Specs Howard Blog

During these weird times we have an amazingly talented 2020 Summer class graduating from Specs Howard School of Media Arts. We asked ourselves, "how ...

On January 14th, 2020, the Specs Howard School of Media Arts officially celebrated its 50th anniversary. The first class to attend the school was ...

As we approach the 50th Anniversary of the Specs Howard School of Media Arts and prepare for the induction of 50 new members into our Hall of Fame, ...

Growing up, Jason Scott wanted to end up being David Letterman. He was always interested in working in media, and saw local Detroit radio as a way to ...

One day, Conrad Reed was sitting in stand-still traffic on the highway, listening to talk radio. As he listened to the spirited discussion and fun ...

This blog was posted by Alisa Z. Alisa, a 1977 Specs Howard grad, is a well-known Detroit-area media personality, with a long history of radio, TV ...

Bob Palmateer attended the Specs Howard School of Media Arts in 1980, when it was still the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts. After his ...

When Annie Nawrocki left high school, she knew she wanted to go into radio. She initially tried her hand at some 4-year universities, but found that ...

When Josh Brubaker started attending the Specs Howard Media of Arts, his goal was to end up working in television. However, during his classwork he ...

Brad Weimer has always been a sports fan, and when he came to the Specs Howard School of Media Arts his plan was to find a way to work in sports ...

Steve Linville was always interested in the worlds of design, graphics, and photography. Before attending the Specs Howard School of Media Arts, he ...

Randy Z is a local legend in the halls of the Specs Howard School of Media Arts. His career with the school has spanned 32 years and almost every job ...

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Tony Guastella had started his media career before he ever came to Specs Howard School of Media Arts. In high school he was already taking ...

Eric Vancil’s personal journey through the media industry began while he was attending high school in Oak Park. As early as 16 years old, Eric had ...

Mark Frankhouse spent the start of the new millennia working in a number of different restaurants as a cook. In 2011 he decided that, while cooking ...

Wes Knodel was not a stranger to the media industry by the time he attended Specs Howard School of Media Arts. Before enrolling, Wes had already been ...

Kila Peeples, like so many others, was deeply affected by the financial crash of 2008. She lost her job and needed to figure out the next step in her ...

Daniel Pelchat graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts in March of 2010. Formerly Daniel had played high school football for South Lyon, ...

The Joe Wade Formicola Broadcasting Scholarship was founded by the Formicola family following the sudden passing of Detroit radio personality and ...

Watch our panel of graduates from our May 2018 Open House as they discuss their careers and experiences from before, during, and after their time at ...

Founder, Specs Howard, in 1989 Since its inception, Specs Howard has been dedicated to providing hands-on training in the media industries. Take a ...

You’ve probably heard this before: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

One of the first and most intimidating hurdles an aspiring filmmaker will come across is the monetary barrier of entry associated with getting ...

The ballots have been counted, and we have a winner!

On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by thirty-nine brave men who changed the course of history. Now Constitution Day is a time ...

Have you ever wanted to be on the radio? Now could be your chance!

This weekend is your chance to attend a Comic-Con right here in Metro Detroit.

We spent out day hanging out with 101.1 WRIF at all of their Metallica Day parties! Watch the video below to get a glimpse at the day's events!

If you are looking to break into the media industry you may have one question on your mind, “should I use a Pro Camcorder or a DSLR?” Well, Both ...

In the media industry you will come across a lot of different equipment. Some you may be familiar with and others may be new to you. One piece of ...

Every year the Specs Howard School of Media Arts Career Services Department hosts an Internship Fair. An internship can be a vital starting point for ...

Meet Specs Howard Digital Media Arts graduate Josh Campos. Josh started his journey in the media industry here at The Specs Howard School of Media ...

There is an art to everything done in the media industry. As with any niche, there is a set of vocabulary needed to understand what is going on ...

Things that you should have ready before speaking with clients

When you start working with clients, there are some important things that you should keep in mind when interacting with them.

So, you want to shoot your own video but don’t know what you need or how to start. Here is a list of equipment you should consider buying if you want ...

On October 20th, filmmakers from around Detroit gathered at a viewing party for WDIV Local 4's Film Challenge Detroit. With over 100 entries, the ...

Many different techniques and tricks have been used over the years to strike up a certain mood or emotional reaction from an audience. One of the ...

The Specs Howard School of Media Arts has had a long relationship with the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA). This year the DSBA awarded ...

The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) celebrated its 10th annual Professional Development Conference in San Diego this ...

On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by thirty-nine brave men who changed the course of history. Now Constitution Day is a time ...

Have you ever watched a film and wondered, "How did they do that?" Well, while many filmmakers have their secret tricks that have yet to be ...

They say that we’re entering a new golden age for gaming. With the reveal of Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Sony’s Playstation VR, and SteamVR, virtual ...

What is Super Smash Bros.? Super Smash Bros. is a smash-hit crossover fighting game in which familiar faces from the Nintendo brand compete to send ...

Reddit is a content aggregation site. What this means is people from all around the world go onto Reddit to share content they’ve either made or ...

The surge in popularity of using DSLR and mirrorless cameras to shoot video means there are hundreds of affordable quality cameras on the market. How ...

On Saturday May 21, 2016 The Specs Howard School of Media Arts had the chance to participate in the 25th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at ...

Rob Wourman is working on-air at Diffuse Radio Network and doing promotions at WRIF. He got to where he is with some hard work, dedication and a good ...

Steve Linville is a grad from our GFX program and he's working as the Senior Art Director at Fathead. It's a cool gig, and he seems to like it. Watch ...

Remy Smith is a Braodcast Media Arts grad, a dad, and the owner of one killer mustache! He's working as a Producer and Engineer at Empower Radio ...

We caught up with Specs Howard Broadcast Media Arts Graduate, Ric Pruneda who started his own online radio station, Diffuse Radio Network. It took ...

"I’ve loved music since I was a kid and knew that I would do nothing else." -Ric Pruneda We asked Specs Grad Ric Pruneda to give us some insight on ...

Specs Howard Broadcast Media Arts Graduate, Erik Aratari is working on-air and as the Event Coordinator at WRIF. He gets to meet some of his favorite ...

We caught up with Specs Howard Graduate, Karl Williams who's a Freelance Video Professional. His positive attitude and hard work ethic has played a ...

Meet Specs Howard Graphic Design Graduate, Emily Riggio. She's working as the Marketing Director at Special Springs LLC. Hear her talk about her ...

We caught up with Specs Howard Graduate, Ron Hilliard who's working as a Reporter and Anchor at TV Warren News. He was also a contestant on Funny Or ...

Specs Howard Graduate, Cait Connor took some time to speak with us! She's working as the Marketing Coordinator at Senior Meals on Wheels. She's ...

There is a new craze in the world, and it's adult coloring books. Sure, as a kid coloring was a favorite past time for many, but why color as an ...

Unlike many "How To" blogs or Pinterest posts, this one is pretty easy to do. Let us explain not only how to get a behind the scenes glance of what ...

We caught up with Specs Howard Graduate, Jamie Savalle who is the Assistant Promotions Direction at 89X The Only New Rock Alternative. Watch her ...

Earlier this year, the graphic design world lost two of its most renowned type designers, Hermann Zapf and Adrian Frutiger.

Meet Reed Petitpren, a graduate of our Broadcast Media Arts program. He's working on-air at 89X The Only New Rock Alternative. Watch his interview ...

Albert Einstein's handwriting turned into a font that you can use today! Here is an example of the original writing with a digital font overlay ...

Specs Howard School of Media Arts graduate, Scott West popped in to say "hello" just the other day! Scott has been doing freelance for 17 years now. ...

Are you tired of finding out about cool events AFTER they have happened? Don't worry, we have come up with a solution for you! Specs Howard School of ...

Continuing your education should be a fun and exciting new adventure and not full of unnecessary stress! Many people worry about how they will be ...

Today's computer based technology is quickly evolving each and every year. The ways we shop, read news stories, watch television, and communicate ...

Summertime and the living is easy. But just because the weather is beautiful and the sun is shining doesn't mean you shouldn't be living your ...

You've heard about a new job opening or saw a post online and you are ready to apply. What else do you need besides a killer resume? A knock their ...

Can you spot the Photoshop fake? This year marks the 25th anniversary of Adobe's image manipulation software program, Photoshop. To celebrate the ...

Are you tired of finding out about cool events AFTER they have happened? Don't worry, we have come up with a solution for all of you busy bees out ...

Join Specs Howard and WXYZ for another tweetup in Detroit. There will be another great Tweetup happening on Friday, May 29th, 2015 during the Free ...

Save your seat for our fun, free, 1-hour meetup where you'll learn more about where the Digital Video and Web Design industries are going!

Are you tired of finding out about cool events AFTER they've happened? Don't worry! We have come up with a solution for you! That's right, it is ...

What is Broadcast Media Arts? Creating audio and video content and distributing it to the masses via radio, television or the web is broadcasting. ...

On Monday May 4, 2015, America's premiere female live voice announcer, Randy Thomas, will be here at Specs Howard for "Your Voiceover Career". This ...

In it's 18th year, Metro Times Blowout continues it's run as one of the most legendary music events in North America. Thousands of bands from every ...

Join us for our next Freestyle Friday! There’s more to a professional edit suite than just a MacBook Pro and an external hard drive from Best Buy. To ...

Have you seen the new concept helmets created by Dylan Yung, a fellow Graphic Designer? These were uploaded recently and have already over 3 million ...

Are you tired of finding out about cool events AFTER they have happened? Don't worry, we have come up with a solution for you! Specs Howard School of ...

Taking that first step towards pursuing something new can be intimidating. That's why, at Specs Howard, we leave our door open to all potential ...

Join us for our next Lunch and Learn!

Join us for our next DMA Freestyle Friday!

We’ve had some good times with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials for the holidays. You can check them out here and here. Now, we've found ...

What is the Ann Arbor Film Festival? With February passing us by just as quick as January did, we want to share awesome ways to spend your fleeting ...

Join us for our next DMA Freestyle Friday!!

Are you tired of finding out about cool events AFTER they have happened? Don't worry, we have come up with a solution for all of you busy bees out ...

Meeting the right people at an event can be tough. You are in a room full of strangers, many who can help your career, and you have no idea how to ...

JPEG, raster files, serif fonts...What are they and when should I use them? Read on for more info to find out! There are many things you need to know ...

We know you all loved our last blog with humorous graphic design memes, we had to do another one! This time we have gathered some that our Digital ...

Join us for our next Digital Media Arts Freestyle Friday!

Happy Valentine's Day from Specs Howard School of Media Arts! Send your friends and family (or yourself) a cool card this Valentine's Day! We have ...

Looking for the place to be this Valentine's Day and Pączki Day? There's no better place than our very own city of Hamtramck. Not only is Hamtramck ...

The Academy Awards will be held on February 22nd, and if you're like most of us, you haven't had the opportunity to see the more obscure nominees in ...

Source: The Associated Press We’re all used to the Super Bowl being one of the most watched television events of the year, every year. 2015 was no ...

With the rise in popularity of Netflix and Hulu, documentaries are also becoming more popular among viewers. More and more are becoming available as ...

Attention all Graphic Designer's and students in the Detroit area!! The Detroit Design Festival is sponsoring another Drinks X Design event on ...

Join Specs Howard School of Media Arts at the Great Lakes Comic-Con February 27th-28th in Warren, MI. We will be there taking lots of photos and ...

Photo via www.savetheinternet.com The Internet is a piece of technology that is coveted not just in the United States, but also around the world. ...

Are you tired of finding out about cool events AFTER they've happened? Don't worry, we have come up with a solution for all of you busy bees out ...

Pantone introduces it's color of the year for 2015! Pantone, self-described as the world-renowned authority on color, predicts which hue will be the ...

The Great Lakes Broadcasting Conference (GLBC) is being held March 10-11 in Lansing, MI. The conference features educational and networking events ...

Join us for our next Graphic Design Lunch and Learn!

Join us at our next Freestyle Friday for current Digital Media Arts students at the Farmington Hills Satellite Location! Jan 30 | Noon - 2pm | ...

#SpecsHoward and #7AutoShow Tweetup at #NAIAS There will be another great Tweetup happening on January 15th, 2015 during the Industry Preview! The ...

Broadcast Media Arts Freestyle Friday Voice Acting – Confronting the Commercial Script January 16, 2015 | 11am - 1pm Lisa Jesswein and Steve Strasz ...

There isn't a day that goes by where we are not surrounded by the logos of the companies that make America tick. Here are five popular and extremely ...

We found some unusual and creative packaging ideas to inspire you with your next design! There are some extraordinary ways to display a variety of ...

Choosing the right colors and shapes is an essential part to reaching the right audience with the right emotions as a graphic designer. People often ...

Are you looking for a way to not only brand yourself and have your work seen by people from all over the world, but to compete with some of the ...

In a world filled with unchecked facts, Alan is right at home. Tensions rise as everyone tries to get to the bottom of what the real story of ...

Specs Howard's Top 20 Humorous Graphic Design Memes Here are some of our favorite graphic design memes we found on the interwebs. Who says design ...

Graphic design is constantly evolving - get the skills you need to become a part of the industry! Get an inside look into the world of graphic design ...

WXYZ Channel 7, the ABC affiliate in Detroit, are expanding their studios into downtown in the Chase Tower.

We don't want you to commit to a school that's not for you! So come to our Media Industry Night where you will get to experience what it's like to ...

What is Graphic Design? Graphic design is the creative process that combines different art forms to generate a specific effect or meaning. Blending ...

What happens when an evil spirit older than it’s mother roams through the halls of Specs Howard School of Media Arts? Perhaps it takes control of a ...

Every piece of art requires a muse to inspire it's creation. There are times where the inspiration you may be looking for seems to be unattainable. ...

Looking to create something cool using Photoshop or Illustrator for Halloween? We have gathered a few great ideas to spice up your party invites or ...

The soundstage located in Farmington Hills is planning to reopen in 2015 after a 4 year hiatus. Studio Center was recently purchased by Sterling ...

Broadcast Media Arts Freestyle Friday Basic Scene Lighting -- Sculpting your scene with light Friday October 24 | 11am – 1pm | Studio A

Time for another great chance to win on twitter with our #SpecsGradAtWork photo contest! During the week of October 27th through November 3rd, take ...

The Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA) is an organization comprised of local sports media professionals and students. In addition to ...

Let's keep the contests going! This #SpecsGradAtWork photo contest will take place on SNAPCHAT! This contest will last for one week only. So, ...

On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by thirty-nine brave men who changed the course of history. Now Constitution Day is a time ...

Let's keep the contests going! This #SpecsGradAtWork photo contest will take place on INSTAGRAM! We even decided to make this contest last for two ...

Specs Howard School Freestyle Friday Behind the scenes of the Emmy award winning PBS show: Great Lakes~Great Tastes Friday, August 15th | 11am – 1pm ...

Welcome back! Hopefully we haven't kept you waiting too long. We've got more FOX 2 Specs grads ready to tell you about their experience at Specs, ...

Anywhere you go in the media industry you are bound to run into a Specs Howard graduate. This was definitely the case when the Specs Howard Street ...

Our first #SpecsGradAtWork photo contest was such a great success we thought we would do it again. This time it's FACEBOOK exclusive! During the week ...

"My motto towards learning has always been don’t tell me, teach me. To me that means don’t just tell me what to do, how to operate a switch board, ...

There is a new and exciting holiday in Michigan this year. Monday, June 30th 2014 is now officially known as Social Media Day! In honor of this new ...

Broadcast Media Arts Freestyle Friday Adobe Audition Turn-Up: Taking it A Step Further Friday, June 20 | 11am – 1pm | Adobe Lab

"Remember nothing is below you. Do everything you are asked and you will get places. Just take "no" out of your vocabulary." -Cody Trombley We ask ...

"Don’t be discouraged by the challenges. After school it may take some time to find the job you want, or you may have to settle for something that ...

In it's 17th year, Metro Times Blowout continues it's run as one of the most legendary music events in North America. Thousands of bands from every ...

Rarely do we stop and think about how we see graphic design all around us, every day. Every advertisement, brand logo, those are all designs that ...

One of the Michigan’s more prominent law offices has gone through a makeover recently. Can you guess which one it was? We’ll give you a clue. Her ...

Broadcast Media Arts Freestyle Friday On-Camera Performance Workshop: Taking it to the Next Level Friday, March 28 | 11am – 1pm | Studio “A”

You want to be "the voice" of the radio show. You want to let the listeners know what they need and want to know. You want to have a strong and ...

Are you looking to get your new career started? Take the next step at the Specs Howard Internship Fair at the Southfield location. It’s your ...

“I think that was the first time Jay really took me seriously, and I learned I could do this radio thing in a real world setting, not just a ...

“I work with a group of amazing individuals who come together as a whole, and represent the face of Disney for the Detroit area.” -Casey Humbles We ...

44 years ago Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts opened it’s doors to students eager to train in the radio industry. Over the years, the school has ...

Written by Matt Winne Lets be honest. No matter how much you learn in school about a trade, youre going to need to learn more. This is true for any ...

The CMS software called Joomla has been popping up more and more these days. It's been spreading through the web communities, as well as some ...

Matt Winne Specs Howard DMA Instructor From writing to shooting to editing, it can take months, if not years, to make a movie. So wouldn’t it be ...

Looking for inspiration, motivation, or just a friend? Download, print, and craft your very own Uncle Kernen Cube Man! Simply place the Uncle Kernen ...

Jack-o'-Lanterns, candy, and rubber bats, Halloween is this week! We look into Halloween's most familiar symbols, and where they came from. Let's ...

There are few things in life people just hate. And when I say hate, I mean hate, like instantaneous "What does this possibly exist?!" loathing. The ...

Bridgette "Bri" Wood wanted a career, not just a job. After receiving her four year degree, she felt she needed more experience, "Even with the big ...

Deadline Detroit is hosting an event Thursday September 26 at the Compuware Headquaters for New Media Professionals. The discusion will revolve ...

Inspiration is gold in the world of a designer. Here is a list of seven documentaries that will help inspire you, as well as introduce you to some of ...

Mark McKenzie could be called the hardest working man in radio. He has not missed a day of work in his nine years of radio. Mark got his start at ...

You've submitted your resume, and you just got off the phone with a recruiter. Congratulations, you've made it to the interview stage - now what? ...

With apps like Vine and Instagram more people are fully realizing the potential of mobile digital video. We would never suggest shooting for a ...

The Clarkston News has been around since 1929, the year the stock market crashed, and they know how to stay around and how to keep with the times. ...

Bryan Boedeker has always been a creative person, something he attributes to his creative parents. While working in a nursing home he felt ...

Writing a resume can be a very cumbersome task. How long should it be? Should it be creative or traditional? Are there enough keywords? With so much ...

By Emory Reeves Let me first start by setting the scene.... Imagine standing hunched over an entrance to a bedroom, exhausted and in shock from the ...

By Tim Peterson The worst feeling I've ever experienced sitting in an edit suite is searching for a shot to use that just isn't there. The agony of ...

The internet can be a big place if you are looking for a specific piece of information, and if what you are looking for is about building a web site ...

By Dara Harper Years ago, people accessed web sites from dial-up modems and online video consisted of short Quicktime movies. Most people only went ...

By Cally McIntyre Dropbox is my lifesaver. My whole world opened up considerably when I found Dropbox. I cant actually remember how I found it or if ...

Specs Howard School of Media Arts Blog