MIX Center | Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

New state-of-the-art facility in Mesa, Arizona, for film, media arts, design and emerging technology programs

The world-class Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center in Mesa, Arizona, which opened in fall 2022, hosts hundreds of students who will be making films, designing new virtual worlds and video games, and creating other immersive media experiences of all kinds.

The MIX Center is part of the ASU at Mesa City Center complex, a collaboration between ASU and Mesa, Arizona, a city rich in history, art, community and industry. The MIX Center is located in the Salt River Valley on the ancestral homelands of those American Indian tribes that have inhabited this place for centuries, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) peoples, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. (For more information please see ASU Commitment to American Indian Tribes.) Located in the heart of Mesa’s Innovation District, the site will serve as a laboratory for advanced media technologies and media production, a platform for game development and a driving force for entrepreneurial solutions. It will also be an open and inviting place for the public as well as a source of inspiration, entertainment and education.

The ASU at Mesa City Center complex also includes The Studios at Mesa City Center, an inclusive community space open to all. Geared toward Mesa community members as well as students, faculty and staff interested in launching new ideas and seeking a connection space, the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at ASU will provide resources and programs to support current and aspiring entrepreneurs. The three-acre Plaza at Mesa City Center will provide a public park with an event lawn, splash pad and shade structures. Situated in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, this complex, a collaboration between ASU and the City of Mesa, will connect students, faculty and Mesa residents through community, industry and art.

Here, a new generation of creators from Arizona and beyond will develop into the media and technology professionals we need in the 21st century.

Academic programs

New and emerging media

A suite of graduate degree programs at the MIX Center are transdisciplinary in nature, bringing designers, creators, developers, researchers and worldbuilders together in the creation of new worlds that take multiple forms.

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Film

The Sidney Poitier New American Film School operates across three cities: ASU’s Tempe campus, the ASU California Center in downtown Los Angeles, and the MIX Center in Mesa, Arizona. The school will operate its production and post-production activities out of the MIX Center.

Learn more

Cutting edge facilities and tools

The Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center is a world class facility for emerging media technologies, second to none.

A

Screening room

A 1,900-square-foot, 76-seat movie theatre meeting Dolby specifications for production facilities and featuring high-end projection and sound for screenings, lectures, events, streaming and more, as well as for sound mixing and color grading powered by Avid.

B

Enhanced immersion studio

A four-story, 3,200-square-foot, 150-person capacity enhanced immersion studio serving as a high-end performance venue and an experimental media space and equipped with cutting-edge rigging, lighting and audiovisual systems.

C

Soundstages

8,100 square feet of professional quality soundstages/production studios with top-notch acoustic isolation, an automated lighting grid, advanced camera systems and more. Are you interested in renting a sound stage? Submit a request to rent a sound stage.

D

The Crêpe Club

The Crêpe Club brings the beloved French tradition of crêperies to the Valley of the Sun, offering a variety of freshly made savory and sweet crêpes. Enjoy a complete dining experience with savory main course crêpes followed by delectable dessert crêpes, perfect for any time of day.

E

Exhibition/lobby

A 2,000-square-foot area that serves as communal space, breezeway and gallery, with hackable surfaces for installation, mega-battens for sound/lighting/sensor install and a 32-foot long monumental display.

F

Community room

A 750-square-foot community meeting space open to the exhibition lobby where community members can come to be inspired, entertained and informed.

G

Ideation studio

A 1,300-square-foot ideation studio and flexible classroom and creative space with display technology, rapid prototyping gear and more.

H

Fabrication lab

A 2,400-square-foot makerspace for students featuring workstations for 3D printing, laser cutting, circuit fabrication and more. Visit the ASU MIX Center Fabrication Lab website for tips, workflow information, the handbook and more.

I

Production shop

The production shop houses all wood and metal fabrication featuring all of the newest state-of-the-art tools and equipment such as a 4x8 ShopBot CNC Router, Waze Water Jet, 4x4 Plasma Table, welding capabilities and much more.

A

Large screening theater

A 5,100-square-foot, 257-seat movie theatre meeting Dolby specifications for production facilities and featuring high-end projection and sound for screenings, lectures, events, streaming and more, as well as for sound mixing and color grading powered by Avid.

B

Enhanced immersion studio (balcony)

A four-story, 3,200-square-foot, 150-person capacity enhanced immersion studio serving as a high-end performance venue and an experimental media space and equipped with cutting-edge rigging, lighting and audiovisual systems.

C

Recording suite (post-production)

A professionally equipped 1,200-square-foot high-end recording studio and teaching studio capable of mastering studio-quality audio for films, games and music, as well as sound for interactive and immersive experiences.

D

Dreamscape Learn Classroom Pod

A next-generation immersive learning hub, equipped with 26 haptic desks and chairs and one professor station. Each station has VR headsets with inside-out tracking for narrative-driven synchronous and asynchronous immersive educational programming. The Classroom Pod is also used for VR development learning and research.

E

Dreamscape Learn Free-Roam Pod

One of the first of its kind, this space incorporates virtual reality headsets, rumble, wind and water haptic effects, props, and infrared motion tracking to fully represent and immerse up to six individuals at a time in shared virtual reality entertainment experiences. The Free-Roam Pod is also used for VR development learning and research.

F

Makeup wardrobe costume shop

Professional quality dressing and makeup area complemented by a small textiles/costume shop and wardrobe facility.

G

Computer labs

Three 40-seat computing classrooms with high-end graphics/media workstations ideal for instruction in editing, animation, game design, immersive sound and more.

A

Administrative Suite

The Administrative Suite houses all the offices for faculty and operational staff at the MIX Center. Adjacent to the suite is our video game lounge, equipped with a Nintendo Switch and an Xbox Series S, available for play at any time.

B

Color Grading and Finishing Suite

Set up to teach color grading and theory – primarily for film. The suite features a neutral gray shade of 50% to color grade a project and is equipped with industry standard equipment.

C

Post-production facilities

Twelve editing bays, two color finishing suites, a color-grading screening room and three sound editing suites spread giving students and faculty access to professional quality post-production capabilities.

D

Large flex classrooms

More than 24,000-square-feet of flexible, adaptive classroom and project space with movable furniture, multiple displays, power and data distribution and remote teaching capabilities.

Reservation request

Please see the various forms below to book your space at the MIX Center.

Are you interested in reserving a space at the MIX or are you a student looking to film at MIX?

Community amenities and engagement

Just outside of the MIX Center, community members can gather in Mesa’s new three-acre Plaza at Mesa City Center. Adjacent to the MIX Center, ASU will operate The Studios, with programs to support Mesa residents with entrepreneurial or business ideas. Training programs, workshops, seminars and mentorship opportunities will be available to individuals or groups. Partnerships are underway that will bring in children and high school students from Mesa Public Schools, community arts organizers from the Mesa Arts Center, community representatives from Downtown Mesa Association and more.

The MIX Center began as a collaboration between Arizona State University and the City of Mesa and is located in the City’s innovative, diverse and historic downtown (find out more about what the downtown has to offer here). Not only is it one of the first media production facilities of its type, but it is designed to be fully embedded in the surrounding community as a hive of cultural exchange and public programming and events.

This vision will only be achieved through partnerships with organizations and the surrounding communities. The MIX Center has been designed to be a public amenity and place of collaboration and engagement for the entire community.

Community advisory board

The MIX Center is facilitating a community advisory group to guide development and public programming at the center. This group began to meet in January 2022 and will co-create its mission, vision and structure. The board is a representative group of community leaders engaged in various sectors in Mesa. This group will explore how the MIX Center can be a mutually beneficial addition to the city.

Community amenities

Screening theatres

The two professional quality movie theaters/event spaces in the facility are activated weekly for public screenings of everything from classic films and first-run movies to class lectures and much more.

Performances and events

Many of the spaces in the facility, including the Enhanced Immersion Studio, are equipped to host not only immersive experiences, but also theatrical performance and art installations. More information coming soon.

Outdoor events and screenings in the park

The 70-foot wide high-resolution display on the south wall of the building faces a sloping lawn on the north end of the Plaza and is set up for screenings of films, sporting events, and other special events. More information coming soon.

Community room

The multi-purpose Community Room is open to the public during regular business hours and is designed for meetings, gallery events, and other special events. This room is programmed by the Mesa Community Advisory Board.

Community engaged projects

Camp Level Up

Camp Level Up aims to provide an immersive summer camp for Mesa’s neurodivergent youth. Students will have the opportunity to engage in professional-level skills in game design within a supportive community while building confidence to express themselves in a new medium. ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center will host youth (grades 6 through 12) for three weeks of summer sessions led by social impact and educational gaming studio Endless Studios with onsite therapeutic support from Copa Health.

Students outside watching a film on the exterior screen

Moonlight Movie Nights

Join us every month for Moonlight Movie Nights at the ASU MIX Center, a unique cinematic experience under the stars. Enjoy a curated selection of films ranging from classic favorites to contemporary hits, all projected on our outdoor screen. This event is perfect for families, friends and film enthusiasts of all ages. Immerse yourself in a magical evening of movies and community. Whether you're here for a nostalgic trip down memory lane or to discover new films, Moonlight Movie Nights promises a delightful and memorable night out.

The Most Beautiful Home…Maybe

Art and story have the power to build empathy and understanding, but can theater provide solutions to our national housing crisis? “The Most Beautiful Home… Maybe” was the first play performed at the MIX Center. The multimedia performance juxtaposed housing data, Lyndon Johnson, music and stories of Americans facing home insecurity. Developed from conversations and workshops with housing advocates, activists, developers and government workers, the creators spent time talking with experts in Mesa and included Mesa stories into the MIX performance. Learn more about the show.

Student using computer with large wrap around screen

Mesa Youth eXperience

The Resilient Visions Collaboratory (RV CoLab) and MIX Center led the Mesa Youth Immersive eXperience, a collaborative project that hosted over 400 Mesa youth from across nine diverse high schools, City of Mesa staff, ASU faculty and staff and elected officials. This 3D immersive and interactive experience is the first use of Mixed Reality (MR) in the U.S. to shape a city's General Plan through structured public participation with a community’s young population. The initiative focused on empowering young citizens to actively participate as decision-makers, creating well-informed, inclusive, and forward-thinking plans as they assess key urban planning concepts and their future as residents, such as transit-oriented development, climate-resilient infrastructure, or multi-use zoning.

Events

Upcoming events

View all MIX Center Events

Community Environmental Listening Desert Project
Community Environmental Listening Desert Project
Thursday, April 24
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tempe campus, Downtown Phoenix campus, Polytechnic campus, West Valley campus, Online event, Off campus, ASU at Mesa City Center, ASU in China, ASU Research Park, Los Angeles, Novus Innovation Corridor, Phoenix Biomedical Campus, SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASU, Tucson, Washington, D.C., Yuma
Instructions
Classics at the MIX: 'Empire of the Sun'
Classics at the MIX: 'Empire of the Sun'
Thursday, April 24
6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
ASU at Mesa City Center
RSVP
Community Environmental Listening Desert Project
Community Environmental Listening Desert Project
Friday, April 25
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tempe campus, Downtown Phoenix campus, Polytechnic campus, West Valley campus, Online event, Off campus, ASU at Mesa City Center, ASU in China, ASU Research Park, Los Angeles, Novus Innovation Corridor, Phoenix Biomedical Campus, SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASU, Tucson, Washington, D.C., Yuma
Instructions

View community events in downtown Mesa

Event/meeting request

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People

Leadership

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Cheryl Boone Isaacs

Founding Director + Professor of Practice

The Sidney Poitier New American Film School

cbisaacs@asu.edu
480-965-9547
1001 S. Forest Mall, 240 Mail Code 2002Tempe AZ

Johanna Richards

Assistant Director of Center Engagement

Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Johanna.Richards@asu.edu
50 N Centennial DriveMea AZ

Stephanie Tomlin

Director, Industry Relations

Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

stephanie.tomlin@asu.edu
50 North Centennial WayMesa AZ

Nicholas Pilarski

Interim Center Director and Associate Professor, ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center

Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

pilarski@asu.edu
126B Sun Devil HallTempe AZ

MIX-affiliated research faculty

In addition to film faculty who will have offices and teach in Mesa, MIX Center faculty and affiliates include ASU leaders in research and creative work in immersive experience design, extended reality technologies and interactive environments.

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