On November 3, USC Iovine and Young Academy students got the unique chance to discover career path possibilities in the realm of extended reality on a visit to an office and warehouse space of AV integration and technical solutions company, Procraft Media. Procraft builds projects for companies like Meta and IYA learners interested in extended reality (XR), both undergraduate and graduate, witnessed firsthand the intricacies and elements of the operation. They also heard from Procraft chief financial officer Joseph Sherbanee. 

“One of the projects we’ve been working on with Meta, for example, involves XR, and we had the stars align to be able to offer an opportunity for the students to see some of the projects we’re working on," Sherbanee explains.

Sherbanee is not only Procraft’s CFO and administrator, he is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology at IYA. Even though much of Procraft’s work with Meta is under wraps at this time, he filled visitors in on what his integration company does, from broadcast edit systems and to engineering installation services. Procraft has partnered with companies such as Netflix, Spotify, and Sony to provide entertainment tech solutions. He hoped to impart the diverse and expansive potential of an XR career, whether it be establishing a startup or joining a service provider company or a role at a major tech corporation pioneering the industry’s trajectory. 

Carsten Becker, XR creative director and IYA faculty, hoped the field trip would enhance understanding of the complex engineering efforts invested by companies like Meta in XR, exposing students to technologies that might inform their professional development. In addition to panels with Procraft and their client at Meta, students toured the production area and talked to engineers in action about XR processes.  

“This trip was significant for students to gain a view of the research side of a medium which they regularly explore from a creator perspective,” he shares. “XR is a growing economy that uniquely brings tech innovators, artists, storytellers, content strategists, and designers together.”

“I think there is a huge, vast ecosystem of supporting components in all fields of technology. And I think that I was hoping that students would be able to see a side of it that we’ve been able to flourish and thrive in being able to support,” Sherbanee adds of the trip’s impact. 

Having graduated from USC in 1998 with a music business degree, Sherbanee returned to his alma mater with a thirst for cutting-edge knowledge and an avenue to embark on meaningful endeavors. With over two decades of music industry experience and almost 10 years at Procraft, he fell in love with IYA’s academic approach and culture, as well as the opportunities the school fosters. With more to learn outside his purview, applying to graduate school at IYA became a no-brainer. 

“The program is made up of a lot of talented individuals, and I think the key takeaway for me is that you're never too old to really be able to learn and be able to contribute with people,” he says. “I'm on the finance side of things, so I don't really lean into design and the actual technology component. That was one of my advantages to being in the program, to learn a lot more about being at that frontline and the creative side.”

Sherbanee was excited to give other IYA students a glimpse into his world, and it appears the out-of-classroom experience had an eye-opening impact on XR-enthralled participants looking to expand their perspectives. 

“The entire trip allowed me to receive more exposure to the field of extended reality, specifically in AR, VR, and software engineering. Listening to the engineers and management about their process in this field provided me with a better understanding of the work that goes into fine-tuning the extended reality experience,” student Asia Chang gushes. 

The undergraduate student concludes, “I took Professor Becker's class with the general knowledge of what the XR field explores, and personally feel that I have advanced my understanding of extended reality by tenfold! Through this class, I learned about virtual reality's ability to unlock new levels of creativity for experiences, and that augmented reality can be further developed to alter the way we go about day-to-day life.” 

“This trip was significant for students to gain a view of the research side of a medium which they regularly explore from a creator perspective ... XR is a growing economy that uniquely brings tech innovators, artists, storytellers, content strategists, and designers together.”

Students Explore Extended Reality Tech on Field Trip

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