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Crossfade is a series of three in-person weekend production workshops hosted by Lakehead University’s Media, Film & Communications (MFAC) program, designed for high school students in the Orillia region. Led by Dr. Neven Lochhead, the series introduces participants to creative and technical skills in sound design, filmmaking, and interactive storytelling, while also offering a first look at what university-level teaching and learning can feel like.
Each workshop includes tutorials, hands-on production activities, and take-home exercises. The series culminates with a public exhibition in early April, where projects made in Crossfade will be presented in a professional gallery setting alongside works by MFAC undergraduates. Graduating high school students can also choose to have their Crossfade workshop projects assessed as an MFAC portfolio submission, creating a possible early-entry pathway into the program’s Major in Fall 2026.
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Reflecting the hands-on, creative spirit of MFAC’s curriculum, the Crossfade workshop series blends big-picture ideas and concepts with practical, industry-relevant production skills. Across the three workshops, students will explore the intricate ways that media is created while gaining confidence with the tools and techniques used by professionals in sound design, filmmaking, and interactive storytelling.
Each session combines tutorials, collaborative in-class activities, take-home creative projects, and individualized feedback from the instructor. Through this mix of learning formats, students gradually build an understanding of media production as a creative, flexible, and collaborative process. Working in an open and encouraging environment, participants will gain experience with industry-standard gear — including high-fidelity microphones and 4K cameras — and will learn about professional editing and audio software such as Logic Pro, Adobe Premiere, and more.
Crossfade offers a guided transitional platform for high school students who are considering future study in media production at the undergraduate level. By participating in the three winter workshops, students will gain familiarity with MFAC’s curriculum, teaching approaches, creative pathways, and possible career directions. Students who participate in the workshop series can also choose to have their Crossfade projects assessed instead of the program’s traditional portfolio requirement, offering an alternative and accelerated route to MFAC admission as early as April 2026. Throughout the series, participants will have many opportunities to speak with MFAC faculty about our Major and explore how their own interests and aspirations might connect with the program.
A key component of Crossfade is its final public exhibition, which brings together high school participants, Lakehead MFAC undergraduates, and members of the wider Orillia community. Although the workshops themselves are reserved for regional high school students, the winter series concludes with a blended group exhibition in early April, which will feature projects created in the workshops alongside media works by current MFAC undergraduates. The exhibition will create a shared space where prospective and current students can present their projects together while exchanging experiences and insights about media production.
Below is a brief outline of each workshop to be offered in the Winter 2026 iteration of Crossfade, and their dates.