Department of Communication Video Production and Digital Media Courses

Software and Equipment Requirements

Each student enrolling in a video production or digital media course (COMM 245, COMM 340) at the College of Charleston will have access to commercial-grade digital camcorders and other equipment owned by the Department of Communication. Camcorder models currently used in Department of Communication production courses include the Canon XH-A1 HDV and the Panasonic AG-DVX100B.

Video Production Software. A student enrolling in COMM 245 or COMM 340 should have access to video production software. Several good products are available.  Some students in entry-level courses have had satisfactory experiences using the readily available Windows Movie Maker (for PC) or iMovie (for Mac). In almost all cases, students have access to Movie Maker or iMovie on their personal computers, as this software has been bundled with new PC and Apple computers for several years. Predictably, the newest versions of Movie Maker and iMovie are more powerful than earlier editions of this software.

More advanced video production options include Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Premiere Elements, Final Cut Pro 6, and Sony Vegas. Different versions of these software products are available for student use on the College of Charleston campus (e.g., 7 College Digital Media Lab, Addlestone Library). Please speak to your instructor about access to this software on campus.

Basic versions of the more advanced software products are available for under $100 per software license, but you should not purchase any software package without first speaking to your instructor.

Portable Hard Drive. Portable USB hard drives with a capacity of at least 160GB are recommended for COMM 245 and COMM 340. Capacities of 250GB or more are ideal, and 1TB is becoming increasingly commonplace for such drives. Brand names for portable hard drives include Seagate and Western Digital. Please contact your instructor if you have any questions about this recommendation.

The portable hard drive will be used to store the very large data files typical of video production projects.

Digital Audio Recorder. Instructors in some courses (COMM 240) and course sections may require purchase of a digital audio recorder. Your instructor will have specific requirements for the features of the recorder to be purchased, which must come with computer installation software and USB cable compatibility. Such recorders typically cost under $90.

These guidelines are updated from time to time.