Back to Bonnaroo

MTSU crew turns heads with work for Hulu

by Lily Manyara and Andrew Oppmann

Emmy-winning producer Tom Steel makes his living doing big-scale livestreams for high-profile music events like last summer’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

In June he teamed with students and faculty from MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment to capture DJ acts on Bonnaroo’s Other Stage for Hulu, one of the world’s largest streaming services. And Steel was impressed by what he saw from MTSU students.

“Big hats off to MTSU,” said Steel, who worked with Los Angeles-based Fortress Productions at Bonnaroo. “You guys are moving the needle, in my opinion, by giving students first-hand experience, in real life. This is where it happens. I mean, classrooms are amazing, where you build a foundation. But to be able put it into action, this is where it’s at.”

The partnership between MTSU and Bonnaroo dates to 2014, coming back in full force in 2022 after a 2020 pandemic pause and a 2021 weather cancellation. It is an annual labor of love for Media and Entertainment students, who also earn college credit for their work in video and sound production at Bonnaroo’s event stages and gain valuable experience in content creation, including video and photo storytelling and digital reporting.

Anchoring this effort was MTSU’s $1.4 million Mobile Production Lab, known fondly as “The Truck,” used to produce video and audio coverage from two stages. MTSU students produced a daily video podcast for the University’s True Blue TV channel and social media platforms.

Students in Media Arts and Recording Industry were scheduled to do only two concerts for Hulu. But Bonnaroo and Hulu executives were so impressed by MTSU’s work

that they upped it to 11 concerts from the Other Stage, in addition to 10 recorded performances at the Who Stage.

“I have produced hundreds of live events and can say, without question, that MTSU student production team’s work was topnotch, and the work looked amazing and fit seamlessly into our overall programming,” said Devin DeHaven, executive producer for Bonnaroo/Hulu/Fortress Entertainment. “Their composure in being part of a national broadcast with A-list artists is a testament to their skills and of MTSU’s programs.”

The MTSU Media Arts crew captured 21 concert performances in four days “from two stages that were a mile apart,” said Bob Gordon, an associate professor in Media Arts. “That is a first for us.”

Gordon said he anticipates an even greater role for MTSU students at the 2023 Bonnaroo—and perhaps beyond the event—thanks to the quality of their work.

“We have greatly impressed the pros, with conversations beginning for more exciting projects in the future,” he said. They will be back at Bonnaroo livestreaming for Hulu again before you know it.