Aug. 16, 2022
This month, Rob Manuel, president of DePaul, joined Provost Salma Ghanem and leaders from the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media on a visit to the university's facilities at Cinespace Studios. Opened in 2013, the 32,000-square-foot professional production facility is located within Chicago's booming center for feature film and television production. DePaul's School of Cinematic Arts students learn filmmaking crafts and techniques from highly accomplished faculty and staff on industry-standard equipment mere steps away from high-profile network productions filming on the studio's lot.
Rob Manuel (left), president of DePaul, and Joe Lyons, interim director of DePaul Cinespace Studios, explore the production equipment storage center during a tour of the DePaul filmmaking facilities. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
(Left to right) Gary Novak, director of the School of Cinematic Arts; Dana Kupper, a documentary cinematographer; Sandy Gordon, a production manager; and Manuel tour DePaul Cinespace Studios. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
Novak and Manuel get a behind-the-scenes look at a student film production during the tour. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
Thanks to Cinespace, DePaul students and alumni have found opportunities working on hit television shows including Comedy Central’s "South Side;" Fox’s "Empire;" NBC’s "Chicago Fire," "Chicago Med" and "Chicago PD;" and Showtime’s "Shameless." (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
(Left to right) Manuel; Novak; Salma Ghanem, provost; Gordon and Cinespace student employees talk during the group's visit. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
Manuel chats with a Cinespace student employee during the day's event. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
Manuel peers through the viewfinder of an Arri Alex digital cinema camera during the tour. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
Brian Andrews, an associate professor of visual effects, animation and cinema production, demonstrates virtual production technology. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
The facility houses more than 17,000 square feet of shooting space on four separate stages with numerous standing sets, a green screen cyclorama, scenic shop, props and indoor loading bay. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)