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What I learned about the future of media in Okmulgee
Published: 6/13/2012 9:30 AM
Last Modified: 6/13/2012 12:34 PM

In a building without windows, you'll find something you wouldn't expect in Okmulgee.

It's where Kelly Kerr and Nathan Harmon are molding the web's next multimedia super heroes.

I recently spoke to their students who are studying visual communications at Oklahoma State University's Institute of Technology. These students are focusing on multimedia, photography and graphic design. Or all of these at the same time.

I think it's in schools like these where the next generation will stretch the web even further than it stands today. They have access to incredible equipment but most importantly access to professors who toggle between the classroom and the real world of media. That helps them keep students current on what is happening now and what is coming around the corner.

Kelly is a former award-winning Tulsa World photographer who used to make fun of the photo interns when they talked about shooting video and recording audio.

"I was wrong," he told me. "Really, really wrong."

Becoming someone who thinks in photos, video and multimedia has helped Kelly show the students what is possible. It's also helped him get some big gigs. He's shooting music videos for local and national bands. He's wrapping up a documentary about what he found in Guatemala.

Here, Kelly is interviewed about his classes and details about some of his recent work.

Students in his class post their work on their Tumblr sites. Tumblr is a network of websites that are bent toward the visual crowd. It allows them to have a quick and easy way to go from idea to completion to publication.

When you check out their work, like Jeff Anderson's page, you see he's not just learning how to work a camera. He has a branding campaign going for his company of one. He is creating video, composing music. He's produced, I believe, the coolest picture of a Cheeto I've ever seen.

This is the kind of lab where people are pushing the limits of technology. That's what has to happen for there to be innovation. I told the students they are alive at the best time ever to be in media. I promised them that if it was 1975, they would all be in a darkroom trying their best to get the right mix of chemicals. Now, they have the chance to get to a print in seconds and now the contest is one of creativity, not calculation.

They understand they are in the attention business and there is nothing this world has less than attention. It's a challenge, but from the looks of their work, they are up to it.

Follow Kelly's work.

Follow Nathan's work.

Here are the links to each student's website:

annaschroeder3.tumblr.com/
lukebraswell.tumblr.com/
lichtuberstromt.com/
itsjustmejordan.tumblr.com/
valeriegrant.tumblr.com/
mollytphotography.tumblr.com/
jamiegeraghty.tumblr.com/
hannahnicolephotography.tumblr.com/
annayeakey.tumblr.com/
matthewdavisvisuals.tumblr.com/
clarencesmith.tumblr.com/
kevinhannaphotography.tumblr.com/
bigophoto.tumblr.com/
tjballinger.tumblr.com/
amandarutland.tumblr.com/
mollylynnecombs.tumblr.com/
katherinedelso.tumblr.com

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Micah Choquette (8 months ago)

Really glad to see this. There were churning out top-notch talent when I was there in 2003, and it's good to see it's getting even better.

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Press Forward

The focus of this blog is to write about what we are doing at the Tulsa World to continue to serve readers in a digital age and how the Internet is changing journalism.

Jason Collington is the web editor at the Tulsa World, where he works on the company's digital products with a team of four web designers, two web production techs, a web content coordinator, a web advertising coordinator and nine web developers. Before moving to web editor in 2006, he was the web content coordinator for tulsaworld.com.

He also teaches a class at his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, called Internet Communications, where students learn to use online tools to create offline results.

Follow Jason Collington on Twitter

Contact by email: jason.collington@tulsaworld.com

What I read

Poynter Institute: Dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders

Gangrey: Great narrative journalism

Nieman Journalism Lab: Pushing to the future of journalism

David Carr: NY Times media columnist

Jim Romenesko: Latest media news

SmartBrief: Business of News

Reynold Journalism Institute: Ideas, experiments, research and solutions in journalism

Advertising Age: Ad and marketing news

Digital Desk: Everything you ever wanted to know about NewsOK.com

Freedom of Information Oklahoma: News about public records and opening meetings

The Daily O'Collegian: OSU's student newspaper

MediaStorm: Incredible videos

Fast Company: Design and tech

Inc Magazine: Tech advice

David Pogue: NY Times tech columnist

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