Canon USA Supports Cross-University Project

Canon U.S.A., Inc. Supports Cross-University Project

Leveraging Canon’s Advanced Technology, Students Collaborate to Create a Unique Documentary Film

MELVILLE, NY, September 19, 2024 – Aligned with its commitment to supporting higher education and fostering collaboration, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to announce its support of a collaborative project between Syracuse University and Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico through which their students created a documentary film. The project was made possible through the help of powerful technology provided by Canon1, enabling students from both universities to work together to bring their ideas to life from ideation to execution. The resulting documentary, A Tale of Two Cities, will make its debut at the upcoming Syracuse Film Festival in Syracuse, New York, showcasing the students’ unique perspectives and collaborative efforts.2

Under the guidance of faculty members Milton Santiago at Syracuse University and Professor Harold Leonard Navarro at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, students explored a topic of mutual regional significance. Despite the geographic distance between the two groups, they were able to seamlessly collaborate using Canon’s AMLOS (Activate My Line of Sight) solution and captured the documentary on Canon’s EOS R5C hybrid camera. Canon’s AMLOS solution facilitated real-time interaction, allowing the students to communicate in an engaging way to merge their unique perspectives and skills into a cohesive documentary project.

“This project truly enabled our students to understand the power of collaboration,” said Santiago, an assistant professor of visual communications at Syracuse University’s renowned Newhouse School of Public Communications.

“Despite being geographically distant, the students at Syracuse and at Sagrado were able to rally around a common goal: telling an important story while raising awareness about a timely issue,” Santiago added. “In joining forces through storytelling, the work they have created will have impact beyond our academic walls.”

The benefits of Canon's technology extended beyond merely facilitating interaction. It empowered students to work together to merge their perspectives seamlessly to help them create a polished final product.

"The success of this project demonstrates that technology is an extremely powerful tool for collaboration across academic disciplines," said Professor Navarro. "This experience has opened the door for future projects, bringing together students and faculty from diverse backgrounds in innovative ways."

Students echoed this sentiment, emphasizing how the project made a profound impact on their learning experience.

“The experience that everyone got from this project is something that will leave a lasting impact on us,” said Jennifer Wybieracki, master’s graduate student at Syracuse University. “The collaboration between multidisciplinary fields is super important as we’re able to see how different industries operate and how we all contribute to the end product.”

"We thank Canon for providing us with the equipment that allowed us to present the reality of the community by enabling us to obtain high-quality content," said Victor Jiménez, journalism undergraduate student at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.

Supporting this collaborative project underscores Canon’s ongoing commitment to fostering creativity and innovation across academic institutions.

“At Canon, we believe that technology has the power to transcend boundaries, whether geographic, cultural, or academic,” said Shinya Fukuda, senior vice president, Corporate Planning and Communications, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “By supporting this cross-university collaboration, we’re proud to help equip the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers with the tools they need to not only share their unique perspectives but also to foster meaningful connections through creativity and innovation.”

Canon Media Release: Canon USA