When students walk into the Upper School’s broadcast studio in August 2025, they’ll find a game-changing addition: a high-tech, high-impact LED wall that’s transforming how they tell stories.
“This is our new LED wall, a dynamic digital canvas for student filmmaking and live broadcasts,” said Mr. Dave Burgess, Director of the Digital Media Production Department. “It fundamentally changes how our students can approach visual storytelling.”
Gone are the days of static backdrops and fixed camera angles. With this new technology, students now have access to a tool typically reserved for professional studios and universities. The wall allows for moving talent, rotating scenes and creative control at a level not previously possible. For Pine Crest’s student broadcasters, that means PCTV broadcasts that look and feel like the real thing. It is visually dynamic, fluid and modern.
“In our live shows, this wall lets us leave behind the old-school format,” Mr. Burgess explained. “Instead of anchoring behind a desk with a still image behind them, students can now interact with backgrounds that move, shift and evolve. We can slice the wall into multiple scenes, toss to students on location, real or imagined, and even simulate environments for storytelling purposes.”
For filmmakers, the possibilities are equally expansive. With the integration of cutting-edge software like Vū (pronounced “View”), students can simulate entire environments within the studio. From a car in motion to a mountaintop vista, scenes that once required extensive travel or complex set-building can now be created digitally.
“We used to have to build physical sets out of wood, risers and flats,” said Mr. Burgess. “Now, students can design their environments digitally and film against them in real time. It’s not just about convenience, it’s about opening the door to creativity that might have been constrained by time or resources.”
Filmmakers can block, design and shoot without ever leaving campus, allowing them to spend more time refining their craft and less time managing logistics.
The LED wall also introduces new roles for students. For live broadcasts, someone will now manage what’s displayed behind the anchors, adding another layer of production and creativity to each show. For student filmmakers, the wall offers the ability to conceptualize and build entire scenes, supported by AI tools and design tokens that empower them to bring imagined settings to life.
“It’s a different kind of storytelling,” said Mr. Burgess. “They’re not just creating the content anymore—they’re shaping the entire look and feel of what’s being seen.”
This technology isn’t common in high schools and Pine Crest is setting a new bar with this installation. Mr. Burgess sees the wall’s impact extending beyond student productions. He anticipates it being used for athletic media days and any initiative where a customizable, noise-free backdrop is a bonus.
Acquiring the monitor was a meticulous two-year process. Every inch of the wall, measuring approximately 16.5 feet wide by 10.5 feet tall, was custom-built to fit the studio’s needs.
“We had to consider everything; space, power, heat output and how students would use it,” Mr. Burgess said. “We even repurposed power from old lighting rigs, thanks to our new energy-efficient LEDs.”
Now installed and operational, the LED wall represents not just a technical upgrade, but a creative milestone. It’s a bold investment in student innovation. “For our students, it’s an outlet,” Mr. Burgess said. “It’s another way to imagine, create and bring their stories to life, not just on screen, but on a canvas they control.”
