Emerging Media Lab
At the Emerging Media Lab (EML), students don’t just study new media—they build it, test it, and push it forward across animation, game design, virtual reality, 3D modeling, and immersive storytelling.
Located in the Ansin Building, the lab brings together classroom instruction, production spaces, and advanced tools—from virtual reality and XR studios to 3D scanners and software for digital animation—supporting both coursework and independent student projects. Together, these resources give students the opportunity to experiment, collaborate, and develop work at the intersection of storytelling and cutting-edge digital technologies.
Explore New Media
The EML gives students a place to explore extended reality (XR) and new media storytelling. Working with interactive, digital tools that are constantly evolving, students combine foundational creative approaches with emerging technologies to build work that responds to—and anticipates—the future of film and media.
Curriculum
The Emerging Media Lab (EML) is a creative engine for new media exploration, spanning 3D modeling and animation, analytical drawing, artistic anatomy and 2D animation, character design, rigging and animation, game design, development and coding, virtual reality and augmented reality, 360° cinema, and cutting-edge capture methods including photogrammetry and LiDAR scanning.
Within the EML, students work in a hands-on studio environment designed for making and experimentation. Specialized software and professional-grade equipment support both collaborative and independent work, encouraging bold approaches to digital storytelling.
Projects are structured around real-world production pipelines, moving from concept to execution with an emphasis on process, iteration, and craft. Students graduate with a flexible, multidisciplinary skill set for a future in creative careers across media, technology, and design.
Facilities and Resources
From first sketch to fully immersive world, the EML provides the spaces and systems that power new media creation. Across labs, studios, and specialized equipment, students have access to the following tools built for imagination, production, and play:
- EML Classroom Lab
- Windows workstation lab with drawing monitors and production tools for animation, game design, XR, and interactive media
- VR Suites
- Individual VR-ready rooms with PCs, dual monitors, and space for VR development and testing
- XR Studio
- Flexible production space used for VR, virtual production, volumetric capture, and large-scale immersive projects
- EML Workstation Computer Builds
- Lab computers running Windows 11 configured specifically for emerging media production workflows
- Software Suite
- Includes tools for animation, 3D modeling, game engines, VR/AR development, photogrammetry, 360° video editing, and Adobe Creative Cloud
- Render Farm (Muster Console)
- Distributed computing system used for rendering animation and visual effects projects faster than a single workstation
- Workstation Checkout and Reservations
- Ability to reserve and check out lab workstations and equipment through the Webcheckout Patron Portal or in-person
- EML Annex Equipment Checkout
- Access to items like headphones, Wacom Cintiq stylus pens, Express Key remotes, and Wacom Intuos tablets
- VR Headsets
- Includes HTC Vive headsets, Meta Quest devices, Oculus/Quest systems, and smartphone-based VR headsets
- 3D Scanning Equipment
- Artec Eva handheld 3D scanner for high-precision object scanning into 3D models
- Flatbed Scanner
- Epson Expression scanner for digitizing physical artwork and materials
- Motion/Sensor Equipment
- Includes Xbox Kinect and Azure Kinect sensors for body tracking, AR, and volumetric capture