News Archives

UBC Studios helps bring some of the university's most important ideas to life.

Working with researchers, educators, and campus leaders, the team transforms complex ideas into experiences that inform, engage, and inspire. Whether producing a recruitment campaign, creating an immersive learning experience, preserving cultural artefacts through advanced 3D capture, or developing training used across the university, UBC Studios brings together specialists in storytelling, design, film production, animation, and emerging media to solve communication challenges of every scale.

As artificial intelligence reshapes creative work, UBC Studios is embracing it thoughtfully, not as a replacement for creativity, but as another tool to improve quality, improve efficiency, and expand what's possible while maintaining the high standards expected of one of the world's leading research universities. 

UBC Studios 101: Who Are They and What Do They Do?

UBC Studios is UBC Vancouver’s central digital media production unit. They have partnered with over 170 units across campus on everything from teaching and learning content to communications strategy, consulting, recruitment, training, and digital storytelling. Their work spans video, graphics, animation, photography, and immersive content. For example, UBC Studios has collaborated with the Soil Science Program for more than 20 years to create innovative digital experiences, from interactive videos to virtual and augmented reality, that transform how researchers, students, and the public understand soil science.

"If you can think of it, we can find a way of creating it," says Chris Spencer, Team Lead and Supervising Producer. Part of the job is making sure university resources are used wisely. "We want prospective partners to know they can always come talk to us, regardless of whether or not we do the project," Saeed Dyanatkar, Executive Producer of UBC Studios says. "We are here to work alongside people who come to us for help.”

The UBC Studios team brings together a diverse range of creative and technical expertise, spanning cinematography, photography, editing, visual and immersive design, and emerging technologies such as AI. Together, these capabilities help transform complex ideas into clear, engaging stories and experiences.

UBC Studios also helps the university community create their own content through its “do-it-yourself" studios that are complimentary for staff and faculty. This includes an audio studio for podcasting, a recording studio for video, and a lightboard studio, which offers a creative and intuitive way to explain and illustrate complex ideas on camera. Beyond offering physical spaces for creation, UBC Studios also conducts media training workshops. Sometimes the team even works directly in classrooms, teaching students how to self-produce content for coursework.  

Consultation services are also a large part of how UBC Studios helps units bring their ideas to life. Not every client knows exactly what they need, and in these cases, UBC Studios is available to help shape rough ideas into proposals, scope projects, and estimate budgets for funding applications. "Sometimes faculty members or other clients will come to us unsure of what they're looking for. They look to us as experts who can provide advice on what is possible,” Saeed explains.

What Makes UBC Studios Different from Commercial Studios?

UBC Studios is uniquely positioned as an in-house department whose services are aligned with the university's strategic direction and research, teaching, and learning priorities. UBC Studios collaborates with external creative agencies, although one of their strengths is that all members of the team are UBC staff and understand the strategic priorities and audiences behind each project in ways an outside agency often cannot.  Working with departments and units across the university, they can connect people, spaces, and resources that might otherwise never intersect. "We're breaking down those silos and fostering more collaboration across campus," reflects Andrew Wang, Media Specialist.

Into the Archives: Examples of Previous Work

Ask the team about their proudest work, and the list gets long quickly. This reflects just how many corners of the university UBC Studios has touched since its inception in 2015.

Recent projects include:

• Pushing Forward with Development and Alumni Engagement, celebrating impact of alumni and donor support across UBC.
• Wildfire House Project, with the School of Architecture, exploring how Indigenous values and landscape knowledge can inform more wildfire-resilient design.
• Strategic Equity Reports, with the Equity & Inclusion Office, designing accessible reports and toolkits that communicate key insights with clarity and impact.
• Materials Engineering Videos, with the Faculty of Applied Science, showcasing how materials engineering shapes the technologies and innovations students encounter in the real world.  
• Nursing: Bullying Interactive Scenarios with the School of Nursing, creating interactive learning experiences that help students build the confidence and skills to respond to workplace bullying in clinical settings.  

 

 

 

Other milestones include virtual tours of the Museum of Anthropology during its major renovation closure, a Google Street View mapping car project, and keeping UBC's graduation ceremonies running through the pandemic.  

The team has been recognized with more than 30 industry awards, as well as the President’s Service Award for Collaborative Excellence in 2025, and has seen its short documentary work reach film festival audiences.

Lasting Impact through Community of Practice 

The lasting impact of UBC Studios extends beyond their creative projects. In 2014, the team founded the Digital Media Community of Practice, a campus network for people doing similar media work across UBC's many units. In 2024, a national community of practice, MAPLE-NET  was established to connect media practitioners working at higher education institutions across Canada. In the following year, the Maple Awards were launched to celebrate their work. Now, the groups meets regularly to share knowledge, network and collaborate.

Stronger Together 

Collectively, the staff agreed that their favorite part of working at UBC Studios is the people.  

"For me, [my favorite part is] working with a group of very talented, creative individuals. That's not easy to find in other universities," Saeed says. Chris agrees. "We have an incredibly talented team that genuinely loves what they do. I think we have some of the most fun on campus, and there's a real culture of collaboration."

For Andrew, it's the variety and exposure that keeps the work rewarding. "We're so privileged to get to work on so many different projects and learn about the cutting-edge research and meaningful work that happens at UBC every day.  Being able to put a smile on our colleagues' faces when we present to them a piece of work that they didn't know how to make possible - it always puts a smile on my face as well.”

Do you have a digital media project you’d like to work with UBC Studios on? Contact them and find out how they can help bring your project or story to life.

Learn More

• Visit the UBC Studios homepage
• View UBC Studios’ past projects 

British Columbia officially moved from observing Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC−8) and Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC−7) on a seasonal basis, to a single permanent time zone called Pacific Time (PT, UTC−7). This means clocks no longer change in the fall or spring.  
 
To ensure continuity of service, all IT Staff at UBC should review any systems, scheduled tasks, or integrations managed and update them to reflect this change before November 1, 2026.   
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the IT Service Centre Help Desk. 

International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is coming up on June 23. The day promotes and celebrates the achievements of women engineers and gender diversity in STEM fields. Under the 2026 theme, Engineering Intelligence, the campaign aims to showcase the expertise, creativity, and leadership women bring to work every day.  

Join us as we celebrate by highlighting UBC IT staff member Shirley Tanoto, whose career journey took her from a degree in engineering to Associate Director, Engagement Services here at UBC IT.

What type of engineering did you study, and what initially attracted you to that field?

Shirley: I studied Engineering Physics with a Mechanical Engineering option at UBC, a demanding five-year program with an emphasis on math, physics, and engineering principles. I didn't know exactly where I wanted to go, but I knew the broad program could keep my options open and set me apart. Being one of only four women in a cohort of 45 was not without its challenges. I struggled at times, but I leaned on those around me to get through it and ultimately proved to myself that I could do it.

Can you tell us about your career path and how it led to your current role at the university?

Shirley: After graduating, I joined Accenture's Management Consulting practice and grew steadily from programmer and technical architect to process architect and Manager, leading large-scale IT transformation projects. After eight years, I made a wholehearted choice to pause my career and stay home for seven years to raise our boys - a decision I cherish deeply and would make again without hesitation. That path eventually led me to UBC IT Engagement Services, where I have spent the last 16 years building valuable partnerships and supporting our client community on their IT needs.

How does your engineering background influence your current work?

Shirley: My engineering training gave me a structured, analytical approach to problem-solving, grounded in methodology, research, and the tenacity to push through challenges - skills I am grateful for as they continue to shape how I support clients in managing change and reducing risks. Engineering also taught me early that great outcomes are built by teams. Working alongside quality leaders and colleagues over the years has deepened my passion for bringing people together, strengthening collaboration, and building meaningful connections across the institution.

What’s a message you would share with other women in STEM?

Shirley: Pursue what you are good at and what brings you genuine joy, and when those two things come together, growth follows naturally. Embrace the journey, step outside your comfort zone, but go at your own pace and allow yourself to make mistakes and reflect. And most importantly, invest in the people around you and let them invest in you — because the quality of your relationships with others and yourself makes the experience truly rewarding. 

Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Shirley!

Representation and empowering women to pursue STEM careers is pivotal for inspiring future generations of young women and girls, creating more inclusive work environments, and driving change.  

Learn more about International Women in Engineering Day 

We’re excited to announce that UBC Cybersecurity will launch the second year of its internal Mentorship Program this Friday, May 29. 

The pilot program connects staff members across the team and is designed to strengthen collaboration, support career development at all levels, and encourage knowledge sharing between technical and business domains. This year’s program will also expand to include the Privacy and Information Security Management, Safety and Risk Services (PrISM SRS) unit.  

Why a mentorship program?  

Zoe Armer, Cybersecurity Program Manager, reflects on the gap this initiative aims to fill:  

There’s a great group of people in the cybersecurity team who have varied backgrounds, lived experiences, and different cultural experiences. At the same time, a lot of our team work in silos, spend time with their own team, but don’t necessarily mix and mingle outside of their own team very much - and that was a real missed opportunity.

The program includes:

• A kick-off session  
• A structured five-month engagement period  
• A minimum of two meetings between participants  
• Optional job shadowing opportunities  
• A wrap-up session with a reflection component 

What previous participants are saying:

Previous participants consistently highlight the program’s impact on both their professional development and confidence. 

This year, we’re proud to have 11 mentor-mentee pairings, representing over 22 participants. From building relationships and leadership skills, to fostering meaningful, hands-on learning, we look forward to another year of mentorship. 

In today’s digital landscape, protecting institutional systems from vulnerabilities is essential to maintaining a secure and reliable environment for teaching, learning, and research. To support this goal, the UBC Cybersecurity and Vulnerability Management Solution team has implemented a centralized Vulnerability Management Solution (VMS) that streamlines the identification and management of security issues across the university’s network.

The VMS consolidates information from multiple sources into a single platform, enabling IT teams to monitor and address potential risks efficiently. A key focus is the proactive identification of vulnerabilities in servers that are accessible from the public internet, as these systems can be more susceptible to attacks if not properly secured.

As part of the VMS, the Cybersecurity team is using automation to:

• Maintain Accurate Inventories: Publicly accessible servers are identified and cataloged through a combination of automated and manual processes.
• Automate Vulnerability Scans: Once servers are identified, automated workflows schedule and update vulnerability scans to check for weaknesses such as outdated software or misconfigured settings.
• Centralize Results: Scan results are collected and organized within the VMS, providing each unit with a clear view of its security posture.

While this approach significantly improves efficiency and consistency, UBC continues to explore enhancements. These efforts reflect a commitment to sustainable, cost-effective security practices that leverage automation and standardization.

Taking these steps ensures UBC’s digital infrastructure remains resilient, enabling the university community to focus on what matters most.

Learn more about the Vulnerability Management Solution (VMS)