Media equipment and consultations
Media services provides media equipment for no-cost checkout to UMN students, staff and faculty. Consultations on using the equipment or any part of the media production process are available. Priority for equipment and consultations is given to students working on course-related media projects.
Services and resources
Media consultations
One-hour online appointments are offered primarily for students working on course-assigned media projects. The media consultant helps you organize your project, develop a story, decide on equipment, give video and audio pre-production advice, and answer specific questions about editing software.
Drop-in help
Drop-in hours in the Toaster Innovation Hub have ended, and we will resume in Fall 2023. If you need help with your project, please request a consultation using the button on this page.
Loanable equipment
Cameras, tripods, microphones, hard drives, DSLRs, and other media equipment are available for checkout for UMN students, staff and faculty. Priority is given to students who are using the equipment for coursework. No reservation is needed; equipment is available on a first-come first-served basis. Most items are due the following day by closing, though we may be willing to extend the loan during non-peak days. External hard drives can be borrowed for one week. One camera or microphone per person or event unless the demand is low.
Workshops
- More workshops available soon!
Find media equipment and recording spaces
Media equipment checkout locations
1:Button Studios
The 1:Button Studios are fully automated HD video recording spaces with professional studio lighting and sound equipment. They are set up to record high-quality video projects without any knowledge of lights and cameras.