Media Labs & Production Suites

SME 102 is a flexible and hybrid 1800sqft space that functions as a classroom, collaborative workspace, and production lab for Visual Arts students. Located in the Structural Materials and Engineering (SME) Building, this studio supports a variety of practices including book arts, ICAM projects, printmaking, textiles, and other interdisciplinary work.

Location

Structural Materials and Engineering 102

Access and Safety

Students must complete a shop orientation both online at the facilities instructional support canvas page, and at the shop with a supervised staff member leading the tutorial. Students that request 24 access to the space must fill out a Safety Form from the engineering department. Students enrolled in a class using this facility are provided with a quarterly class code to access this space outside of scheduled class time.

Facilities and Equipment

The room houses a range of specialized equipment. Students can create professional-quality books using the stack cutter and perfect binder. A risograph printer supports layered print production, while a vinyl plotter enables students to produce gallery text, stencils, and experimental designs. Additional resources include sewing machines for textile work, pull-down outlets for make shift electronic and soldering mixed media projects.

• Risograph MH9450 CMYK and RBG color drums
• Graphtec FC9000 30” Vinyl Cutter
• Paper Guillotine Stack Cutter 16.8” Wide
• Kaiser RA Copy Stand
• Perfect Binder
• Swingline Saddle Staplers
• VEVOR Manual Paper Creaser
• Conrad Machine Etching Press Model E-18
• Brother pacesetter PS500 sewing machine
• Big sewing machine Juki DDL-5550N
• Formax Cut-True 15M 17" Manual Paper Cutter
• VEVOR Book Press
• HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M553 printer
• HP LaserJet 2420dn printer
• Epson Expression 10000 XL Scanner
• ViewSonic PC VX2718PCMHD (2 count)
• Lightbox
• Samsung 85” Flatscreen (2 count)

Material Fees/Cost

$75 per yearly use

Facilities Instructional Support Canvas Page

Instructional support documents pertaining to equipment, demonstrations, and shop hours that change quarterly, can be found here : (Canvas link)

SME 104 expands the analog production capabilities of the VAF studios with dedicated zones for distinct printmaking and surface finishing techniques. This space supports three primary processes: screen printing, aerosol-based/HPLV applications for fabricated projects, and press-based printing.

Location

Structural Materials Engineering 104

Access and Safety

Students must complete a shop orientation with a supervised staff member leading the tutorial. Students that request 24 access to the space must fill out a Safety Form from the engineering department.

Facilities and Equipment

• HPLV Spray guns
• Workhorse: Odyssey Screen Printer B-105564
• Workhorse: Photosharp Exposure unit
• Ranar Econo Washout Booth
• Colmet Spray Booth
• Pressure Washer Spray
• Small Printing Press
• Inking table

Material Fees/Cost

$75 per yearly use

Facilities Instructional Support Canvas Page

Instructional support documents pertaining to equipment, demonstrations, and shop hours that change quarterly, can be found here : (Canvas link)

The VAF editing suites are equipped with high-performance Mac Pro workstations and a dedicated PC designed for virtual environment development. These suites support a wide range of media production workflows, featuring industry-standard software such as Adobe Creative Cloud, DaVinci Resolve, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Unity, Blender, and more.

Adjacent to the editing spaces is a Media Transfer Room, outfitted for digitizing and transferring content across legacy and modern formats. Students have access to equipment for Blu-ray, DVD, VHS, MiniDV, and 16mm film transfers, enabling archival work and format conversions.

Location

VAF 232-236

Access and Use policy

MFA and PHD students can Email vis-facilities@ucsd.edu to schedule a walkthrough tutorial with one of the Media technicians on staff.

Equipment and Software

For Software inquiries, access to staff managed equipment checkout systems, and available inventories reach out to vis-facilities@ucsd.edu or visit the instructional support canvas page.

• 2 MacPro
• Color Correction Monitor
• Mackie Mixing Monitors
• VHS, Bluray, DVD Transfer station
• 16mm/Super 8 optical scanner
• Samson Q9U microphone
• KRK Rokit powered 8 speaker system

Facilities Instructional Support Canvas Page

Instructional support documents pertaining to media equipment, demonstrations, and editing suite guidelines can be found here : (Canvas link)

This compact yet versatile studio is designed for both digital and analog sound work, offering a professional environment for editing, recording, and experimental sound production. Equipped with sound panels for optimal acoustics, the space features a wide selection of microphones, guitar pedals, and various sound production gear to support diverse creative needs. Ideal for scoring films, recording voice-overs, or capturing live instruments, the studio provides flexible tools for students and artists exploring sound design and audio recording techniques.

Location

Visual Arts Facility, Building 2 Room 219

Access and Use policy

The Visual Arts Facility Screening room is used for MFA Graduate research. Students are required to meet with the Department Media Specialist or Facilities Manager for safety walkthrough, Audio Visual tutorial, and proper space introduction before access can be granted. MFA and PHD students can Email vis-facilities@ucsd.edu to schedule a walkthrough tutorial with one of the Media technicians on staff.

Equipment

• Imac workstation
• Various Microphones
• Mixing Monitors
• Various Microphones
• Refraction cage
• 32 channel Mixer
• Baldwin Upright Piano
• Orange Crush Bass 50 Amp
• Yamaha 32CH Mixing Consol
• Focusrite Clarett 8ch Interface

Facilities Instructional Support Canvas Page

Instructional support documents pertaining to media equipment, demonstrations, and editing suite guidelines can be found here : (Canvas link)