TORONTO – Gearing up for the high definition evolution, Centennial College has equipped its broadcasting studio with four HD cameras to help train students in high-def techniques and production values.
It’s the first college in the Toronto region to use the cameras in a learning environment, says the school.
The HD cameras are the first step in a three-year plan to bring Centennial’s broadcasting program up to the same standards the industry is slowly incorporating. The studio’s control room (pictured below) will get high-definition monitors and digital switchers, and videotape eventually will be replaced by high-capacity servers that will store the audio and visual information digitally.
“It’s not just about learning to work with new technology,” says Sheldon Reisler, co-ordinator of Centennial’s Broadcasting and Film program, “it’s learning about the new format and how the information-rich images impact the telling of our stories.”
The Hitachi 1080i digital studio cameras deliver 16×9 images that are wider than the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio that has been used for decades. Reisler says the new format will bring about a lot of changes to the curriculum taught in his program.
“Conventional television can’t show details very well, so a lot of time is spent splicing in close-ups of a weapon or jewel or other plot detail,” explains Reisler. “An HD camera can capture that and show you the expression on the character’s face all in one beautiful frame.” 
The high-definition picture quality means students have to build flawless sets and sweat the smallest details as well. “The broader field gives viewers additional information about the environment and the story,” says Reisler. “There’s a new level of scrutiny that has to be applied to every aspect of television production.”
Reisler says Centennial graduates will have an advantage in the job market because they’ll know how to apply high-definition standards to everything from storyboards to set design. American TV stations must adopt HD digital broadcasting by February 2009, while Canadian broadcasters will have until the end of August, 2011 to switch over.
Centennial College offers its three-year Broadcasting and Film program at its mid-Toronto campus, The Centre for Creative Communications. The Centre is a leading- edge media education campus with programs in art and design, journalism, advertising, public relations, publishing and integrated media.
