To be authorized for general borrowing privileges, users must attend the LMC General Access Orientation. This session is offered throughout the academic year, and will give you permission to borrow most of the equipment in our inventory. A subset of LMC equipment will require more advanced training. This session is not meant to answer questions about specific items of gear, but to make sure that everyone understands our terms and conditions for borrowing. Expect this session to last about one hour.

Learn to make beautiful digital prints. We will cover set up and operation of LMC printers, including selection of a paper profile, color calibration and file preparation. We will walk you through the printing process—paper loading, test prints, alignment, etc.—as well as software procedures for the Epson 4900 and Epson 9600. We will also note some peculiarities of the Epson 1400, in order to maximize workflow efficiency. Design software will be discussed in regard to print dialog settings and general guidelines, e.g. recommended resolutions for print versus screen/web display. A basic understanding of Adobe Photoshop is a plus but is not required.

In this workshop we will go over the Mamiya RB67 medium format camera and the Toyo View 4x5 large format camera.  We will go through the process as though on a shoot, showing you how to set up the camera, load film, and take meter readings. We will also cover more advanced movements on the large format camera, which can be used to achieve certain effects in your image.  A list of various photographic resources in Chicago will be provided.

This workshop will familiarize you with the Edelstone darkroom, its policies and procedures. This authorization presumes an extensive working knowledge of wet darkrooms and will not show you how to develop film. Please meet at the LMC cage and we will head to Edelstone as a group.

This workshop will cover DSLR basics for still photography and video. The goal of this workshop is to familiarize you with Canon and Nikon cameras--helping you to navigate the user interfaces and understand basic camera settings and operations. We'll go over the principles of photography--ISO, shutter speed, f-stop, depth of field--and note workflow differences between various digital recording formats. Lastly, we'll touch on a few stylistic concepts related to DSLR photography--including the use of picture settings to achieve certain ‘looks’.

Interested in shooting video with your DSLR camera? Focusing on video production, this workshop will introduce basic concepts that will help you choose the right shutter speed, frame rate, focus and exposure settings to achieve a high-quality moving image with a DSLR. We will also cover recording formats, basic audio principles, and the use of tripods. 

In this advanced camera workshop we will discuss the Panasonic AG-AC130, a full HD video camera. We will cover functions including menu and file settings, manual control options, and connectivity for external microphones and monitors. General shooting tips will be discussed, as will the workflow for uploading media files to non-linear editing software, such as Final Cut Pro. Though this workshop will cover some camera basics, we will assume familiarity with video shooting and experience with camera use.

Confused about different types of audio cables? Interested in knowing more about signal levels when recording? What does phantom power do, anyway? This session will cover basic audio principles and provide a foundation for recording, both for video and music.

In this workshop we will look at the fundamentals of digital audio conversion, recording and processing. Starting with the Zoom H2/H4/H4n, we will look at a small handheld digital recorder, how it functions, and how it fits into a broader workflow for audio or video projects. We will then move to the Avid Mbox and the Echo Audiofire Pre8, for a discussion of how to interface audio sources with a computer. We will provide an overview of audio recording/processing software supported at the LMC, including Pro Tools, Audacity, Garage Band, and Reaper. This section will explore sample rates, clock sync, file formats, data management, and how to correctly set up your audio interface to work with your software. We will conclude with a tour of the Digital Music Studio Pro Tools HD system.

Does your movie look great but sound like it was recorded on a cell phone? Focusing on audio in the context of video production, this workshop will cover the basics of live sound recording on set. We will then upload a recording into a digital audio workstation, and show you the basics of compression, equalization and noise reduction.

This workshop will cover more advanced audio techniques, including operation of wireless lav microphones and field mixers. We will delve further into the considerations that go into recording sound for video, and have an in-depth discussion of audio capture while on set. This workshop presumes a working knowledge of cameras and audio equipment, but no one will be turned away.

In this workshop we will introduce you to the basics of studio lighting for still photography: on-camera flash, small strobes, studio strobes, wireless syncing and modifiers. If you have a DSLR camera of your own, please feel free to bring it with you. 

This workshop will introduce you to a number of lighting fixtures and discuss differences in the intensity and quality of light. We will focus primarily on the basics of safety and setup, detailing methods of use that will allow for a better understanding of the lights’ electrical usage. We will also delve into some techniques for more advanced lighting control, examining how different qualities of light can affect the overall aesthetic of your project. Please plan to attend the advanced lighting workshop if you wish to gain access to fixtures such as LED panels, Arri lights and Kinoflo banks.

In this workshop we will cover the basics of working with Arri lights, KinoFlo Fluorescent fixtures and LED light panels. While we will use case examples to illustrate on-set lighting solutions, this session will be more about how to safely set up and operate the lighting fixtures than about creative methods. Completing this workshop will give you access to the lighting equipment in our advanced lighting tier.

In this workshop we will cover the basics of editing with Apple's Final Cut Pro. This software is perfect for the new editor looking to create a video project for the first time, as well as for the experienced editor looking to gain new skills and tools. Bring your external hard drive if you have specific questions about compatibility or formatting.

Learn the basics of video editing in Adobe Premiere. We will familiarize you with Premiere's user interface, and cover the basics of importing files, media management, editing footage and exporting the finished product.

Looking to add special effects to your video? Want to apply masking or tracking? In this workshop we will go through the basics of Adobe After Effects, video software that is typically used for motion graphics, visual effects and digital compositing in post-production. We will also show you how to navigate between Adobe Premiere and After Effects, and cover some best practices for a seamless workflow between the two. 

Learn the basics of Pro Tools for editing audio. In this software overview, we'll show you how to set up a new recording session, record audio directly into Pro Tools, manipulate or modify the recorded media, and export finished tracks.