Category Archives: Texas A&M Media & Gaming Lab

Media & Gaming Lab Launch Podcasts

News, Texas A&M Media & Gaming Lab
Facebooktwitter

The Media & Gaming Lab is proud to announce we have started producing student run podcasts. Under the guidance of Professor Jonathan Guajardo, Media & Gaming Lab students have launched two podcasts so far. Professors Joey Lopez and Jonathan Guajardo have garnered full support from the Department of Communication & Journalism and have secured a dedicated room for podcasting. The room is located on campus in the basement of Bolton Hall. The response to the podcasts have been very good and as we expand the topics of podcasts we are excited to see where the students take it.

The Pass-Back Podcast

The Pass Back Podcast Commentators
The M&G Lab Podcast Studio setup for the PBP

Description:

Made by Texas A&M University students, The Pass-Back is a sports podcast for Aggies by Aggies. From Midnight Yell and tailgating, to breaking down stats & injuries. The Pass-Back Podcast dives into every topic that you, the 12th Man, want to hear about. It is a student-run podcast that attempts to engage fellow students with the current news and contentions. The hosts of the podcast are Juniors Cade Young and Jackson Moss. The podcast consists of a game preview for the week, SEC storylines, recap of last week’s game, players of the week, and it holds many other ambitions for the future. Diego Valle and Tori Hillis help edit the video and sound, as well as run the cameras and lighting. The podcast may be small, but it’s very enticing to be a part of. The entire premise is for students to have another Aggie sports outlet, and hopefully it continues far past graduation for everyone who is part of the podcast currently.

Podcast Links:

People Involved:

  • Cade Young – Host
  • Jackson Moss – Host
  • Tori Hillis – Producer
  • Diego Valle – Editor/Technical Director

12th Woman Sports Podcast

Description:

Our names are Jordan and Sophie, and we are both students at Texas A&M University. Whoop! We are running a women’s perspective sports podcast called the “12th Woman” where we discuss multiple topics every week with each other as well as our special guests. Check us out on YouTube and Instagram!

People Involved:

  • Sophie Sheets – Host/Producer
  • Jordan Harsh – Host/Producer/Editor
  • Diego Valle – Technical Director

Podcast Links:

JOUR 359 Reporting Sports

Jonathan Guajardo and joey had the pleasure of hosting Angelique Gammon’s JOUR 359 Reporting Sports class at the Media & Gaming Lab Podcast Studio in Bolton 010. Before coming to the Lab the students were given a hands on overview of general video production equipment. Then in the lab the video and audio boards were explained and within minutes the students were doing podcasting and really getting into it. Having this turn key space has been great and within just two months we have built a community that is expanding at a rapid rate.

The future of the Media & Gaming Lab Podcasts

It is our hope to facilitate more programming and expand our reach so that more students can engage with the lab as they look to enter the world of podcasting. Currently we plan on adding the following podcasts:

  • Popular Culture
  • Skateboarding
  • eSports Gaming
  • Cozy and Casual Gaming
  • Media & Gaming Lab

If you are interested in being a part of a podcast or have an idea for one not listed, feel free to reach out to us and we can talk more about making your dream a reality! We look forward to building new collaborations and growing this endeavor within the lab.

SUMMER 2023 ReCap

News, Texas A&M Media & Gaming Lab, Texas A&M Media & Gaming Lab Semester Write Up, Texas A&M PVFA
Facebooktwitter
Flyer promoting Ardens Talks and Workshops
Guest Lecture by Arden
Arden giving a DiVinci tutorial.
Arden, Will, Kim, Rob & joey from L-R, Rob has been so giving of his time!

Arden visits us again!

The summer of 2023 was a crazy time. We had a lot going on. Arden Duffield was able to make his way back from NYC and we hosted multiple meet ups and workshops, we put a whole series together and Arden’s spirit really carried the lab forward. Arden also joined us on multiple collaborative meetings, such as when we met with the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts Faculty and Grand Stafford manager Rob Hitchcock to talk about future projects.

In addition we had visits from Kaye Cruz where he and Arden were able to go do some local news coverage. Elizabeth Holmes made international news going to federal prison here in Bryan/College Station. It was great getting to see Arden get some hands on experience.

Also we would all like to congradulate Arden for getting into NYU! Well deserved in our book.

Lab expansion and resources

Additionally joey worked on the lab on multiple fronts. We are currently in talks with the department to physically expand the lab, we are fortunate to have Andy Castillo (Paper Street Studios), a CMC member who does 3D renderings; he created a full fly through of the future space and gave the idea “life.”

In parallel the lab proposed a whole equipment budget for more audio and video equipment for production and the lab space in general. So stay tuned as more develops.

Rick Pulos preparing our DJI Ronin for his documentary.

Rick Pulos lend technical skills to local theater

Ph.D. student Rick Pulos worked with the Bryan Theatre Company of BCS and their production of Cabaret over the summer. Specifically Rick Pulos was charged with developing sets, lighting and other tasks, such as developing video promotions. Rick has been developing a documentary about the BTC of BCS and we all look forward to seeing his film once it is completed.

Will loves to make noise! We love to Document it!

joey also got to cover Media & Gaming Lab collaborator and mentor William Connor Ph.D. of the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts as he worked on creating multiple physical instruments to be used to create a sound track for a filmmaker working on a documentary about space for NASA.

Will is a musician, musicologists and instrument builder, amongst many other talents, a polymath for sure! Watching Will problem solve and create his instruments with minimal materials has been an education for sure. Not only did joey follow him on campus, but went on multiple “music store” runs, where Will would thrift for “things” he could incorporate into his instruments.

Will’s kind character is very intoxicating, everyone who would walk by that had questions about what he was up to would get a full explanation and often demonstrations! We cannot thank Will for being part of our lab and all he contributes.

Media Lab Visits Synth Makers, Developers & Players in Austin, TX

Durning the summer, joey, Will and Corina went and visited Brandon Wiley and Jeremy Zunker, two synthesizer enthusiasts based out of Austin, TX. It was great seeing some of their designs, talk shop and ideate on future collaborations. One collaboration we walked away with is hosting a Symposium aka “Synthposium,” in downtown Bryan, TX at Tavo coffee.

Turning up the Volume at the Media & Gaming Lab

joey built some Dayton Audio C-Note speakers and added a small amp to drive them with the Rega P1 Turntable

joey also worked on making the Media & Gaming Lab feel more welcoming, building a customer speaker system for the turntable, adding more vinyl, more posters and Nintendo Switch docking station.

Grants & Collaborations

We made headway on all the Fall 2023 grants and collaborations including

  • Lorefest Fall 2023
  • BIPOC Poetry & Recital Workshop
  • Communication & Journalism Broadcast Facilitative Learning Workshop
  • LatinX Critical Creative Consortium Fall 2023, UT Austin

So stay tuned for more blogs about all that we are up to!

GRAND STAFFORD THEATER TALENT SCOUT – ZAYNO RAYNE

CMC & MGL Member Highlights, CMC and MGL Documentation, News, Texas A&M Media & Gaming Lab
Facebooktwitter
First College Night Flyer
Second College Night Flyer

The Media & Gaming Lab is so proud to announce that our own Zayno Rayne is working as a Talent Scout for local Bryan/College Station venue the Grand Stafford Theater. Zayno has been a member of our lab for some time now and his goal from day one has been to make music and be part of the local scene. He has been interning with the Grand Stafford Theater for almost a year now, after soliciting them when our own Maxwell Burgess played a live show there last October and the Media & Gaming Lab provided photography and videography for the show.

Rick Pulos of the Media & Gaming Lab, Fall 2022
Maxwell Playing with “Small Talk”, Fall 2022
Zayno & Nate of the Media & Gaming Lab, Fall 2022

Since that time Zayno has been making the connections, collaborating with and setting up the network needed for a college music night at the Grand Stafford Theater. This September 2023, Zayno, along with a network of current and former Media & Gaming Lab students along with others came together to create a team of producers, promoters, videographers, photographers, audio engineers and lighting to put on what I am calling “Grand Stafford Theater’s 2023 College night series.”

Check out this short video!

Blue House
Blue House
Coaxial Wake
Coaxial Wake

I (joey) was was able to check out one of the nights and heard two great bands, “Coaxial Wake” & “Blue House.” It was so cool to see a crowd with energy ready to engage with the bands, both of whom had some good chops and played some covers and also some originals, which I have to say I got to hear mostly Coaxial Wake’s original songs and wow were they good. They were also great at covering the Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Blue House covered some Eagles and Aerosmith and they rocked it as well. I wish I had been able to go to the Saturday 23rd and heard all those bands, like Maxwell Burgess’ “Working Hours” which he is a part of. Alas there is only so much time.

Alazar, 2AM Productions
Marco, 2AM Production

It was awesome to see 2am Productions, a video and photography production company started by former Media & Gaming Lab student’s Marco & Alazar at the event getting video coverage. They were able to make it to the first event as well and said it was great.

Rolf running the audio and lighting boards at the back of the house.

Behind the audio and lighting boards was Rolf, an audio engineering student who has been producing music for some time and is now getting fully immersed into live sound.

Zayno getting Coaxial Wake setup on stage.

It was great seeing Zayno running the whole show, literally, going from the stage, to the back of the venue, to the front and upstairs, making sure things were good, even throwing trash away as he navigated the crowd.

Arden, Will, Kim, Rob & joey from L-R, Rob has been so giving of his time!

The other key person in this in this collaboration has been Rob Hitchcock of the Grand Stafford, to say he has been facilitative is an understatement. He is the one who has allowed all this to happen there. THANK YOU ROB from all of us!

Overall it is amazing to see Media & Gaming Lab students running the GST College Night Series, I cannot thank all the support faculty, graduate and undergraduate students that have encouraged each other to reach for the stars and keep going. Specifically Kali Johnson, Jonathan Guajardo, William Connor Ph.D., Mathew Campbell Ph.D., Anthony Ramirez Ph.D., Rick Pulos, Sophie Villarreal, Maxwell Burgress and many others I am forgetting. Also the School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts faculty have been so supportive and collaborative throughout this past year, as we develop our relationship with them we will be posting more and more about their work with the lab, so stay tuned!