Media Production

Bringing courses to life

At UNC Charlotte, we know that high-quality media can make a powerful difference in how students experience and retain course content. Our media production specialists partner with instructors to create dynamic, accessible, and professionally produced media that supports student success.

Submit a Media Request to get started

Two Options for Integrating Media into Your Courses

  • Studio Production: Studio productions are filmed in our on-campus video studio—a controlled environment with professional lighting, sound, and backdrops. These videos are planned in advance, often scripted, and designed to present instructors or subjects in a clean, distraction-free setting.
  • Field Production: Field productions take place outside the studio—on campus, in labs, offices, or other real-world settings. These shoots capture environments and activities that add context or realism to course content, such as lab procedures, showcasing equipment, or interviews in natural surroundings. These are more dynamic and flexible, but less controlled than studio shoots.

Studio Production

We don’t just press record – we partner with you. Our team brings expertise in instructional design, media production, and storytelling to each project, helping to bring your ideas to life in ways that foster engagement and student motivation.

Studio production offers a powerful way to elevate instructional content beyond the traditional classroom. Within a professionally controlled environment, complete with advanced lighting, audio systems, and set design, faculty can create high-quality video materials that are polished, engaging, and designed for effective learning.

At the heart of studio production is precision. Every element from sound and lighting to camera angles and set staging is carefully managed to ensure clarity and consistency. This level of control makes studio production ideal for a variety of academic content formats, including:

  • Instructional demonstration videos
  • Faculty-led interviews and conversations
  • Course introductions and promotional content
  • Voiceover recordings for lectures, tutorials, and presentations

By shifting content creation from the classroom to the studio, instructors can produce media that not only looks and sounds professional but also strengthens the connection between the educator and student. Studio-produced content helps break down barriers, creating a more intimate and relatable learning experience for viewers, no matter where they are.

Know before you go

We want your time in the studio to be smooth, productive, and enjoyable. This short video will walk you through what to expect, how to prepare, and tips to help you get the most out of your recording session.

Field Production

Field production is a cornerstone of our team’s mission to enhance learning through immersive, real-world video experiences. Whether it’s footage of a cutting-edge research lab or a mock clinical exam room, our field productions make it possible to deliver education that reaches far beyond the campus.

Here are some examples of what field production can look like:

On-Site Production Environments

Our team collaborates with faculty and staff to film in a range of specialized university spaces:

  • Scientific Laboratories – Demonstrations, safety walkthroughs, and experiments.
  • Simulated Apartments – Realistic settings used for social work, counseling, and nursing training.
  • Mock Exam Rooms – Clinical skill simulations for nursing.
  • Boardrooms, Classrooms, and Conference Spaces – Professional settings for faculty, staff, and student interviews within their departmental environments.

Off-Campus Production Environment

Our team collaborates with faculty and staff to film at various off-campus locations that support course objectives and demonstrate real-world applications.

  • Clinical demonstrations at hospitals or healthcare sites
  • Expert interviews conducted in workplace or community settings
  • Industry site visits for manufacturing, engineering, or trade-related fields
  • Community-based learning with local organizations or service projects
  • Technical demonstrations at off-site labs with specialized equipment

How the Media Process Works

  1. Submit a Media Request Form: After submitting a media request, someone from our team will review your project. If needed, they will reach out with additional questions or guidance on your next steps. Please note that certain media requests may be declined if they fall outside our scope of work or do not have a feasible timeline.
  2. Client is contacted: Each project that comes in is assigned a project lead. The project lead ensures the project progresses smoothly to meet deadlines, remains within scope, and delivers the request as accurately as possible. The project lead will reach out to you to discuss project expectations, define the scope, and explain the media process. After agreeing on the next steps, the project lead schedules the studio session and assigns a media team member to begin working on the project.
  3. Studio session: A project goes through multiple stages of production.
  • You must submit the finalized scripts to the project lead for the teleprompter.
  • If any clarifications are needed, the media team member will consult the project lead or reach out to you.
  • Before the studio session, you should review the studio guidelines and rehearse your script.
  • On the day of the session, a media team member will meet you in front of the Kennedy building.
  • During the recording, you can pause and repeat any sections as needed.
  1. Feedback and edit requests: The project lead will reach out to you once the requested product has been completed as specified. You then provide feedback on any edits or modifications needed to fully meet your request. Those changes are then made accordingly.
  1. Project is finalized: Upon completion, you will be notified that the project is complete, and our team will send you the MP4 video file via Google Drive. The only edits that occur after this stage are fixes for technical errors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started with a media project?

First, ensure that your media request is for a course—our team exclusively produces academic learning content.Next, review the guidelines for supporting materials and gather all the necessary items before submitting your request through the Media Request Form.

What information and materials do I need to prepare before filling out the media request form?

Gather any materials you plan to incorporate into your project, such as images, diagrams, text, slides, video clips, or links.

If you’re creating a video, be sure to include a script. If a script isn’t available, provide a clear outline or description of the video content or contact us for help with script development.

What types of media do you produce?

We produce videos, graphics, audio, interactive objects, simulations, and other related media designed to support course content and enhance learning objectives.

What happens if I don’t provide the required materials on time?

If we don’t receive the necessary materials by the agreed-upon deadline, your project will be moved to the end of our queue and placed on hold until the items are submitted. This will likely result in a delay to your project’s delivery date. Generally, from the first inquiry, projects require a minimum of two weeks to complete if they involve very short amounts of content, and can sometimes take months. Submit your project as early as possible for an on-time delivery.

What should I do if I need to reschedule my studio time?

If you need to reschedule, please contact the team member you were initially scheduled to work with and inform them as soon as possible. CC your Instructional Designer, if appropriate.

What if I need edits to my media later on?

If you need changes to existing media, please submit a new media request form. Be sure to include a link to the media you’d like updated, along with a clear description of the requested edits. Generally, we only produce items that are ‘evergreen’, the object produced shouldn’t have information in it that may change over the next 2-3 years (Faculty names, dates, etc).

Depending on the scope of the changes, we may reach out to schedule a brief consultation or begin work as our availability allows.

Do you record lecture videos?

No, we do not provide lecture capture support.

Our team specializes in customized studio productions designed to support online course content and learning materials. Limited support for highly specialized on-site productions may be available following a consultation.

For traditional lecture capture needs, we recommend these alternatives:

  • CRES – Reserve a designated room equipped for lecture capture
  • Area 49 – Check out recording equipment for self-guided (DIY) video recording.
Do you offer animation services?

Animation may be available depending on the scope of your project. A consultation is required to determine feasibility and support.

What options do you have for voice acting?

We support a variety of services from AI-generated text-to-speech to in-studio production and post-production services.

What types of media requests qualify for support?

We support media projects that directly enhance academic course content. Common examples include:

  • Instructional videos for online or hybrid courses
  • Demonstrations of processes, techniques, or equipment
  • Course introductions or faculty welcome videos
  • Expert interviews or discussions

Please note that all requests require a consultation to determine scope, alignment with learning objectives, and scheduling availability.

How long does it take to complete a project?

Project timelines can vary based on the scope, complexity, and our current production schedule. On average, most media projects take 2 to 6 weeks from initial consultation to final delivery.

Turnaround time depends on several factors, including:

  • The readiness of your materials (e.g., script, visuals)
  • The length and type of media being produced
  • Your availability for recording and review
  • The number of active projects in our queue

We’ll provide a more accurate timeline during your consultation.