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Mass Media: A semester exploring the Bay State’s diverse media industry

A group of a dozen individuals stand in a dark television studio.
Students take note of the on-set arrangements for a GBH panel program.

Massachusetts has become a hub for film and media production over the past two decades. Wheaton College has been a witness to its growth. Hollywood projects like Challengers, Julia Season 2, Don’t Look Up, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women and the upcoming Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony have all used the campus as a backdrop. But while big budget film and television productions draw attention, the state’s vibrant local media community often gets overlooked. From public television to indie theaters, rental houses to sports broadcasters, Massachusetts offers a broad range of opportunities.

In the spring of 2025, I set out with a group of students enrolled in my course “Media in Massachusetts” (FNMS 298) to explore the breadth of the Bay State’s media industry. Each week, we visited a different media company, talking with professionals, touring facilities and getting a sense of the professional possibilities for students who are considering careers in media.

What follows is my diary of the journey.

—By Patrick Johnson, associate professor of film, media and communications

A woman with dark hair and a gray shirt talks to a group of young men and women in a room.
Art Director Tess Myers ’11 and her colleague Kevan Pike talks with students about their work at Wayfair Studios.

Wayfair Studios (Jan. 24)
First stop: Wayfair Studios. Here, everything revolves around content creation for the home goods giant’s website. Alumna Tess Meyers ’11, an art director for the company, and Head of Production Kevan Pike (dogs in tow) gave us a whirlwind tour of the massive operation. We watched rugs being photographed, outdoor furniture filmed and furniture unpacked, built and styled for shoots. Students were struck by the range of roles—from builders and stylists to editors and brand ambassadors—and by the sheer effort behind a single image.

TAKEAWAY Media skills translate across industries. A background in film or photography lead to myriad opportunities. Sometimes, opportunities with work-life balance far better than setlife come from unexpected places.

A group of 18 young men and women sit or stand in front of a sign that reads the Coolidge.
Professor Patrick Johnson and students enrolled in his course “Media in Massachusetts” pause for a group photo at the Coolidge Corner Theater.

Coolidge Corner Theater (Jan. 31)
Since 1933, the Coolidge Corner Theater has been a beacon for Boston’s independent film scene. The cinema shows newly produced independent films, cult classics, revivals and locally produced films. On our tour, projectionist Sam Pender showcased different screening formats, including a 70mm print of The Brutalist. We also got a glimpse of the theater’s $14 million renovation.

TAKEAWAY Wherever students land, showing up for local screenings and arts events matters. Community keeps film alive.

A man addresses a crowd of young men and women in a studio with lighting and camera equipment.
Norton Media Center’s Jason Benjamin guides students through a camera and lighting setup.

Norton Media Center (Feb. 7)
Jason Benjamin, director of the Norton Media Center, showcases the importance of public access television. The center provides access to equipment and a low-stakes environment where community members (and Wheaton students) can learn and practice. But it’s about more than equipment. It’s about democracy, community and giving people the tools to tell their stories. During our visit, students sat at the news anchor desk; the director facilitated a filming session involving two of our students.

TAKEAWAY Community access TV is a hidden gem. Students should connect with local stations—both for experience and for building networks.

An individual wearing a hooded blue sweatshirt and black pants stands beside a table in a room filled with camera equipment.
Elias Stevens ‘25 pauses to take a closer look at one of the advanced camera rigs available at Talamas.

Talamas Camera Rental (Feb. 14)
At Talamas, manager Scott Lebeda showed off cutting-edge cameras, including the Arri Alexa 35 and a portable motion control arm. He also shows us through their lens testing and calibration lab. Conversations ranged from film tax credits to the 2024 strikes and the relentless pace of tech change.

TAKEAWAY Rental houses may feel intimidating, but they exist to support filmmakers. Ask questions, seek advice—they want to help.

A smiling young woman with dark hair wearing a red sweater stands in a room while four young men and women sit.
Students learn about staff career journeys that led them to Boston Productions Inc.

Boston Productions Inc. (Feb. 21)
Boston Productions creates interactive exhibitions and documentaries for museums with emerging technologies—virtual reality, artificial reality, touch screens and haptics. We split into small groups to learn about filming/editing for these mediums, working with clients and developing the physical and haptic elements. We even got to beta test several works, which was very exciting.

TAKEAWAY In these environments, teamwork is everything. Collaboration drives innovation.

A group of young men and women observe a warehouse full of film, television and theater equipment.
The class surveys the mountain of gear in the warehouse at High Output, which provides production services and equipment for film, television, theater and events.

High Output (Feb. 28)
Walking into High Output, a sound stage and grip/electric rental company, we were floored to learn the “study” set from Knives Out was built and filmed there. We toured multiple departments—sales, billing, repair and warehouse. We learned about the importance of safety on set, particularly in regards to electricity and working with heavy machinery. Students even tried out a Chapman dolly.

TAKEAWAY Filmmaking involves so much specialized equipment and processes that no one person can master it all. Students shouldn’t expect to know everything and they need not hide gaps in knowledge. Ask the pros for guidance.

A room of television monitors on desks and mounted from ceilings behind a wall of glass displays various programs and information.
The class takes a long look into the control room at New England Sports Network.

New England Sports Network (NESN) (March 21)
Technical support manager Chris Reese introduced us to the rapidly evolving world of sports broadcasting. Students learned how NESN is adapting to cord-cutting with its own streaming app, NESN 360, and embraced automation, podcasts and short-form content. We also talked with the channel’s chief financial officer and its head of  cybersecurity for more context on the changing media landscape.

TAKEAWAY Media never stops changing. Careers in the industry require constant learning and reinvention.

A woman speaks to a group of college-aged students in a television studio.
Students take note of the on-set arrangements for a GBH panel program.

GBH (March 28)
At GBH, the flagship PBS station in the Northeast, students toured state-of-the-art facilities, including two sound stages and a music performance space. Highlights included visiting a sound mixing suite, where we learned about the process of mixing sound for television documentaries; getting a mini-lesson in color correction from Jim Ferguson and getting to pluck Emmy awards off of their wall of Emmy’s.

TAKEAWAY Beyond the impressive technology, the generosity of the GBH staff stood out. Kindness and openness build strong creative communities.

A group of college-aged students sit on furniture in a small room with some art on the walls and a small round coffee table between them.
Students gather in the small room that Brickyard uses for its weekly employee meetings.

Brickyard VFX (April 18)
Brickyard, known for commercials like Liberty Insurance spots and a Brawl Stars ad with John Cena, operates largely remotely but keeps a quirky, memorabilia-filled office for weekly employee meetings.

TAKEAWAY Students resonated with seeing familiar ads and realizing the artistry behind them.

A young man wearing a light T-shirt and dark shorts stands in front of a green-colored wall while looking at a TV monitor to his right.
Eli Jarsky ‘27 tries his hand at presenting the weather forecast in front of a green screen at WPRI TV 12.

WPRI Channel 12 (April 28)
Our final visit was to WPRI TV 12, where we watched a live taping of Newsmakers hosted by Wheaton alumnus Ted Nesi ’07 with guest Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.). Students stepped into the studio, tested their presenter skills at the weather wall and learned about the variety of roles required to make a newsroom operate.

TAKEAWAY From politics to artificial intelligence, media careers intersect with every issue shaping society.