Pictured from left to right: Matthew Weber, Caitlin Ellis, Ryan Zegarelli, Diana Kalvitis-Pannone, Dennis Jansen, Mark Maddalina, Megan Smith, Mark Kluczynski
On October 30, SWBR joined university, state and local officials to celebrate the grand opening of Rochester Institute of Technology’s MAGIC Spell Studios, a new state-of the-art facility that now houses all of the school’s digital media disciplines. SWBR designed this new facility featuring cutting-edge technology to create and commercialize computer gaming, film and animation, graphic design and imaging sciences projects.
“MAGIC Spell Studios is a landmark facility that uniquely embraces innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurship,” said Principal Mark Maddalina. “It supports the convergence of computer game design, film, animation and digital media education in an inspiring, professional environment.”
The studio provides students a hands-on, high-tech environment from which they can launch their own companies in Rochester, fueling an industry that has taken hold locally with entrepreneurial enterprises. MAGIC Spell Studios is the first commercialization studio of its kind in the northeast.
The new facility also includes a 7,000 SF Movie Sound Stage, Sound-Mixing Studio, Color Correction Studio, 180-seat Movie Theater, three Media Development Laboratories, 2D and 3D Animation Classrooms, Stop-Motion Studios, a Virtual Reality Laboratory, and Research + Incubator spaces for startup ventures.