Philadelphia Is Love · Opportunity
Youth Lab
The Classroom Meets the Control Room.
Philadelphia's next generation of producers, filmmakers, musicians, engineers, designers and storytellers shouldn't have to wait until graduation to participate in real productions.
Through Youth Lab, university students work alongside experienced professionals throughout each show — helping plan, build, capture, produce and distribute a real live cultural broadcast.
Why It Matters
Experience Changes Everything.
Students can learn production theory in a classroom. Youth Lab gives them the opportunity to understand what happens when the countdown reaches zero and the show has to go live.
This is not an observation program. Students do not simply receive backstage tours. Under professional supervision, participating students contribute to actual production workflows — learning discipline, accountability and the craft of live cultural media.
Learn It. Build It. Produce It. Go Live.
Don't Watch From the Sidelines.
Become Part of the Production.
Youth Lab matches students to supervised roles across the full production stack. Expand each category to see what participation looks like.
Camera
- Operate studio and field cameras under professional supervision
- Learn shot composition, focus and framing for live broadcast
- Support camera prep, lens changes and cable management
- Experience multi-camera live switching workflows
Live Production
- Assist production coordinators and stage managers
- Learn run-of-show timing, cue sheets and comms protocols
- Support talent coordination and backstage logistics
- Participate in rehearsals and live show execution
Audio
- Mix live audio and monitor feeds under engineer supervision
- Learn microphone placement, gain structure and RF management
- Support sound checks and live music integration
- Experience broadcast audio and in-room reinforcement together
Lighting
- Assist lighting designers with rigging and focus
- Learn color temperature, key-fill ratios and live looks
- Support load-in, programming and strike
- Experience how lighting shapes mood on camera and in-room
Live Music
- Support live performance integration — monitors, staging, transitions
- Learn artist liaison workflows and rehearsal discipline
- Assist with backline coordination where applicable
- Experience the intersection of music and broadcast production
Broadcast
- Support streaming, encoding and distribution workflows
- Learn broadcast standards, latency and redundancy concepts
- Assist with replay, graphics integration and master control
- Experience how live culture reaches audiences beyond the room
Editorial
- Assist editorial producers with research, logging and scripting
- Learn interview prep, story structure and fact-checking
- Support segment planning aligned with show franchises
- Experience how cultural stories become broadcast content
Digital
- Support social clipping, metadata and platform distribution
- Learn content calendars, rights-aware publishing and analytics basics
- Assist with live-to-digital workflows after broadcast
- Experience how moments extend after the show ends
Design
- Assist graphic designers and motion artists
- Learn broadcast graphics, lower thirds and brand systems
- Support asset prep for live and digital surfaces
- Experience visual identity across physical and spatial environments
Event Production
- Support load-in, guest flow and hospitality coordination
- Learn event safety, crowd management and vendor coordination
- Assist rooftop and venue operations at Avira
- Experience how live events and television production intersect
Student Journey
From Application to Portfolio.
Eight steps from first application to documented production credit — each phase designed to build real skills under professional accountability.
Step 01
Apply
Create a profile: university, program, graduation year, skills, portfolio and availability.
My Productions
Verified Production Credits
After Youth Lab participation, verified credits may be published here — role, episode and skills documented for portfolio use where production policies permit.
Loading production credits…
Every Show Is a Classroom.
Not a simulated classroom — a working production environment spanning pre-production, production, live broadcast, post-production and distribution.
Pre-production planning & story development
Technical prep, rehearsals & safety briefings
Live Cultural Pregame broadcast execution
Post-production, clipping & digital distribution
There Is a Place for More Than Film Students.
The production is multidisciplinary. Youth Lab reflects that reality.
Mentorship
Learn Beside People Doing the Work.
Youth Lab pairs students with working professionals across the production disciplines that make Philadelphia Is Love possible — not guest lectures, but side-by-side participation under supervision.
Mentor roster
Named mentor profiles publish after production assignment and participant consent. Matching happens during the Youth Lab review step — apply below to enter the pipeline; faculty partners can also nominate students through the partners program.
Safety & Professional Standards
Youth Lab operates under the same safety, rights and professional accountability standards as the main production. Students work within defined roles, supervised workflows and clear equipment protocols. Live broadcast participation requires preparation, rehearsal and approval — never improvisation at the expense of safety or program integrity.
Physical + Spatial Lab
Digital Avira Connection
Youth Lab extends beyond the Avira rooftop control room. Selected students may participate in Digital Avira workflows — spatial media, immersive storytelling and the bridge between physical broadcast and Sansar-powered digital experiences.
Spatial participation requires separate approval, safety review and Digital Experience terms — it is not automatic with Youth Lab enrollment.
Future Media
AI & the Next Generation of Storytelling
Philadelphia Is Love sits at the intersection of live broadcast, spatial media and emerging AI-assisted production tools. Youth Lab introduces students to responsible workflows — metadata, clipping, research assistance and creative tooling — always under human editorial judgment and production approval.
Students studying computer science, UX, data and communications find real application here — not as replacement for craft, but as amplification of Philadelphia storytelling.
Youth Lab Stories
Meet the Teams Behind the Show.
Student team profiles and production stories publish here after CMS approval and participant consent — never fabricated for the archive.
University Community
Connecting Philadelphia's University Community
Youth Lab is designed to collaborate with universities and educational institutions throughout the Philadelphia region. Partner institutions are listed publicly only after approved agreements — never presumed.
Refer Students
Faculty and career services connect qualified students to supervised production roles.
Faculty Production Education
Align coursework, capstones and practicum requirements with real broadcast workflows.
Research & Documentation
Collaborate on approved studies of live media, culture and community storytelling.
Career Pathways
Support internships, portfolio development and Philadelphia industry placement.
Why Universities Care
- 01
Real Production Experience
Students contribute to an actual live cultural broadcast — not a classroom simulation.
- 02
Portfolio Verification
Documented participation where production policies and rights permit.
- 03
Industry Connections
Direct mentorship from professionals working in Philadelphia media today.
- 04
Program Alignment
Supports film, communications, music, design, hospitality, business and technology curricula.
Keep Creative Talent in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Is Love isn't simply documenting Philadelphia's culture. It is helping prepare the next generation of people who will create it — giving students a reason to build careers here rather than leaving for other markets.
Ready to Participate?
Students can apply directly below. University partners can also begin through the Philadelphia Is Love partners program for faculty coordination and institutional agreements.
Every show needs a production team. Every industry needs its next generation. Philadelphia Is Love brings the two together.