WATCH: Student-produced documentary explores CCM’s role in BLINK immersive art and light event

WATCH: Student-produced documentary explores CCM's role in BLINK immersive art and light event

See how CCM Lighting Design and Technology students transformed Cincinnati's Insane51 mural

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at how a team of CCM students helped illuminate the Queen City during last fall's BLINK festivities.

UC's College-Conservatory of Music provides students with professionally-oriented immersive experiences in order to prepare them to enter directly into performing and media arts careers. CCM students learn by doing, both inside and outside of the classroom. In a new short film created by CCM's Production Master Class, viewers can watch as a team of students put their education into action during one of Cincinnati's most popular events.

Titled Blink: A Spotlight on CCM, this mini documentary explores how CCM Lighting Design and Technology students contributed to BLINK, the nation's largest immersive art and light event. Held Oct. 17-20, 2024, BLINK transformed 30+ city blocks from Over-the-Rhine through Northern Kentucky and drew an estimated crowd of over 2 million people to the Greater Cincinnati region.

MFA student Lucas Inman was the lead designer on a lighting project involving a Cincinnati mural entitled "Euthenia," which was created by the Greek street artist and graffiti writer known as Insane51. Located near 1539 Race Street in the parking lot at the corner of Race and Liberty streets, the mural is painted in a style that Insane51 refers to as "Double Exposure 3D." His murals are designed to react to different colors of lighting, which in turn bring out different elements of each painting.

Inman's goal was to enhance the mural's 3D glasses effect with synchronized lighting and music designed to embrace the themes and color palette of Insane51's original concept.

Insane51's "Euthenia" mural enhanced with synchronized lighting during BLINK. Photo/Becky Butts

For this project, Inman worked with MFA student Nate Hedges, lighting project manager; BFA student Hayden Valkema, lighting programmer; and BFA student Flynn Wilson, lighting utility. CCM faculty members Sharon Huizinga and Kevin Lawson served advisors.

Led by instructor Melissa Godoy, a team of student documentary filmmakers from CCM's Production Master Class followed along as Lighting Design and Technology students and faculty worked together on the project.

Watch the mini documentary below. This video contains a brief instance of strong language.

About CCM Lighting Design and Technology

CCM Lighting Design and Technology's BFA and MFA programs are guided by a hands-on, experiential philosophy and holistic approach to the entire entertainment industry. Students get to experience real production opportunities, access to industry standard technology and professional connections through exciting faculty, guests and alumni.

Graduates of the program don't just work in the entertainment industry, they lead it. CCM Lighting Design and Technology alumni design on Broadway and around the world, run concert, television, film and augmented reality production companies, keep touring shows running and develop the newest lighting technologies. They have those opportunities because of the training CCM provides, and that includes access to contemporary lighting technology while they're in school so they're ready to assume leadership positions immediately upon graduation and, perhaps most importantly, so they can return to CCM and share their successes, both to inspire and to help train the next generation.

About CCM Media Production

CCM's Media Production Division emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning that is student-centered, professionally relevant and focused on creative content development.

CCM Media Production is student centered with small class sizes and an innovative, flexible curriculum that reflects the dynamics of industry demands and student needs. Students acquire the hands-on skills and digital portfolio necessary to transition successfully into the professional world. In addition to classwork, students are connected with professional internships that are integrated into the curriculum. The division's award-winning, full-time faculty has extensive professional media backgrounds that allow them to emphasize current professional media production tools and techniques while providing students with connections to the industry.

There's More to Explore!

Featured image at the top: Lighting Design and Technology MFA student Lucas Inman sits at a control console in CCM's Light Lab & Classroom Training Center in a scene from the "Blink: A Spotlight on CCM" mini documentary.

Additional Contacts

Tags

• College-Conservatory of Music
• Lighting Design and Technology
• Electronic Media Production
• Experience-based Learning
• Theatre Design and Production
• Arts & Culture

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