedia lab with locations on the first floor of both the Otto G. Richter Library and Weeks Music Library, which helps students and staff members gain the tools to create multimedia projects. The studio offers classes on various software, including Adobe and Canva.  

Now, because of a partnership with several other universities, the number of online courses has increased. The studio has partnered with library makerspaces at multiple southeastern universities to form a new community called SEML—Southeastern Multimedia Libraries—that supports teaching and learning in the fields of audio production, 3D rendering, animation, graphic design, desktop publishing, and more.

Vanessa Rodriguez works with a 3D printer in the Creative Studio

The universities participating are the University of Miami, Clemson University, North Carolina State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The partnership will allow University students to take virtual classes offered by all the universities.

“Since we [the universities] were all on Zoom because of the pandemic and we can have sessions with 300 people, it made sense to allow each other’s students and staff members to attend our sessions,” Rodriguez said.

Sign up for courses offered by the SEML partnership. Creative studio sessions are meant to introduce a user to the essentials of the software.

Besides offering classes, the studio lets students borrow equipment so they can create their projects. These include cameras, video cameras, screens, lights, tripods, microphones, and VR headsets. The studio also has an Ultramaker 3 3D printer.

Anyone interested in music can also use the Creative Studio at the Weeks Music Library that includes specialized software for music. The equipment available for loan from that library is more specialized and includes keyboards. In addition, two recording studios are available to all students and staff.

For those with an interest in projects utilizing virtual and augmented reality, the XR Community Lab on the third floor of the Richter Library can be a great resource. Assistance is available for faculty members who are interested in having their students experience VR and AR technology during their courses.

Visit Creative Studio for more information.

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