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Otis College facilities include Painting Studios, a Photography Lab, Lighting Studio & Green Screen, Video Lab, Laboratory Press, Wood and Metal Shop, Model Shop, Printmaking Lab, Sculpture Studio, Ceramics Studio, and more. See below for more information. 

Audio + Video Lab

The Audio + Video Lab includes high-end video cameras and camcorders complete with accessories, professional lighting kits, portable green screens, audio and video booths, and a screening room to critique your final projects. It is located in Basement Room B10.

Laboratory Press

Otis Laboratory Press is a fully functioning letterpress studio with four Vandercook proof presses and over 200 fonts. Established in 1984 by Sheila de Bretteville as part of the Communication Arts Department, the LabPress has a rich history of small edition book publishing, introducing generations of students to the origins of typography and the notion of the book as a visual communications medium. Conceived as a laboratory for aesthetic exploration and a place for practical production, the LabPress is an integral part of the graphic design curriculum. It provides a key link between traditional tools and digital media. Students actively participate and produce award-winning books that have become a permanent part of rare book collections throughout Southern California. We are the only college in Southern California that offers a Printmaking and Book Arts Minor.

Model Shop

Located on the seventh floor of the Ahmanson building, the Model Shop is devoted to many advanced technologies involved in model making and fabrication processes.  Equipment includes a variety of 3d printers and materials, laser cutters, cnc machines, ceramic decal printers, woodworking equipment, and machinist tools. The shop is completely outfitted for milling, shaping, joining and finishing of hardwoods, fiberboard, plywood, plastics, foam and bent laminations. Plastic vacuum-forming equipment and small-scale model making equipment for plastics and wood are available, as well as a large selection of hand and power tools.

Wood and Metal Shop

The 5,000 plus square foot Wood and Metal Shop located on the north end of campus offers an expansive selection of equipment ready to meet almost any fabrication need.  The “Wood” side of the shop is equipped with machinery for cutting, milling, shaping, drilling and sanding of hardwoods, fiberboards, plywoods and other manufactured wood products while the “Metal” side is outfitted with equipment for cutting, forming, grinding, welding and drilling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Students may also use the shop’s large selection of powered and non-powered hand tools for both wood and metal work.

The Goldsmith Campus houses the labs and shops run by Technical Support Services. The facilities and staff provide an environment where students become proficient in technical skills, and turn their ideas into physical reality, from metal welding and woodworking to laser cutting and rapid prototyping. Letterpress, silkscreening, ceramics, photo labs, and lighting studios are also available.